Yates, Robert

Written in a clerical hand on vellum (18 3/8 x 8 1/4 in.; 467 x 211 mm) and dated by Yates 9 October 1790, "I Robert Yates do solemnly swear and declare, that I will to the best of my Knowledge and Ability, execute the Office of Chief justice of the State of New York according to the Constitution and Laws of New York in Defense of the Freedom and Independence thereof, and for the Maintenance of Liberty and the Distribution of Justice, among the Citizens and Inhabitants of said State, without any Fear, Favor, Partiality, Affection, or Hope of Reward. So help me God."— beneath Yates's oath, 10 judges have signed the oath of office as a Judge of the Court of New York State — and beneath the judges' oath, two officers have signed the oath of office for Commissioners for taking Affidavits — on the verso, Morgan Lewis has signed the oath of office of Attorney General of the State of New York; some soiling, a bit of rubbing to the attestations of the Affidavits Commissioners and Morgan, two small natural holes, minor chipping at right margin.

Oliver R. Barrett (Parke-Bernet, 31 October 1950, lot 1218)

Written in a clerical hand on vellum (18 3/8 x 8 1/4 in.; 467 x 211 mm) — beneath Yates's oath, 10 judges have signed the oath of office as a Judge of the Court of New York State — and beneath the judges' oath, two officers have signed the oath of office for Commissioners for taking Affidavits — on the verso, Morgan Lewis has signed the oath of office of Attorney General of the State of New York; some soiling, a bit of rubbing to the attestations of the Affidavits Commissioners and Morgan, two small natural holes, minor chipping at right margin.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Robert Yates, a Revolutionary patriot and jurist, was admitted to the bar at Albany in 1760. During the Revolution, he represented Albany in four provincial congresses and served on the committee of safety. He was one of three New York representatives to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, but he left the convention with his colleague John Lansing when they felt the delegates were overstepping their mandate to revise the Articles of Confederation; their withdrawal left Federalist Alexander Hamilton as New York's sole delegate.

In 1790, Yates was appointed the Chief Justice of New York, a post memorialized in the present document and which he held until 1798, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. 

The ten judges who signed below their own oath of office (substantially in the same form as Yates's) feature a number New York State luminaries, including delegates to the Continental Congress, members of the state legislature, and delegates to the New York Constitutional Convention: Samuel Jones, Leonard Gansevoort, Stephen Rensselaer, John Williams, Peter Schuyler, Peter Lefferts, David Gelston, David Pye, Thomas Tillotson, and Philip Van Cortlandt.