YATES, FREDERICK HENRY (1797–1842), actor, the youngest son of Thomas Yates, a tobacco manufacturer, of Thames Street and Russell Square, London, was born on 4 Feb. 1797. He was educated at a preparatory school at Winchmore Hill, near Enfield, where he met John Reeve [q. v.], his subsequent associate, and at the Charterhouse under Drs. Raine and Russell. He obtained a berth in the commissariat department, was with Wellington in the Peninsula, and, it is said, though this is doubtful, at Waterloo. After the peace he went to a fancy ball in the character of Somno, a part played by the elder Mathews. Here he met Mathews himself [see Mathews, Charles], whom in the winter of 1817–18 he accompanied to France. He had then, at Mathews's advice, determined upon adopting the stage as a profession, and his first appearance was made during this trip, at Boulogne, in Suett's part of Fustian in Colman's ‘Sylvester Daggerwood’ to the Sylvester Daggerwood of his companion. On 16 Feb. 1818, as Helgent, an original part in a tragedy called ‘The Appeal,’ he made at Edinburgh his first appearance ‘on this stage, and fifth on any stage.’ On the 21st he played Shylock, on the 26th Iago, on 13 March Richard III, on 16 March Bolingbroke to Kean's Richard II, on 6 April Jaques, and gave for his benefit on 20 April Richard III and Actor of all Work. In the summer he was seen as Buskin in ‘Killing no Murder,’ gave imitations after the style of Mathews, and sang ‘The Mail Coach.’ This last was his first essay in a line in which subsequently he was to win reputation. On 7 Sept. he was seen as Dominie Sampson.
On 7 Nov. 1818, as ‘Yates from Edinburgh,’ he made his first appearance at Covent Garden, playing Iago to the Othello of Young, the Cassio of Charles Kemble, the Desdemona of Miss O'Neill, and Emilia of Elizabeth Brunton, whom he married in 1823. His performance was received with much favour, and he returned to continue an unfinished engagement in Edinburgh. He arrived on 4 Dec., and on 6 Jan. 1819 played Falstaff in the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor.’ Back in London before the season was over, he made his second appearance at Covent Garden on 13 April as Falstaff in the ‘First Part of King Henry IV,’ in which he created a favourable impression. He was said to ‘discover great genius,’ though his laugh was declared to be violent rather than jovial, and his delivery of the soliloquies laboured. The audience were greatly pleased with his manner, and wrung from the management a speech promising future appearances in comedy and tragedy. Gloster in ‘Jane Shore’ followed, and on 12 May Yates was the first Berthold in Maturin's ‘Fredolfo.’ On the 22nd in ‘Cozening, or Half an Hour in France,’ a piece intended to show his versatility, he played Dick Mutable and many other parts. Genest says ‘he acted very well.’ Sylvester Daggerwood, Casca in ‘Julius Cæsar,’ Poet Crackbrain in ‘Lethe,’ and Rob Roy followed. On 17 June in ‘Love, Law, and Physic’ he played Flexible, ‘after the manner of the original performer’ (Mathews), and on the 23rd, for his benefit, with other entertainments he played Shylock and gave, as Dick in the ‘Apprentice,’ imitations of Young, Emery, Simmons, Kean, Kemble, Munden, Blanchard, Mathews, and Master Betty. The season of 1819–20 saw him as Macduff, Boniface in the ‘Beaux' Stratagem,’ and, for his benefit, Richard III ‘after his own manner.’ In a revival of the ‘Manager in Distress’ he was Gentleman ‘on the stage and in the boxes,’ and gave further imitations. Next season, 1820–1, he was the Apothecary in ‘Romeo and Juliet;’ had an original part in ‘Figure of Fun,’ an unprinted piece which was damned on 16 Jan. 1821; Buckingham in ‘King Richard III,’ the first Peregrine Plural in ‘London Stars, or 'Twas Time to Counterfeit,’ a one-act piece written to suit his eccentricities; an original part in ‘Grand Tour, or Stopped at Rochester;’ Moses in ‘School for Scandal;’ Cato the Censor in a burlesque called ‘State Secrets, or Public Men in Private Life,’ 12 June; and Matthew Sharpset in the ‘Slave.’ He played an original part with Macready in the ‘Huguenot,’ 11 Dec. 1822.
At Covent Garden Yates remained until the close of the season of 1824–5. He was the original Ranald of the Mist in Pocock's ‘Montrose, or the Children of the Mist,’ 14 Feb. 1822; Orzinga in Colman's ‘Law of Java,’ 11 May; played for the first time Mordecai in ‘Love à la Mode,’ Gratiano, Lapoche in ‘Fontainebleau,’ Gibby in the ‘Wonder,’ Rob Roy, Glenalvon in ‘Douglas,’ Joseph Surface, and Finnikin in ‘Giovanni in London;’ was the first Skylark in Peake's ‘Duel,’ 18 Feb. 1823; and took the principal part in ‘Tea and Turn out’ (with imitations), 28 May. He was the original Baron of Attinghausen in the ‘Beacon of Liberty,’ 8 Oct.; Montalba in the ‘Vespers of Palermo,’ 11 Dec.; Cornet Carmine in Croly's ‘Pride shall have a Fall,’ 11 March 1824; Count Gaudentia in ‘Ravenna, or Italian Love,’ adapted from Schiller, 3 Dec.;
