37 Facts About Elihu Yale

Elihu Yale was a British-American colonial administrator and philanthropist.

Elihu Yale later lost that position under charges of corruption for self-dealing and had to pay a fine.

Elihu Yale is best remembered as the primary benefactor of Yale College, which was named in his honor, following a sizable donation of books, portrait and textiles under the request of Rev Cotton Mather, a Harvard graduate.

Elihu Yale moved to Boston in 1641 and met and married Elihu Yale's mother, Ursula, in 1643.

In 1652, at the age of three, Elihu Yale left New England, never to return, as David Yale took his family back to London.

In 1662, at the age of thirteen, Elihu Yale entered the private school of William Dugard, but Dugard died a few months after Elihu Yale enrolled.

Elihu Yale likely lived through the Great Plague of London, though no one in his family died; and the Great Fire of London.

In 1670, at the age of 21, Elihu Yale became a clerk for the East India Company and served an apprenticeship in London in the Leadenhall Street office.

Elihu Yale succeeded a number of agents from Andrew Cogan to William Gyfford.

Elihu Yale was instrumental in the development of the Government General Hospital, housed at Fort St George.

Elihu Yale amassed a fortune while working for the company, largely through secret contracts with Madras merchants, against the East India Company's directive.

Elihu Yale imposed high taxes for the maintenance of the colonial garrison and town, resulting in an unpopular regime and several revolts by Indians, brutally quelled by garrison soldiers.

Elihu Yale was notorious for arresting and trying Indians on his own private authority, including the hanging of a stable boy who had absconded with a Company horse.

Elihu Yale was eventually removed in 1692 and replaced with Nathaniel Higginson as the President of Madras.

Elihu Yale kept doing business with his friends Governor Thomas Pitt and Sir Charles Cotterell, during the era where London became the international trading centre of diamonds, dislodging Portugal and the Netherlands.

Elihu Yale spent the rest of his life at Plas Grono on the Erddig estate, a mansion in Wrexham bought by his father, and at his main London residence in Queen's Square.

Elihu Yale had four houses in London as well as several coach houses and stables to store his vast art collection of more than 10,000 items consisting of paintings, jewels, pictures, books, watches, swords, and other items.

Elihu Yale leased Latimer House from his son-in-law, Lord James Cavendish, son of the 1st Duke of Devonshire, to accommodate his daughter Ursula.

Elihu Yale was later elected High Sheriff of Denbighshire in Wales, and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1717.

Elihu Yale married Catherine Hynmers in 1680, widow of Joseph Hynmers, second-in-command of Fort St George, India as Deputy Governor for the East India Company.

The wedding took place at St Mary's Church, at Fort St George, where Elihu Yale was a vestryman and treasurer.

Katherine Elihu Yale married Dudley North of Glemham Hall, son of Sir Dudley North of Camden Place, and Anne Cann, daughter of Sir Robert Cann, 1st Baronet of Compton Greenfield, Gloucestershire.

Elihu Yale was a cousin of Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford of Wroxton Abbey and a grandson of Anne Montagu of Boughton House, member of the House of Montagu.

Anne Elihu Yale, married Lord James Cavendish of Staveley Hall, member of the House of Cavendish, son of William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House and Lady Mary Butler, member of the House of Butler and daughter of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde of Kilkenny Castle.

Elihu Yale's body was buried in the churchyard of the parish church of St Giles' Church, Wrexham, Wales.

In Boston, Massachusetts, a tablet to Elihu Yale was erected in 1927 at Scollay Square, near the site of Elihu Yale's birth.

In 1718, Cotton Mather contacted Elihu Yale and asked for his help.

Elihu Yale sent Mather 417 books, a portrait of King George I, and nine bales of goods.

Elihu Yale was a vestryman and treasurer of St Mary's Church at Fort St George.

In 1970, a portrait of him, Elihu Yale seated at table with the Second Duke of Devonshire and Lord James Cavendish was donated to the Yale Center for British Art from Chatsworth House.

On 5 April 1999, Elihu Yale University recognised the 350th anniversary of Elihu Yale's birthday.

Elihu Yale further alleges that the tombstone is displayed in a glass case in a room with purple walls.

Dave Collins argues that there is no evidence for Elihu Yale ever having enslaved anyone himself but adds that relatives in New Haven likely did.

The ancestry of the Elihu Yale family can be traced back from Chancellor Thomas Elihu Yale, born 1525, to many Royal and Noble houses of Britain as descendants of the Royal House of Mathrafal, the Royal House of Aberffraw, the Royal House of Plantagenet, the Princely House of Powys Fadog, the Tudors of Penmynydd and many others.

Elihu Yale made the trip from Ireland to Wales during the thirteenth century with Gruffydd ab Ednyved Vychan, son of Seneschal Ednyfed Fychan, and was granted Lordships by the Prince of North Wales, Llywelyn the Great.

Elihu Yale was the progenitor of many houses in Wales, including the House of Yale, co-representative of the Sovereign Dynasties of Powys, North Wales, and South Wales.

The House of Elihu Yale is, on the paternal side, a cadet branch of the Royal House of Mathrafal, through the Princes of Powys Fadog, and a cadet branch of the Fitzgerald Dynasty, through the Merioneth House of Corsygedol.