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Article: An early American philanthropist.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- February 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Inscribed on the tomb of Elihu Yale (1649-1721) in Wrexbam churchyard in England is the following epitaph: "Born in America, in Europe bred./In Africa travell'd, and in Asia wed./Where long he liv'd and thriv'd; in London dedd' Such was the peripatetic life of one of this country's first philanthropists. The Asia in the inscription refers more specifically to Madras, India, where Yale lived and worked, first as an agent of the East India Company in 1671 and later as governor of Fort Saint George. He suffered through a financial scandal, but eventually returned to England in 1699 with a large fortune.
In January 1718 Cotton Mather wrote to Yale suggesting that a ...