William Yates (1738–1802) was an 18th-century British cartographer. He surveyed land in northern England, mostly in Lancashire.William Yates and Peter Burdett: Their Role in the Mapping of Lancashire and Cheshire During the Late Eighteenth Century – J. B. Harley, p. 107
Early life Yates grew up in the Low Hill parish of Walton, Liverpool.William Yates, Cartographer, p. 200
Career Early in his career, Yates was an assistant to Peter Perez Burdett.
In 1769, Yates completed a survey for the Map of the Environs of Liverpool.William Yates and Peter Burdett: Their Role in the Mapping of Lancashire and Cheshire During the Late Eighteenth Century – J. B. Harley, p. 113
Yates' survey of Lancashire (1786), at one inch to the mile, was "one of the eleven English county maps which received national recognition in the period 1759–1809". He received a gold medal from the Society of Arts.William Yates and Peter Burdett: Their Role in the Mapping of Lancashire and Cheshire During the Late Eighteenth Century – J. B. Harley, p. 122
His 1775 trigonometrical survey of Staffordshire was described as "the last production of outstanding importance" before the end of the 18th century.
Personal life In his will, made in 1802, Yates refers to his children: William Jr, George, Joseph, Sarah, Hannah and Patty.
In the 1770s, he was living in Cleveland Square and working as a customs officer. Twenty years later, he was a resident of West Derby, Liverpool, employed as a surveyor of customs.
Death Yates died in Liverpool in 1802. He was interred at the city's St Thomas' Church on 30 November.William Yates, Cartographer, p. 202
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