I am tentatively showing Nancy as the daughter of John and Ann (Nancy), possibly née Woodruff. The documentation for the relationship is less than I usually like to see.

It is reported on the internet that this is her parentage.2146 Higgins family members include some who were living close to Willliam and Josha Yates in the 1789 tax listings for Fayette County.2113 This scenario leaves the two Yates brothers marrying two HIggins sisters, a relatively common frontier pattern. Finally, there is the intriguing but entirely undocumented possibility that the grandmother’s maiden name was passed down to William as a middle name (as was my grandmother’s to my brother), who is sometimes described as William Woodruff Yates.2147 Curiously, William’s and Joshua’s brother Elias married Mary Ann Woodruff.2143 It would be nice if we could sort out possible connections.