Abraham Yates, Jr.

Abraham Yates ( born August 23, 1724 in Albany, New York, † June 30, 1796 ) was an American lawyer and politician.

Career

Abraham Yates was the son of Christoffel Yates and Catelyntje Winne. He was baptized on August 23, 1724 in Albany. Yates finished his preparatory studies and was then 1755-1759 Sheriff in Albany County. He also decided to pursue a career in politics and was a delegate from 1775 to 1777 in the Provincial Congress of New York. During this time he served on November 2, 1775 and August 10, 1776 as President pro Tempore and on 28 August 1776 President. Yates was in 1777 a member of the Council of Appointment and first and second Council of Safety of 3 May 1777 to 7 January 1778. Then he belonged from 1778 to 1790 to the Senate from New York. During this time, he was from 1778 to 1779 also served as trustee of Albany. He was then in 1783, the first postmaster of Albany. Then he sat in the years 1787 and 1788 the Continental Congress, before he served as mayor of Albany from 1790 to 1796.

Yates died in 1796 in Albany and was buried at the local Rural Cemetery.

Family

His grandchildren were the judges at the New York Court of Chancery, John Lansing, and the State Treasurer (Finance Minister) of the State of New York, Abraham G. Lansing.