Nat Gould

Percy Yates 1873-1936

Percy Yates was born on at in Manchester, the son of Samuel Yates 1831-1901 of Manchester and his wife née Mary McMullen 1832-1890. His father was a seed merchant trading in the city.

In 1898 he married Edith Wright 1872-1958 at Osmaston church near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. She was born on 26 March 1872, the daughter of Frank Wright 1842-1913 and sister of Mary Elizabeth Wright who was married to his brother Ernest Yates.

When the Census was taken in 1911 they were living at The Heys, Delaheys Road, Hale in Cheshire.

They had the following children:

Francis Yates. He was born in 1902 at Didsbury in Manchester. He became a staticist and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1948 (1). He died in 1994.

Edna Mary Yates. She was born in 1904 at Didsbury. In 1928 she was married to Lindley Henshaw 1893-1977, and they had three daughters. He was a well known rock climber (2) and was awarded the Military Cross during the First World War (3). They divorced and both remarried. As Edna Oakeshott she became an educational psychologist and psychoanalyst, and wrote several books (4). She died in 1999 (5).

Ruth Edith Yates. She was born in 1906 at Hale.

Margaret Yates. She was born in 1908 at Hale.

Olive Yates. She was born in 1910 at Hale.

Their father Percy Yates died on 4 October 1936.

His Will was proved on 8 January 1937 (6).

His wife Edith Yates née Wright died on 28 July 1958, and was buried at at Osmaston near Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

(1) Obituary of Frank Yates by David J Finney FRS in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society volume 41 (November 1995) pages 554 to 573.
(2) "Edna Yates and Lindley Henshaw provide an inter-Club marriage" The Fell and Rock Climbing Club Journal of the English Lake District volume 8 number 1 (1928) page 104.
(3) London Gazette 24 December 1917; Supplement to the London Gazette 2 April 1919 page 4328; Supplement to the Edinburgh Gazette 3 April 1919 page 1370. The award of the Military Cross was gazetted in the London Gazette 10 December 1919: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in bridging operations near Landrecies on the 4th November 1918. His behaviour throughout the whole operation was largely responsible for his section’s success in bridging the Sambre-Oise Canal. Although early on in the operations he was wounded in the shoulder he remained at duty and saw that the infantry were ferried across". His medals were sold by auction for £1100, exceeding the estimate of £800-£900 : Lot 567 Dix Noonan Webb Auction 21 September 2007;http://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/catalogue-archive/lot.php?auction_id=102&lot_id=59431
(4) Her books include Childhood in Autobiography (1960), Growing-up World: Children in Families (1966) and The Child Under Stress (1973).
(5) For an account of her life see Intrepid Woman, My Mother : a Memoir by her daughter Joanna Rotberg (2003). A summary of her career is given in Women Psychoanalysts in Great Britain http://www.psychoanalytikerinnen.de/greatbritain_biographies.html#Oakeshott
(6) "YATES Percy of The Heys Delahayes-road Hale Cheshire died 4 October 1936 Probate Manchester 8 January to Edith Yates widow Frank Yates staticist and Edna May Henshaw (wife of Lindley Henshaw). Effects £29790 4s 7d. Resworn £26108 14s 8d." England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1937) page 660.