Coat of Arms - Shield-Argent (silver), a bear rampant (fighting position) sable (black),muzzle gules (red).

Crest - a boar's head erased (torn off) argent (silver).

The Oates family Armorial Coat as recorded in Burke's General Armory and verified as authentic for the line of immigrant James Oates (1660-1703) by W. E. Hennessee.

The bear was not only the largest carniverous animal of Europe, it was also the strongest and mightiest. It was therefore selected by the Danes as their symbol or badge. Their kings, both of Denmark and England, were called Fairie Bears. King Hardicanute and Canute of the Danish line were called the "Sons of the Bear." Many early Danes had bears, or parts thereof, upon their escutcheons and in their crests. The bear was always shown muzzled (acccording to Fox-Davis) "because the Danes liked to remind themselves and their neighbors that the 'Sons of the Bear' had become restrained and civilized."

The boar had rather die than yield or run, so the boar's head denotes perseverance.

Owing to the antiquity of the grant, there is no motto to the Oates display of arms.

Some of the early American family silver with the Oates Arms engraved thereon was still in existance in the 1950's.

The Oates family is of Danish descent. There is nothing authentic about the origin of the name. Bardsley (who is an authority on surnames) says it was probably Anglized from the Danish word "UTZ". There was an ancient district in Denmark called UXE. The "U" was umlant and the name was pronounced as though it were Oats or Oates. Oatis and Otis are other possible derivations.

The family came into England before the time of recorded history, possibly as early as the ninth century. The name is found in the Domesday Book, Ragman's Roll and the Roll of Hundreds. In Cornwall they owned the great castles of Perran Sabolire and St. Agnes.

In the American colonies, the Oates family is first recorded in Warwick County , Virginia, in 1652, It was among the first families to move into what is now Halifax County, Virginia. In North Carolina we find James Oates in Perquimans County at the turn of the 17th and 18th century.

1-1- JAMES OATES, born 1660. Married between 1693 and 1697 to Elizabeth Eivens, widow of Richard Eivens Jr. Who died May 20,1693.

"January Court, 1696, was holden at ye house of Thomas ..Nichols, Perquimans County, North Carolina. James Oates was present for the first time as an attorney"

"Court met at the house of James Oates, January 1698, at which time Timothy Clare was appointed Keeper of the Toole Bookes' of Perquimans on the West Sid and Isaac Wilson on ye East Sid ."

"April 1698, Court at same place."

"Court at Mr James Oates House, April, 1700."

"Court at the same place, October 1700."

( From Winslow's History of Perquiman's County)

James Oates died October 3, 1703. His will was dated July 14, 1703 and probated in the January Court, 1704. In this will he names his wife Elizabeth, his son, Joseph, also his step-son Jonathan Eivens. This will is now in the keeping of the North Carolina Historical Commission at Raliegh.

2-1- JOSEPH OATES, born August 7, 1697, Albemarle Precinct, Perquimans County, North Carolina. Married Elizabeth Wiat, daughter of John Wiat.

Winslow's History contains innumerable records of Joseph Oates. Joseph Oates sometimes designated himself as "Planter" and sometimes "Cordwinder", a trade much prized by colonists.

Joseph Oates died in 1747. Their Issue:

3-1- John Oates, Captian in Colonial wars, 1764

3-2- James Oates, Captian in 1st Company, Died 1761

3-3- JETHRO OATES, born in Perquimans Co. NC 1732. Commissioned Ensign (2nd Lieutenant) March 11, 1761. Served until 1765. There are also many court records of Jethro Oates,mainly showing large transfers of land (3-4-1775-600 acres on S. Sid of Goshen, between the forks of Youngs Swamp and Panther Run) and (11-20-1779-250 acres on S Sid of Youngs Swamp).

Jethro Oates died August 30, 1780. His will was probated in January Court of Duplin County. In this will he names his wife Artesha and the following children:

4-1- Lydia Oates-Stevens

4-2- Amy Oates-King

4-3- Jesse Oates, 4th Sgt. Rifleman Co. N.C.Troops. War of 1812

4-4 -JETHRO E.OATES, born 1768-died 1821.

4-5- Elizabeth Oates

4-6- Michael Oates Oates

4-7- Susannah Oates

4-8- John Oates.

4-4- JETHRO E. OATES, son of Jethro and Artesha Oates, born in what is now Sampson County, NC, in 1768. He married Letitia Caraway. After her death he married Elizabeth Ivey, daughter of Thomas and Ann Gilbert Ivey (see The Ivey Family). Jethro E. Oates died in 1821. His will was probated in Sampson County, March 12, 1821. This will indicates that he was a man of considerable possessions; land, live stock, farm equipment,turpentine stills and casks, 21 slaves, and ready money and furniture.

Issue of Jethro E. Oates and Elizabeth Ivey Oates:

5-2- John Oates

5-3- Jesse Jethro Oates, married Katherin Darden

5-4- Thomas Ivey Oates.

5-5- Mary Ann Oates-Faison

5-6- Curtis Caraway Oates

5-7- CLAYBORNE IVEY OATES, the youngest child, born April 15, 1817. Married first, Ellen Blout, by whom he had 14 children. After his first wife's death, he married a second time. A daughter was born of this union.

Issue of Clayborne Oates:

6-1- Elizabeth Oates

6-2- Jethro Oates

6-3- James Oates

6-4- Thomas Oates

6-5- MARY GILMORE OATES, born in 1844, married J.T. Drew. Lived near Moscow KY.

Issue:

7-1- Percy Drew

7-2- Ivey Drew, married William Edgar Jones. (See special history of W. E. Jones and Ivey Drew)