Clotworthy Upton, in the Sybille 38, in the Bay of Biscay, among the Western Islands, on the coast of Ireland, and in the Baltic. While on the station last named he co-operated, in Sept. 1807, in the reduction of Copenhagen. On leaving the Sybille he was received on board the Cherokee 10, Capt. Rich. Arthur, attached to the force on the coast of France. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 16 May, 1809; and was subsequently appointed – 8 July, 1809, to the Audacious 74, Capt. Donald Campbell, whom he accompanied in the expedition to the Walcheren – 26 Jan. 1810, to the Quebec 32, Capts. Hon. Geo. Poulett and Chas. Sibthorpe John Hawtayne, employed off the Texel and the coast of Jutland – 16 April, 1811, after four months of half-pay, to the Niemen 38, Capts. Sir Michael Seymour and Sam. Pym, in the Bay of Biscay – 30 Oct. 1812, to the Barrosa 36, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, on the West India and North American stations – and, 1 July, 1814,[1] to the acting-command of the Amaranthe 18. On the night of 8 Nov. 1810, Mr. Yates, then in the Quebec, served with three boats belonging to that frigate, under the orders of Lieut. Stephen Popham, and was mentioned in the highest terms for the spirit and good order he maintained, at the capture, in the Vlie Stroom, of La Jeune Louise French privateer schooner of 14 guns (6 12 and 8 9 pounders) and 35 men. The boats on this occasion had to pull against a very strong tide and found the enemy fully prepared for the attack and closely surrounded by sands, on which, in their approach, they grounded and received three distinct broadsides from cannon and musketry within pistol-shot. Extricating themselves, nevertheless, they boarded and succeeded, although the enemy defended the point on deck, in obtaining possession of the object of their enterprise. Mr. Yates himself killed, in personal conflict, the French Captain, Gallon Lafont, a Capitaine de Vaisseau and a Member of the Legion of Honour.[2] He continued in command of the Amaranthe, the sloop alluded to above, on the West India and Lisbon stations, until April, 1815. In Jan. 1823 he obtained an appointment in the Coast Guard; he assumed command, 4 Jan. 1826, of the Espiègle 18, fitting for the West Indies; in Aug. 1827 (having been advanced to Post-rank 12 March preceding) he returned to England a passenger in the Rattlesnake 28; and since 1 Dec. 1847 he has been employed, at Portsmouth, in the Blenheim steam guard-ship of 450 horse-power, and Illustrious 72, depot-ship of Ordinary. His appointment to the Illustrious took place 24 Jan. 1843. Agents – Collier and Snee.
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.
YEATS. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)
John Samuel Yeats is nephew of the late Robt. Williams, Esq., a Banker, and Director of the Hon.E.I.Co.
This officer entered the Savy, 26 Dec. 1806 (from the Earl St. Vincent Indiaman, then at Bombay), as A.B., on board the Psyche 36, Capts. Wm. Wooldridge and Thos. Groube; and in June, 1807, removed to the Caroline 36, Capts. Henry Hart, Chas. Gordon, and Christopher Cole, in which frigate he continued employed in the East Indies, as Midshipman (a rating he had before attained) and Master’s Mate, until Feb. 1811, when he invalided home on board the Chiffonne 36, Capt. John Wainwright. While in the Caroline he served with three of her boats, carrying in all 37 men, at the cutting-out, from the coast of Java, of a Dutch brig-of-war, the Cheribon, mounting 14 guns and 2 howitzers, with a complement of 75 men. On 11 Dec. 1807 he contributed to the annihilation, at Griessee, of the dockyard and stores, and of all the men-of-war remaining to Holland in the East Indies; he shared next in an engagement with the enemy’s batteries and gun-boats at the entrance of the Bay of Manilla; towards the close of 1809 he accompanied an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, the result of which was the destruction of the strong town of Ras-al-Khyma and of more than 80 vessels; and in Aug. 1810 he united in the celebrated attack upon the island of Banda Neira, and was one of those who there escaladed the walls of the Castle of Belgica. On his arrival home, in Aug. 1811, Mr. Yeats was received on board the Gladiator, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Webb, lying at Portsmouth; and in the following Dec. he removed to the Egmont 74, Capt. Joseph Bingham, employed in succession in the Downs, in the North Sea under the flag of Rear-Admiral Geo. Hope, and among the Western Islands. For the attention he had shown, when with Rear-Admiral Hope, in escorting a Russian squadron to England, that officer would have given him an acting order as Lieutenant, but he had not, unfortunately, served his time. On one occasion, while the Egmont was lying at the Little Nore, having been ordered on dockyard duty, he was returning to the ship in the launch, when he observed a transport with troops on board drifting fast, with her anchor under foot, in among the singles, at a strong flood-tide. He instantly put alongside, carried an anchor out, and hove her off. No sooner, however, had he got on board the Egmont than, by order of the First-Lieutenant, he was placed under arrest upon a charge of having delayed the public service. The Captain was at the time absent on shore; but on his return, and on hearing of that which had occurred, he directed the ship’s company to be called aft on the quarter-deck, sent for Mr. Yeats, and, instead of inflicting punishment, then and there, at the request of the Captain and the military officers belonging to the transport, publicly thanked him for his conduct. On leaving the Egmont Mr. Yeats, who had latterly been in discharge of the duties of Master’s Mate, joined in succession, on the Home station, in Nov. 1813 and May and Aug. 1814, the Cressy 74, Capt. Chas. Dashwood, Puissant 74, Capt. Benj! Wm. Page, and Norge 74, commanded also by
