Ex-governor of Fort St George lent name to Yale

St Mary's Church inside Fort St George, Chennai. This is where Elihu Yale — after whom Yale University, Connecticut, USA, was named &#1...

St Mary’s Church inside Fort St George, Chennai. This is where Elihu Yale — after whom Yale University, Connecticut, USA, was named — married Catherine Hynmer. The marriage was the first inside this historic building in Chennai.

Elihu Yale, the man who set up the Madras Corporation, created the post of Mayor and became Governor of Fort St George, had given his name and money to Yale University.

Born on April 5, 1649, in Boston, Elihu left for London at the age of four along with his family. He never returned to the United States. He travelled to India when he was 24 and joined the East India Company as a writer. Within 15 years, he became Governor.

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Along the way, soon after 1680 when St Mary’s Church was built, Yale met and married Catherine Hynmer, a widow with four children and a lot of money. By the time he left, he had amassed considerable wealth, a part of which he later contributed generously towards the making of Yale.

At St Mary’s Church, if you mention Elihu, the church manager, Paul, comes up with a quick question: ‘‘Are you from Yale University?’’ For a ‘‘no’’, he replies: ‘‘Many of them from Yale who pass through India make it a point to visit this church and pose for a photograph below Elihu’s portrait.’’

The first name in the wedding register at the church is obviously that of Elihu Yale’s. He and Catherine had four children — three girls and a boy, who died shortly after birth in 1688 and lies buried under the Hynmers Obelisk in the old burial ground, now the compound of the Law College.

Elihu and Catherine parted ways in 1689, three years before he was replaced as Governor by opposing factions. The same year, after the separation, his wife returned to London where Elihu was to go back 10 years later and live the life of an ‘‘ultimate philanthropist’’ for the next 22 years till his death in 1721.

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How did he make so much money in Madras? No one really knows. But like many others, church clerk Edwards says: ‘‘I heard he was involved in many private businesses, including trading of diamonds.’’ History books also say that he made lots of money from private businesses while living in Madras. But the charges and rumours that he made money illegally invariably get eclipsed by the glory of the institution he gave his name and money to — Yale.

Elihu Yale was buried in the St Giles churchyard with a remarkable epitaph: ‘‘Born in America, in Europe bred/In Africa travelled and in Asia wed/Where long he lived and thriv’d;/In London dead…’’

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