It might be of interest to you that there was a ROPER-Yates connection at least from 1714 when John ROPER's Patent in Charles City County identifies that he transported an Elizabeth Yates. For more infomration, see my post:

"Transcription of Full Text of Charles City Co Patent of John Roper dated 16 Jun 1714"
28 Apr 2002 5:09 PM GMT
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/message/an/localities.nort...