Jannetje/Janet/Jane Van Ness was born about 1739.

She married Schenectady native Robert Yates in March 1765. The couple set up their first home in Albany's second ward. Their six children were baptized in the Albany Dutch church between 1767 and 1783 where their parents were longtime members.

Attorney, public official, and jurist, Robert Yates's rapid rise was mirrored by the elevated status that accompanied success. By the outbreak of the War for Independence, his family had taken up residence in a landmark house on upper State Street where Jane raised their children and hosted many of the leaders of the new New York State.

Robert Yates died in 1801. Jane continued to live in the home at 110 State Street which she shared with her son and husband's successor, John Van Ness Yates. She died in June 1818 at the age of seventy-nine.

first posted: 01/15/02