Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-27
AMID WELSH SCENERY
Mr.. Curtis Tells of Wales and
Its Natural Beauties.
LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE
Some of Its Families Famous in
Worlds History.
NATIVE LAND OF ELIHU YALE
Man Who Founded Yale and Richly
Endowed It, But Never Saw
New Haven.
LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE
NATIVE LAND OF ELIHU VAL
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.


LLANGOLLEN. Wales, october 2, 1908.
The little market town of Wrex-
ham, about thirty miles south or
Chester. sits at the entrance OF the
valley of the river Dee, which anords
what is considered the most beau-
tiful 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 remarkable church
tower, 135 feet high 1t was built In 14'2
or therea bouts and is one of the finest eX-
amples in existence of what the archl-
tects call richly decorated perpendicular
Gothic" 1t is one of the seven wonders
of Wales, and artists rave about It, st.
Giles Church is not particularly interest
ing, although the architecture corresponds
with the tower and fragments of window
tracery and it's oaken roof are very much
admired. 1t was completely restored by
Roubillac, the famous architect, IN the
middle of the eighteenth century, and
laterAn 1867. The chimes. consisting OF
ten bells, are of rare quality. and the
tones unsurpassed.
Origin of Well Known Hymn.
Within the church is an exquisite mon
ument erected in 1747 to Miss Mary,
daughter of Sir Richard Middleton of
Chirk Castle, a famous stronghold of the
mluuie ages 1t represents the anger OF
the resurrection with trumpet emerging
from the clouds. Another elaborate mar
BILE canopy erected to one Sir Foster Gun
niffe and his wife in 1884 is considered
very fine In the south aisle of the
church, upon a plain slab of marble set
into the floor, is this quaint inscription,
dated 1858:
Here lies interrd beneath thes stones
The Baard. We Flesh and EAe We Bones
OF Wrexham's clark, Old Daniel Jones'
In this little church, on Whtsunday.
1869, was sung for the first time that
grand old hymn, From Greenland's 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 occasion.
Elihu Yale's Curious Epitaph.
But what is even more interesting to us
is the fact that the honored dust of Elihu
Yale, founder of Yale College, lies
about twenty feet west of the foot of the
tower and his tombstone bears the fol-
lowing curious eptaph:
Born in America in Europe bred.
In Afric travelled and In Asia wed.
Where long he lived and thrived;
Much good some i'll he did: SO hope alls even.
And that his soul through mercy's 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-
ton renewed by the corporation of Yale
College in 1870, I'm 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-grandfather of
Elihu, his grandfather of the same name
and a brother. also called Thomas. an
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"
The tombs of Elihu Yale's father. who
died in $780, and his brother, David, who
Valley of the Cross.
The hereditary estate" referred to is
called Plas-yn-Yale, a manor house stu
ated upon the north bank of 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 automobile from Ches-
ter, over an admirable road which runs
through a pass of the Llantysilio hills
and shows an ever-changing panorama
of hill and dale, farm and forest, meadow
and heath. Just now it is painted with
the lavish richness with which nature
adorns the world in the autumn season.
1t may not be all that the Welsh people
claim for it, but certainly there is no love-
lier place in northern Wales than the
Vale Crucis VALLEY of the Cross.
The village in which the Yale family
have lived for centuries is called Bryne-
glwys, charming little group of well
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 d
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 not born here. His
father David Yale, and his mother, Ur-
sula, emigrated to New England with
their stepfather Theophilus Eaton. one
of the founders of New Haven. Conn.
Mr. Eaton was governor of the New
Haven colony for twelve years. In 1916
David Yale and his wife moved to Bos
ton where the founder of Yale College
was born. April ), 164S
With his infant son, David Yale re-
turned to England in 1902 and settled in
London, where Elihu was educated and
entered the service of the East india
Company in 1910. when he was twenty
there promoted from one position to
another until he became governor of
Madras in 1867. He held that office for
five years. Then occurred the incident
referred to in his epitaph. much good
some III. he did so hope airs even"
There was long and stubborn fight be-
tween Yale and the governors OF the East
India Company. which resulted in his re-
moval from office. He returned to Eng
land with large fortune in 1863. He
was famous for his generosity and the
high handed ways which he showed in
dealing with the council at Madras, the
governors of the East India Company
the merchants of London and other
people with whom he came in contact lin
tocratic disposition), but was as gener-
Gus in his benevolence and as wise in the
application of his great fortune as he was
keen and eXacting in accommodating it. He
gave a library to st. Paul's School. Lon
don. He restored ST. Giles Church at
Wrexham the home of his forefathers
and the altar piece which represents the
last supper: was his gift In some man
ner he fell in with the Rev. Cotton
Mather, who induced him to make con-
tribution to a struggling school at New
Haven in which he took growing in