In the October to December 1879 birth index William Milward Yates, Basford, Nottinghamshire, volume 7b, page 166

In the 1881 census 113 Gawethorne Street, Basford, Nottinghamshire
Head William Yates, age 33, Methodist Free Church Minister Palm Street Chapel, born Manchester, Lancashire
Wife Eli Ann Yates, age 25, born Kilbourne, Derbyshire
Son Charles E. Yates, age 5, scholar, born Oxford
Son William M. Yates, age 1, born Basford
1 general domestic servant

In the 1891 census 9 Sydenham Road, Bristol, Gloucestershire
Head William Yates, age 43, Methodist Free Church Minister, born Manchester, Lancashire
Wife Eliza Ann Yates, age 35, bornKilbourne, Derbyshire
Son C. Edmond Yates, age 15, scholar, born Oxford
Daughter Alice Ann Yates, age 13, scholar, born Lowestoft, Suffolk
Son W. M. Yates, age 11, scholar, born Basford, Nottinghamshire
Son Frank Yates, age 9, scholar, born Basford
Daughter Elsie Yates, age 7, scholar, born Leicester
Son Harold Yates, age 6, scholar, born Leicester
Daughter Janet Mary Yates, age 4, born Rochdale, Lancashire
Daughter Edith Yates, age 3, born Rochdale
1 domestic servant

UK Imperial Yeomanry Records
Attested Manchester, Lancashire January 29, 1901
William Milwarde Yates, service Number 22688, 77th Company Imperial Yeomanry
Born Basford, Nottinghamshire
Age 21 years 3 months
Commercial Traveller
Belongs to Transport Column M C V M S B
Height 5 feet 11 1/2 inches, hazel eyes, light brown hair
Imperial Yeomanry posted Private January 29, 1901
Imperial Yeomanry commissioned Lieutenant September 27, 1901
Campaigns South Africa 1899-1902
Medals
Queens Medal
South Africa Medal
CC, OYS, Trans, South Africa 1901
No Injuries
Next of Kin: Reverend W. Yates, 23 Hanover Square, Leeds

Canada WWI Attestation and Military Papers
Captain
Wilton Millarde Yates [as typed]
Born England
Next of Kin W. Yates, Apperley Bridge, Yorkshire
Born October 17, 1879
Rancher
Served 2 years Western Light Horse, South Africa, 37th Canadian Militia
Attested December 29 1914
Height 6 feet 0 inches, Fair hair, blue eyes

Major (now Lt. Col. Wilton Millard Yates
Unit 2nd Battalion
Next of Kin Mrs. W. Millard Yates, 1 St. Andrews Mansions, Dorset Street London W.
November 28 1916 No. 6 Cas. Clg. Station Dangerously Ill
December 12 1916 24 General Hospital Etaples gun shot wound head and face
December 21 1916 Endsleigh Palace Hospital W. C fractured skull and nose
X Casualty Injuries head and face caused by bus overturning
January 23 1917 discharged
March 18 1917 Cambridge Hospital Aldershot injured face
May 7 1917 discharged

Record of Service Canadian Expeditionary Force
Appointed Captain 32nd Battalion December 1 1914
Promoted Major December 26
Embarked for England with unit February 23 1915
Embarked for France May 2 1915
Taken on strength 2nd Battalion, France May 5 1915
Granted leave to Canada March 20 1916 to June 26 1916
Rejoined 2nd Battalion from leave July 8 1916
Promoted Lieutenant- Colonel and to Command 2nd Battalion October 25 1916
Proceeded to Commanding Officers course at Corps School November 20 1916
Returned from Course November 25 1916
Injured by bus overturning November 27 1916
Invalided to England Dec ember 20 1916
Granted leave on recommendation of Medical Board from May 7 1917 to August 7 1917
Granted permission on to proceed to Canada on Sick leave from August 9 1917 to December 16 1917
Rejoined E.O.R. Depot from leave December 10 1917
President Board of Officers, Can. Spec. Hospital January 2 1918 to April 2 1918
“On Command” to C.D.D. Buxton for duty April 2 1918
Proceeded to Canada on Conducting Staff April 24 1918
S.O.S., O.M.F. of C. On being retained in Canada for duty May 19 1918
T.O.S., Clearing Services Command May 20 1918
S.O.S., C.E.F. in Canada on General Demobilization October 15 1919

Demobilized October 15 1919
[It appears the 2nd Battalion is the 2nd Canadian Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment), 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. It appears Yates was with the 2nd Battalion for the Battle of Festubert May 15 to 25 1915, and the Battle of the Somme July 1 to November 8 1916 (he rejoined on July 8). The Battle of the Somme for the 2nd Battalion included the Battle of Pozieres July 23 to September 3 1916, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette September 15 to 22 1916 and the Battle of Ancre Heights October 1 to November 11 1916. He commanded the Battalion from October 25 1916 to December 20 1916.]

from the Shipley Times and Express - March 22, 1918
A family in the service of their country
Brother had facial reconstruction surgery
Lieut-Colonel William Milwarde Yates, Canadian Infantry, fought through the South African War and received his commission through the late Lord Kitchener. Since then he has been horse ranching near Swift Current, Western Canada, and was Major of the Saskatchewan Light Horse.
On the outbreak of the present war he volunteered for service, has been in severe fighting and has been twice buried in the trenches by German shells.
Replaced by a rib
In November 1916 he was terribly wounded, his face and head being badly shattered. He has undergone some wonderful operations; his nose has been rebuilt and parts of his face have been replaced by one of his ribs.
He has had a wonderful recovery of which the specialists have been very proud but he is not yet sufficiently recovered to take up his command.
In the meanwhile he is doing special work for the Canadian War Authorities.

1931 Canada Census British Columbia, Nanaimo district, Unorganized territory No. 44
Albert Head, Vancouver Island
Rented home, $15? per mont rent, single floor, wood, 5 rooms, had a radio
Head Wilton Yates, married, age 51, born England, parents born England, immigrated 1910, speaks English and French, occupation income
Son Dennis Yates, age 11, born England, father born England, mother born Ireland, immigrated 1920, student

Findagrave.com
Lieutenant Colonel Wilton Milwarde Yates
Birth 17 Oct 1879
England
Death 6 Dec 1976 (aged 97)
Sooke, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Burial Saint Mary's Cemetery
Metchosin, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Plot M-29
Memorial ID 157005856
Note: on the day of his marriage, his signature read "William Milwarde Yates".
Event Type:Death
Registration Number:1976-09-018265
BC Archives Mfilm Number:B13357
GSU Mfilm Number:2050570
Event Date (YYYY-MM-DD):1976-12-06
Event Place:SOOKE
Age at Death:97
Person:WILTON MILWARDE YATES
Father- William Yates born in England
Mother- Elizabeth Ann Milwarde born in Kilbourne, Derbyshire, England
Wife- Joan Patricia Mary Homer (1913-2008) married July 15, 1938 at the Office of the Registrar, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, BC

From https://matthewkbarrett.com/2022/05/04/lt-col-yates/
Lieutenant Colonel Wilton Yates
2nd (Iron Second) Battalion

When he was badly wounded in World War I, he was the first to have successful plastic surgery on his face. It was very noticeable of course when he returned to Swift Current. At one time, as he himself relates, he was consigned to an insane asylum “but never reached it owing to my own machinations.” When wounded he was put in the morgue as dead; was saved by a nurse’s aide and given six months to live.
(Jim Greenblat, Those Were the Days in Swift Current, 1971, 32)
A native of England, Wilton Milwarde Yates was born on 17 October 1879. After being wounded in the Boer War, he immigrated to Canada and became a rancher at Swift Current. He enlisted in Lieutenant Colonel Harry Cowan’s 32nd Battalion in December 1914 and was attached to the 2nd Battalion once overseas.

He relieved Lieutenant Colonel A. E. Swift in October 1916 and took command of the 2nd during the final stage of the battle of the Somme. On 20 December 1916 he was relieved by Major Lorne McLaughlin before Lieutenant Colonel R. P. Clark assumed officially command of the 2nd on 10 January 1917. On 27 December 1916, while assigned to a commanding officer course at Etaples, Yates suffered a skull fracture and severe facial injuries when the bus he was riding overturned.
The injury resulted in severe physical and emotional damage. His brain oozed from his broken skull at the time of the accident. The damage was bad enough that it was classified as a gun shot wound in some medical reports. He underwent six operations and even then he was left with debilitating headaches, insomnia, and nervous symptoms. Major Harold Gillies, the father of modern plastic surgery, performed a bone graft transplant onto his forehead and root of the nose.
As described in the history of Swift Current, Yates “got badly shot up, came back to his ranch with a silver plate in his head, and a quick temper.” He later moved to Victoria, British Columbia where at ninety-two, he was “blind but as volatile and perky as ever.”
He died on Vancouver Island on 6 December 1976 at the age of ninety-six.
Militia personnel file number: 338-34-13
Copyright © 2014-2025 · All Rights Reserved · Matthew K Barrett

From https://www.smms.ca/swiftcurrentlegion/assets/files/VETERAN-OFTHEWEEK2910566.pdf
VETERAN OF THE WEEK 29
(7 – 13 November, 2022)
Lieutenant Colonel William Milwarde Yates
32nd & 2nd Battalions
Canadian Expeditionary Force
First World War
Lt. Col. William (Wilton) Milwarde Yates was born on the 17th of October 1879 in New Broford,
Nottingham, England to Mr. and Mrs. W. Yates. Yates was a rancher by trade and a veteran of the
Boer War (South African War) as he had served two years with the Western Light Horse and the
37th Canadian Militia. At the age of thirty-five, Lt. Col. Yates enlisted with the 32nd Overseas
Battalion on the 29th of December 1914, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was unmarried at time of his
enlistment, and as such, his next of kin was listed as being his father Mr. W. Yates of Apperly
Bridge, York, England. Originally, he had been appointed as a Captain in the 32nd Battalion, but it
was not long as he was soon promoted to the rank of Major. Then, Lt. Col. Yates sailed for duty
overseas, sailing from Halifax aboard the S.S. Vaderland on the 23rd of February 1915. That May
(1915-05-02) he arrived in France for duty at the front.
On the 5th of May he was taken on strength of the 2nd Battalion. That October he got married to his
wife Gladys Lillian Yates (1915-10-16). She would later be listed as his next of kin on his pay
documents. He would be granted leave back to Canada on the 20th of March 1916 till, the 26th of
June 1916, and rejoined his battalion on the 8th of July that same year. Three months later, on the
25th of October, Yates was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was given command
of the 2nd Battalion. He then proceeded to attend a five-day Commanding Officers Course (1916-
11-20-1916-11-25). Two days later a life changing event would occur, Lt. Col. Yates was seriously
injured when the bus he was riding on overturned. The Lt. Col. suffered from severe head and
facial trauma, including a fractured skull, fractured nasal bones, and many contusions to his face.
The injuries were so grievous, that by Yates own omission in a later medical board document, he
stated his brain oozed from the wound to his head at the time of the injury. Lt. Col. Yates was
initially treated at No. 6 Casualty Clearing Station, then was admitted to No. 24 General Hospital
Etapes on the 16th of December 1916. Originally, the cause of injury was stated as being a gunshot
wound to the head and face, but was later changed to the correct event of an accident (bus
overturning). On the 20th of December that same year, he would be invalided back to England for
further treatment of his injuries. Once in England, he was admitted to the Endleigh Palace Hospital
in Endleigh (1916-12-21), where he stayed until being discharged on the 23rd of January 1917.
On the 18th of March 1917 he was admitted to Cambridge Hospital in Aldershot, in which he stayed
until the 7th of May 1917. While in hospital he had facial reconstruction surgery conducted by a
Major Gilles. In order to fix the damage to his nasal bones and trephine opening, Major Gilles
grafted one of his ribs to the area. In total Lt. Col. Yates would undergo six different operations in
order to repair the damage to his head and face done by the accident. Even after undergoing these
operations Yates would continue to suffer from constant headaches, memory loss, insomnia,
vertigo, and nervousness. He also would have a large scar that crossed his forehead, and various
other smaller facial scars.
From the 7th of May 1917 till the 7th of August 1917, he was granted leave by a medical board.
The leave was extended to the 16th of December that same year. His extended leave allowed him
to return to Canada for a bit. Upon his return from leave, on the 10th of December that same year
he rejoined the East Ontario Regimental Depot. Next Lt. Col. Yates was made President of Officers
at the Canadian Special Hospital located at Broadstairs (1918-01-02-1918-04-02). He then would
serve with the Canadian Discharge Depot (C.D.D.) in Buxton for a short time. Lt. Col. Yates then
procced to serve back in Canada until his discharge from the C.E.F. on the 15th of October 1919
via reason of General Demobilization.
Lt. Col. William Milwarde Yates was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He
also had a street in Swift Current named in his honour, Yates St. In addition, Lt. Col. Yates owned
the Swift Current Sun newspaper when it was moved from Maple Creek to Swift Current. This
him a staple of the Swift Current community. Lt. Col. Yates would pass away on the 6th of
December 1976, at the age of 97 years old. He is buried in Plot M-29 at St. Mary’s Cemetery,
Metchosin, British Columbia. This week we honour the service of Lt. Col. William Milwarde
Yates. Thank you for your service, Lt. Col. Yates.
Lest We Forget.

also known as Joan Patricia Mary Milwarde-Yates

Death date from the Nicholson Family Tree at ancestry by Robert Nicholson

In the 1921 Canadian census
Metchosin, British Columbia
Head Paul Homer, age 45[should be 50], year of immigration 1903, born England, parents born England, farmer.
Wife Emma Homer, age 40 [should be 49], born England, parents born England.
Son Paul Homer, age 12, born Manitoba, student.
Son John Homer, age 9, born England.
Daughter Joan Homer, age 6, born British Columbia.

1931 Canada Census British Columbia, Nanaimo district, unorganized thrritory No. 44
Albert Head, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Owned their home, value $3000, single floor, wood, 7 rooms, owned a radio
Head Paul Homer, age 61, born England, parents born England, immigrated 1890, nationality Canada, racial origin English, master mariner, own account
Wife Emily Homer, age 55, born England, parents born England, immigrated 1906, home maker
Son Frederick Homer, single, age 23, born Manitoba, speaks both English and French, sailor, towing
Son John Homer, single, age 19, born England, immigrated 1912, gas engineer, towing
Daughter Joan Homer, age 17, born British Columbia, house keeper at home


British Columbia Marriage Registrations
July 15, 1938 Victoria, British Columbia, William Milwarde Yates, age 58, divorced, residence Victoria, born Nottingham, England, father William Yates, mother Elizabeth Ann Milwarde and
Joan Patricia Mary Homer, age 25, single, born Victoria, British Columbia, father Paul Aitkin Homer, mother Emily Nicholson.

Canada Voters Lists 1957
Rural Route 1, East Sooke, Esquimalt-Saanich district, British Columbia
William Millard Yates, retired
Mrs. Joan P. M. Yates, farmer

Times Colonist - February 3, 2008
JOAN MILWARDE-YATES OBITUARY

MILWARDE-YATES Joan Patricia Mary (nee Homer) Sept. 1, 1913 Jan. 18, 2008 Passed away peacefully at Victoria General Hospital. Predeceased by her husband, Wilton and brother, Fred. Survived by brother, Jack; son, Devlyn; nephews, John (Ina) and David; grandchildren, Dianne (Gary) and Joshua. Born in Victoria, Joan graduated from St. Margaret's School in 1929. She was a pioneer, cougar hunter, logger and farmer, residing in Metchosin nearly all of her life. Always courageous, controversial & outspoken, Joan was a free spirit who loved farming, hunting, fishing and the great outdoors. She was a woman who lived & worked in a man's world during hard times. She crossed the paths of many people during her lifetime and left lasting memories with most of them. Special thanks to Dr. Neil Boyle and staff at VGH. An informal remembrance drop-in will be held in the home of Peter & Jane Hammond at 5447 Rocky Point Rd., Metchosin on Feb. 26, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Firearms Assn., P.O. Box 52183, Edmonton, AB., T6G 2T5. 445697

Findagrave.com
Joan Patricia Mary Homer Milwarde-Yates
Birth 1 Sep 1913
Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Death 18 Jan 2008 (aged 94)
View Royal, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Burial Saint Mary's Cemetery
Metchosin, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Memorial ID 245851130
Interment with husband is presumed.
MILWARDE-YATES Joan Patricia Mary (nee Homer) Sept. 1, 1913 Jan. 18, 2008 Passed away peacefully at Victoria General Hospital. Predeceased by her husband, Wilton and brother, Fred. Survived by brother, Jack; son, Devlyn; nephews, John (Ina) and David; grandchildren, Dianne (Gary) and Joshua. Born in Victoria, Joan graduated from St. Margaret's School in 1929. She was a pioneer, cougar hunter, logger and farmer, residing in Metchosin nearly all of her life. Always courageous, controversial & outspoken, Joan was a free spirit who loved farming, hunting, fishing and the great outdoors. She was a woman who lived & worked in a man's world during hard times. She crossed the paths of many people during her lifetime and left lasting memories with most of them. Special thanks to Dr. Neil Boyle and staff at VGH. An informal remembrance drop-in will be held in the home of Peter & Jane Hammond at 5447 Rocky Point Rd., Metchosin on Feb. 26, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Firearms Assn., P.O. Box 52183, Edmonton, AB., T6G 2T5.
Father- Paul Aitken Homer born in Sedgley, England
Mother- Emily Nicholson born in England
Event Type:Death
Registration Number:1953-09-001304
BC Archives Mfilm Number:B13214
GSU Mfilm Number:2032863
Event Date (YYYY-MM-DD):1953-01-13
Event Place:VICTORIA
Age at Death:80
Person:EMILY HOMER
Husband- Wilton Milwarde Yates married July 15, 1938 at the Office of the Registrar, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, BC


from
https://rulelaw.blogspot.com/2009/03/read-your-will-over-carefully-before.html
by Stan Rule
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Read Your Will Over Carefully Before Signing

In Milwarde-Yates v. Sipila, 2009 BCSC 277, Mr. Justice Williams was asked to interpret the late Joan Patricia Mary Milwarde-Yates’ will, which contained the following clause:


2.2 In this Will, a disposition to a person’s issue alive at a particular time “per stirpes” means the Trustee must divide the estate or the relevant part of it into a sufficient number of shares to make:
(a) five shares for each of the following, or three shares for each child of that person who died before that particular time but left issue alive at that particular time:
1. Daryl Joshua Sipila, of 417-531 West Bay Terrace, Victoria, B.C. V9A 5R3;
2. David Keelinge Homer, of 7094 Briarwood Place, born October 21, 1941;
3. John Twigg Homer, of 4565 East Sooke Road, RR6. Sooke, B.C. born July 18,
1940;
4 Ina Homer, of 4565 East Sooke Road, RR6. Sooke, B C. V0S 1N0, born November 24, 1954
(b) one share for each of the following;
1. Natasha Barrowman (Ne Reznechenko), of Lot 104 Mount Matheson, Sooke, B.C. V0S 1N0, born August 18, 1972;
2 Darcy Arnet of 4575 East Sooke Road, RR6 Sooke B.C. V0S 1N0;
3. Mark Woodger, of 621 Baxter Avenue, Victoria, BC V8Z 2H1;
4. Diane Nadene Johnstone, of 6 Trillium Court, Belleville, Ontario K8P 5M5
(c) I note that I have provided for my son, Devlyn Nicholson Milwarde-Yates “Devlyn”, born February 28, 1938 though the joint ownership of real property while I was alive. I understand that the property will revert to Devlyn on my death.
and the same principle shall be applied in any required further division of a share at a more remote generation because:
(i) each child (including a child who has died before that particular time) of that person will constitute a “stirp” or root for purposes of the division.
(ii) children will take in substitution for their parent, if their parent would have taken if alive at that particular time but died before that particular time;
(iii) children will not take if their parent is entitled to take and is alive at that particular time.

Don’t bother reading the quote again. It won’t make any more sense the second time you read it.

Although I don’t have any first hand knowledge about this will, I have a pretty good idea what happened. Lawyers work with precedents and use word-processing software. Sometimes the computer printers spit out some funny looking clauses. In this case it is apparent that the dispositive clauses (the parts that say who gets what) somehow got spliced into a clause defining the meaning of the term “per stirpes.” Perhaps it was pasted into the will in the wrong place.

Ms. Milwarde-Yates’ only living child, Devlyn Milwarde-Yates, argued that another clause in the will gave him the residue of the estate, or that his mother’s will failed to dispose of the residue of the estate. If the will did not dispose of the residue of the estate, then Devlyn Milwarde-Yates would receive it according the law in British Columbia for intestate estates. The evidence indicated that Ms. Milwarde-Yates did not want to leave her estate to her son.

After considering both the will and the evidence of the surrounding circumstances Mr. Justice Williams held that Ms. Milwarde-Yates intended to leave the residue to her estate to the beneficiaries named in paragraph 2.2, and interpreted that clause as though the first sentence read: “the Trustee must divide the estate into a sufficient number of shares to make….”

Mr. Justice Williams said:

In this case, I am convinced that the Deceased intended to dispose of her estate by way of her will, and went to considerable effort to accomplish that. I am also satisfied that she intended to pass the residue of that estate to the eight persons that she had selected, and whose names are set out in paragraph 2.2. It is clear to me that the purpose of that particular paragraph, however badly drawn, and located as it was under a heading that was obviously incorrect, was to bequeath the residue of her estate to them in the proportions stipulated. Indeed, the third of the sub-paragraphs, wherein she speaks of having made other provision for her son, supports my view of the matter, in that it is a logical adjunct to having given the bulk of her estate to someone other than her only child. It provides an explanation for such a disposition.
[76] In the result, I find that paragraph 2.2 should be construed in the manner set out above, with the additional direction that the word ‘shares’ should be preceded by the word ‘equal’. In that way, the Deceased’s will has the effect of advancing her obvious intentions. The plainly unintended result of an intestacy is avoided. I am satisfied that the bequests that result are not simply “drawn out of thin air” but are a reasonable exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction to construe a will.