A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Yates, Robert Ballard
YATES. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 22; h-p., 35.)
Robert Ballard Yates is son of A. Nicholas Yates, Esq., formerly Naval Officer at Jamaica. This officer entered the Navy, in July, 1790, on board the Canada 74, commanded by the late Lord Hugh Seymour in the Channel. Being discharged, in the following Dec, he next, in Sept. 1791, joined the Iphigenia frigate, Capt. Patrick Sinclair, under whom we find him for 18 months stationed at Milford. From July, 1794, until March, 1798, he again served with Lord Hugh Seymour in the Channel in the Leviathan 74 and Sans Pareil 80. On leaving the latter ship, in which he had fought in Lord Bridport’s action, he became Midshipman, in the West Indies, of La Légère, Capt. Cornelius Quinton; to which vessel, a few months after he had been removed to the Queen 98, flag-ship of Sir Hyde Parker, he went back, as Acting-Lieutenant, 2 May, 1800. On 5 Sept. following he was officially promoted. His succeeding appointments were – in Oct. and Nov. 1800, to the Néréide 36, Capt. Fred. Watkins, and Amphion 32, Capts. Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, Alex. Fraser, Thos. Masterman Hardy, and Sam. Sutton – 14 Aug. 1804, to the Pheasant sloop, Capt. Robt. Henderson – 26 April, 1 June, and 12 Dec. 1806, to the Veteran 64, Capt, Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, Pelican 16, Capt. Wm. Ward, and Elk 18, Capts. Geo. Morris and Jeremiah Coghlan – 20 Aug. 1807, to the command of the Variable – and, 28 April, 1814, to the Shark. sloop, as Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Wm. Brown. In the Amphion (all the other vessels were stationed in the West Indies) Mr. Yates escorted Lord Nelson to the Mediterranean at the commencement of the late war in 1803. He was advanced to his present rank 15 Nov. 1814; and has since been on half-pay.
Commander Yates obtained a pension of 45l. 12s. per annum for wounds 5 Feb. 1842. He married, 16 Oct. 1820, Mary Jane, youngest daughter of Major-General Chas. N. Cookson.