James Yates

"... Mr. Yates was a shipwright by trade and was employed by Captain Cooper to construct a small iron schooner, the most of the materials for which he had imported by way of the "Tory". This vessel was the first to be constructed at this port and was called the "Alice". She was put together at the point where we boys used to bathe at the outlet of the ravine. Mr. Yates came out originally in the "Harpooner", in 1849, in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company I believe. In any case he very soon became an active opponent of the Company setting up a store of his own and becoming with the Reverend R.J. Staines a leader in the opposition to the virtual rulers. He was afterwards one of the representatives in the Colonial Legislature and acquired some property which his sons now enjoy the benefit of. Yates Street was named after him. He afterwards returned to Scotland, where he died in November 1900."

"Yates got permission to leave the service and build outside; got some waterfront lots on Wharf St. Yates had come out as a ship carpenter:- to build a schooner or something for the HBC - he was a powerful cantankerous being - a dark coloured Scotsman. Mrs. Yates was a nice active agreeable pleasant little woman with auburn hair."

"Mrs Douglas at this time was a very active woman, energetic and industrious but awfully jealous. She was very kind to outsiders and visited them when ill, and in fact nursed them more or less and I remember she remained for a long time with Mrs. Yates, when her child was born on Yates St. making her kneel down at the bedside, which Mrs. Yates considered did her a great deal of good. Mrs Douglas liked Mrs. Yates, who indeed was a very pleasant auburn haired body of considerable activity - orderly and very neat and cleanly - the opposite of her husband."