Our final History Group meeting of the season featured regular June speaker David Ebsworth, who gave a fascinating talk, Elihu Yale and His Wicked Wife.
Most people associate the Yale name with the famous university, but David revealed the far darker story behind the man. Born in Boston in 1649, Elihu Yale rose through the East India Company to become Governor of Madras, building a huge fortune through controversial trading practices, corruption, and involvement in the slave trade.
David explored Yale’s ruthless career, his turbulent relationship with his wife Catherine, and how a relatively modest donation of goods and books to a struggling school in Connecticut led to Yale College being named after him. Yale himself never even visited the institution that would carry his name for centuries.
As always, David delivered the story in his engaging and entertaining style. Having written a trilogy of novels on the subject, he brought both knowledge and enthusiasm to a complex and thought-provoking tale.
Group Leader Keith Smith thanked David for another excellent presentation, bringing a successful season of diverse and enjoyable history talks to a fitting close.
Our next meeting will be September 8th when Group Leader Keith Smith presents “Football against the Nazis. The Death Match of Kyiv 1942”
Have a nice summer in the meantime
