The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-08
CURTIS AMID THE
WELSH SCENERY
Some Wales Families That Are
Famous
IN THE WORLDS HISTORY
Native Land of Elihu Yale, the Man
Who Founded Yale College and
Richly Endowed It But Never
Saw New Haven.
E. Curtis. in the washington

William E. Curtis, in the Washington
Star
Llangollen, Wales.-The little market
town of Wrexham, about SO miles south
of Chester, sits at the entrance of the
valley of the river Dee, which affords
/ what is considered the most beautiful
| scenery in the kingdom, and the Welsh
people think it is the finest in the world.
There's little of interest beyond the
scenery, except a remarkable church tow
err 135 feet high 1t was built in 1742, or
| whereabouts, and is one of the finest ex-
amples in existence of what the architects
| call richly decorated perpendicular Goth
! ic" 1t is one of the seven wonders OF
! Wales, and artists rave about 1t. st.
| Giles church is not particularly interest
| ing, although the architecture corresponds
with the tower and fragments of window
tracery and its oaken roof are very much
admired. 1t was completely restored by
| Roubillac, the famous architect, in the
middle of the eighteenth century, and
later in 1861 The chimes, consisting of
ten bells. are of rare quality and the
tones unsurpassed.
In this little church, on Whitsunday,
grand old hymn, From Greenlands icy
mountains, from midas coral strand
written by the Rev. Reginald Heber,
son-in-law of Dean Shipley, at that time
vicar OF Wrexham. A special service was
held to consecrate two young volunteers
for the missionary field, and Dr. Heber,
who was visiting his wife's father, wrote
, the hymn as his contribution to the occa-
sion
Elihu Yale's Eptaph.
But what is even more interesting to
US is the fact that the honored dust of
Elihu Yale, founder of Yale college, lies
about 20 feet west of the foot of the tow
er, and his tombstone bears the follow
ing curious epitaph:
Born in America, in Europe bred,
In Africa travelled and Asia wed.
Where long he lived and thrived;
In London died.
Much good, some i'll he did; SO hope ans
even,
And that his soul through mercys gone
to heaven.
| You that survive and read this tale, take
| care
| For this most certain exit to prepare.
| When blessed in peace, the actions of the
just
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust
The tomb was restored and the inscrip-
I
| college in 1870, in grateful remembrance
of his timely aid in money and other
| values"
| Several other members Of the Yale fam
lily, which was one of the wealthiest and
most prominent in this part of Wales, are
! buried in the churchyard and within the
walls of ST. Giles. Some of them are
| Thomas Yale, the great-g grandfather of
Eihu; his grandfather of the same name
4 brat oil a1 & IN
4 East India merchant who died october,
1897 leaving his entire estate to Elihu
Yale, Ito be annexed to the hereditary
estate in Denbigshire, Wales, for the use
of such heir forever, and in default of
such heir, then to the use and behoof OF
! the heir male of my uncle, Thomas Yale
of New England, and his right heir for
ever
YaIe's Tomb.
The tombs of Elihu Yale's father, who
, died in 1890, and his brother David, who
| died in 1893, are within the church.
The hereditary estate referred to is
called Plas- Yale, manor house stu
ated upon the river Dee, about four miles
from Wrexham, and surrounded by the
! loveliest landscape that you can imagine.
1t is an easy mornings drive by auto
mobile from Chester, over an admirable
road which runs through a pass of the
ing panorama of hill and dale, farm and
forest, meadow and heath. Just now . Is
painted with the lavish richness with
which nature adorns the world in the au-
/ tumn season. 1t may not be all that the
! Welsh people claim for it, but certainly
| there is no lovelier place in northern
Wales than the Vale Crucis valley of
| the Cross.
The village in which the Yale family
has lived for centuries is called Bryne-
glwys, a charming little group of we'll
| kept houses, unpretentious but pictur-
esque, and occupied by the tenants of the
Yale estate from generation to genera
ton. The family has always owned a
large tract of land and has dominated
the neighborhood with the same authority
| and paternal jurisdiction that are exer-
cised by the English squire.
Founder of Yale College.
Elihu Yale was born here. His father
| David Yale, and his mother, Ursula, en-
igrated to New England with their step
father, Theophilus Eaton, one of the
founders of New Haven, Conn., Mr.. Eat
on was governor of the New Haven col
ony for IL years. In 1916 David
Yale and his wife moved to Boston, where
the founder of Yale college was born,
April s, 1913.
With his infant son, David Yale re-
turned to England in 1862, and settled in
London, where Elihu was educated and
entered the service of the East India COM
pany in 1870, when he was % years old
He was sent to India and there promoted
from one position to another until he be-
came governor of Madras in 1857. He
held that office for five years. Then oc-
Cured the incident referred to in his cpl
taph-"Much good, some Ill he did, so