An American Family History

Adolphus Yerkes was born in the late 17th century. He was either born in Pennsylvania or immigrated to America with his parents. He was the son of Anthony and Margaret Yerkes. His brother was Herman Yerkes.

Adolplus was a gentleman farmer and lived in the Pennsylvania. He married a woman named Ann. 

Ann and Adolphus' children were Adolphus Yerkes, Hannah Yerkes Paine who married Richard Paine on December 12, 1735,  Samuel Yerkes who married Elizabeth Rue on March 15, 1742/43 and Sarah Yerkes Evans who married Aniel Evans on March 6, 1774.

Chronicle of the Yerkes Family, with Notes on the Leech and Rutter Families by Josiah Granville Leach

Adolphus Yerkes2 (Anthony1) is supposed to have emigrated to America with his parents.The earliest record of his presence in Pennsylvania is under date of 10 June, 1719, when he joined his father in conveying to John Simcock one hundred acres of land, with the buildings thereon, located in the Manor of Moreland, being a portion of the plantation of three hundred acres which the father had bought from John Holme, 5 November 1709, and which one hundred acres the father had previously given, but not conveyed, to the son. The consideration money expressed in the deed is £137 6s 8d, and the son is styled therein as "of Moreland, yeoman." At that date he was doubtless residing on the estate so sold.

The day following such conveyance Adolphus Yerkes purchased from Simcock all his right, title, and interest of, in, and to the share which he, Simcock held in the stock of the Society of Free Traders, together with the rights to liberty lands and city lots in Philadelphia, which attached to the ownership of the stock, paying therefor the sum of £100. A few days later Adolphus Yerkes assigned unto his brother, Herman Yerkes, three fourth parts of the estate so acquired from Simcock.

But little further is known of Adolphus Yerkes. He had a wife, Ann, and three children. Ann Yerkes was a Baptist, and received a letter of dismission from the Pennepek Baptist Church, in 1724, to join the Montgomery Baptist Church, and in 1727 received a similar letter from the latter to the former church, from which it would appear that about this time the family removed to the locality of the Pennepek Church in Lower Dublin Township, Philadelphia County. Both Mr. and Mrs. Yerkes were living 5 October, 1744, on which day they renounced their right to administer upon the estate of their deceased son, Anthony, but whether or not they were in Pennsylvania at that time is not known. There is a tradition in the family that one of the sons of Anthony Yerkes, the emigrant, removed to Virginia, but no record has been discovered to support such tradition.