Born in the parish of St. Martin's, London, possibly a son of John Yates, who had married Ann Wiltshire at St. Martin's Church on the 11th of January 1829.
Enlisted at Warrington, Lancashire, on the 19th of December 1851.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Smith.
Features: Dark complexion. Hazel eyes. Dk. brown hair.
"Has various tattoo marks on left arm and black mole on left side above the navel."
Sent to Scutari General Hospital on the 13th of December 1854 and invalided to England aboard the "Adelaide" on the 22nd of March 1855.
To Brighton from the Chatham Invalid Depot on the 14th of May 1855.
Rejoined the regiment at Cahir, Ireland, on the 1st of June 1856.
Discharged to Kilmainham from Dublin on the 26th of January 1857:
"This man is considered unfit for the duties of a soldier and never likely to become efficient in consequence of protracted syphilis and general debility — a condition in no way attributable to his service.
After a period of one month in the General Military Hospital in Dublin I am of the opinion that he is unfit for further service and is unlikely to ever become capable of any further military duties."
Conduct and character: "a good soldier". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Aged 23 years 10 months. Served 4 years 242 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year.
Granted a pension of 6d. per day for 18 months.
Intending to live at Newport on discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
His Crimean medal was presented to him by Queen Victoria at a ceremony on the Horse Guards Parade on the 18th of May 1855. The Nominal Roll of those present, now in the National Archive, shows him as "having been wounded at Balaclava in the right hand", but the London Gazette casualty lists do not show him as such. His name also appears on a similar roll which appeared in the United Services Magazine for June of 1855 and on that which appeared in the Illustrated London News of the 26th of May 1855.
This is the only confirmation of his having ridden in the Charge, and not very conclusive. No trace can be found of his ever attending any of the veterans' functions, but he could possibly have died before 1875 and the first of the Dinners and before the forming of the Balaclava Commemoration Society.
He said he intended to live at Newport on discharge, but later lived at Stourport, Worcestershire and in Deptford from the 10th of June 1868.
Extract from Eddowes Journal for the 28th of January 1858:
"Honour Sullied at Worcester Sessions.
John Yates, aged 25, a foundry-smith, was charged with having, on the 20th of December 1857, stolen 1lb. of cigars, and a box, the property of Joseph Martin.
Mr. Powell addressed the Court in mitigation of the sentence. He said the prisoner, were it not for the disgrace which had now been brought upon his character, might be pointed out as a most remarkable young man. He had served in the 17th Lancers, and was one of the only two men [sic] in the regiment who had come back from the fearful "Charge at Balaclava" under Lord Raglan. Yates possessed a medal and clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and had suffered much hardship in the Crimean campaign, that he had been discharged as medically unfit for longer service, with a certificate of his good conduct and character endorsed on his discharge.
Mr. Byrne, said the prosecutor, admiring the gallant conduct of the prisoner when in the service, and commiserating with him in his present position, would not have had him prosecuted except for a strong sense of public duty. He begged the Court to take a merciful view of the prisoner's case.
The Chairman addressed the Court, and regretted that one who had won so much honour had so disgraced himself on his return home. Trusting however, that the misery and shame which had fallen upon him as a natural result of his crime and in taking into consideration the circumstances of his career, his previous good conduct and the recommendations of the prosecutor, the Court had come to the conclusion that the ends of justice would be attained by a very light sentence, which was that he would be imprisoned for one day.
The prisoner, who appeared very penitent and wept whilst being addressed by the Court, was then removed below. But the sentence was equivalent to his immediate discharge."