{{short description|Magistrate from Wallingford, Connecticut}} [[File:Theophilus Yale, sea captain, die in Chile1.jpg|thumb|Capt. Theophilus Yale's great-grandnephew, Sea captain Theophilus Yale, nephew of Capt. Elihu Yale]]
Captain ''' Theophilus Yale ''' (1675 – 1760) was a British military officer, magistrate, and one of the early settlers of Wallingford, Connecticut. His grandnephew, Gov. Lyman Hall, became one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Yale was also a deputy of the Connecticut House of Representatives and Justice of the Peace for Wallingford.
His daughter, Sarah Yale, became the great-grandmother of abolitionist Congressman Sherlock James Andrews, who welcomed Abraham Lincoln at Cleveland during his presidential visit.<ref>[https://www.clemetrobar.org/?pg=CMBABlog&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=86099 Our First Bar President – Sherlock J. Andrews], Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Bar Journal Historical, Warren Rossman, January 4, 2023.</ref>
==Biography== [[File:Center Congregational Church, Meriden, CT (1831).jpg|thumb|Center Congregational Church, Meriden, Connecticut, Theophilus Yale's brother was one of its founders]] [[File:Valpo1830.jpg|thumb|Valparaiso Bay, Chile, where Sea captain Theophilus Yale died, in the early 19th century]]
Theophilus Yale was born on November 13, 1675, to Capt. Thomas Yale and Rebecca Gibbards, daughter of William Gibbards, Esquire.<ref name="sketches1">[https://archive.org/details/cu31924032285490/page/n1347/mode/2up Commemorative Biographical Record of New Haven County, Connecticut], J.H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1902, p. 314-803</ref><ref name="Geni0">[https://archive.org/details/yalegenealogyhis00byuyale/page/126/mode/2up?q=theophilus Yale Genealogy and History of Wales], Rodney Horace Yale, Milburn & Scott Co., Beatrice, Nebraska, 1908, p. 123-126-138-143</ref> He was a member of the Yale family, namesake of the future Yale College, and descendant of the Princes of Powys Fadog, Lords of Yale and Dinas Bran.<ref name="Rhode1">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/The_history_of_the_state_of_Rhode_Island_and_Providence_Plantations_%28IA_historyofrhod04bick%29.pdf The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations], Biographical, The American Historical Society, New York, 1920, p. 51-52</ref><ref name="Geni0"/> His father was one of the founders of Wallingford, Connecticut, and his grandfather, Capt. Thomas Yale, was one of the founders of New Haven Colony.<ref name="sketches1"/> Theophilus's brother, Thomas Yale Jr., was also one of the founders of the Congregational Church of Meriden, with Rev. Theophilus Hall, a Yale graduate, as their pastor.<ref>[http://mssa.library.yale.edu/obituary_record/1925_1952/1930-31.pdf Herbert Bishop Cary], 1930-1931 Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University, Bulletin of Yale University, 1931, p. 129</ref><ref name="Geni0"/>
Theophilus Yale is recorded among the early settlers and proprietors of the town of Wallingford, along with his father Capt. Yale.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/cu31924074487913/page/50/mode/2up?q=theophilus History of Cheshire, Connecticut from 1694 to 1840], Joseph Perkins Beach, Lady Fenwick, Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Cheshire, Connecticut, 1912, p. 49-51</ref> He became a magistrate from about 1724, at 49 years old, to the end of his life in 1760, and occupied various offices in the city and the military.<ref name="Rhode1"/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8SBWAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22theophilus+yale%22+%22magistrate%22&pg=PA12 The Street Genealogy], Mary Evarts Anderson, Part 1, John Templeton, News-Letter Press, Exeter, New Hampshire, 1895, p. 12</ref><ref name="sketches1"/> He was described as a "true servant of the people".<ref>[https://hylbom.com/family/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/encyclopedia-of-connecticut-biography-1917-vol-7.pdf Encyclopedia of Connecticut Biography; Representative Citizens], American Historical Society, Vol. 7, New York, 1917, p. 96</ref> Yale was made Justice of the Peace of New Haven from 1727 to 1729, and performed 4 marriages, which under the Puritans, could only be performed by a civil magistrate.<ref>[https://www.eastonmahistoricalsociety.org/uploads/1/3/2/9/132901775/families_of_dickerman_ancestry.pdf Families of Dickerman Ancestry], Edward D. Dickerman, The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Press, New Haven, 1897, p. 281</ref> On May 14, 1734, Yale is recorded as a witness for a concession of 75 aces, in the County of New Haven, to James Scoville of Scoville Hill in Harwinton, Connecticut.<ref>[https://www.seekingmyroots.com/members/files/G005763.pdf Arthur Scovell and His Descendants in America], The Tuttle Publishing Co., Rutland, Vermont, 1941, p. 19</ref>
In 1735, Yale is recorded as a Deputy of the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing Wallingford with Capt. Benjamin Hall, and would stay for most of his political career.<ref name="ConecRec1"/> The Assembly, presided by Gov. Joseph Talcott and Deputy Gov. Jonathan Law, had in attendance the other deputies such as Col. David Goodrich, Roger Wolcott, Jonathan Trumbull, Thomas Fitch, William Pitkin, and many others representing different cities across the State.<ref name="ConecRec1"/> They elected a few lieutenants and captains to be in charge of the trainbands in various cities. Yale was among the deputies present for the re-election of Gov. Talcott in 1737.<ref name="ConecRec1"/>
In 1739, he is appointed by the assembly to form a committee to hear the records of the acts of the assembly read off and compleated, with Capt. Isaac Dickerman, Capt. Benjamin Hall, Capt. John Riggs, Capt. Samuel Bassett, Capt. John Russell, and 5 others.<ref name="ConecRec1">[https://books.google.com/books?id=8bo-AAAAYAAJ&q=%22theophilus+yale%22+%22register%22+%22co&pg=PA283 The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut (1636-1776)], Charles J. Hoadly, Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford, 1874, p. 1-2-79-283</ref> He is reappointed Justice of the Peace of New Haven County in 1736, a few times more in 1737, 1739, 1740, 1741, and once more in 1742 for the next year ensuing.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8bo-AAAAYAAJ&q=%22theophilus+yale%22+%22register%22+%22co&pg=PA283 The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut (1636-1776)], Charles J. Hoadly, Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford, 1874, p. 159</ref>
In 1742, at a meeting of the Convocation of New Haven County, Theophilus Yale, as a member of the First Church of Wallingford, launched a complaint against Harvard graduate, Rev. Philemon Robbins, pastor of the First Church in Branford.<ref name="Newh1">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/History_of_New_Haven_County%2C_Connecticut_%28IA_historyofnewhave01rock%29.pdf History of New Haven County, Connecticut], Volume 2, John L. Rockey, W. W. Preston & Co., 1892, p.48-50</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8foBAAAAYAAJ&q=philemon+harvard Thomas Robbins, D.D.: A Biographical Sketch], Increase Niles Tarbox, John Wilson and Son, University Press, 1884, p.5</ref> The controversy concerned the Newlightism preaching of Rev. Robbins to the Baptists of Wallingford, whose group were not within his defined territory.<ref name="Kol1"/><ref name="Newh1"/> His behavior, called disorderly and offensive in conduct to the laws of God, ended up in a trial, and Robbins was excluded from the council with criminal charges.<ref name="Kol1">[https://archive.org/details/noyesgilmanances00noye/page/284/mode/2up?q=newlightism Noyes-Gilman Ancestry; Being a Series of Sketches, with a Chart of the Ancestors of Charles Phelps Noyes and Emily H. (Gilman) Noyes], Library of Congress, Gilliss Press, New York, 1907, p. 284-285</ref><ref name="Newh1"/> Yale served as a magistrate until his death.<ref name="Rhode1"/>
==Personal life== [[File:American privateer "General Armstrong" Capt. Sam. C. Reid - lith. & pub. by N. Currier. LCCN90708611 (cropped).jpg|thumb|215px|The General Armstrong, Joseph Yale's brother-in-law, Capt. Winship, was captured aboard during the War of 1812]]
Capt. Theophilus Yale married Sarah Street, daughter of Rev. Samuel Street, Harvard graduate and cofounder of Wallingford.<ref>[https://ia801000.us.archive.org/15/items/familiesofancien00jaco_2/familiesofancien00jaco_2.pdf Families of Ancient New Haven], Vol. VII, Donald L. Jacobus, New Haven, Connecticut, 1931, p. 2032-2033</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/historyofwalling00daviiala/page/902/mode/2up?q=samuel+street History of Wallingford, Conn., from its settlement in 1670 to the Present time], Charles Henry Stanley Davis, Meriden, Connecticut, 1870, p. 903-904</ref> Her grandfather Rev. Nicholas Street was a minister, colleague of John Davenport, and graduate of Pembroke College at Oxford.<ref>Joseph Foster, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044089401954&view=1up&seq=152&size=150 "Alumnis Oronienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1500-1714], Volume IV -Early Series," 1892, p 1435</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=o-AUAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22theophilus+yale%22+%22harvard%22&pg=PA766 The American Biographical Dictionary], William Allenm John P. Jewett & Co., Cleveland, Ohio, 1857, p. 766</ref><ref>Mary A. Street, "The Street Genealogy," 1895, pp. 2-3</ref> Through his wife Sarah Street, Yale became the granduncle of Dr. Lyman Hall, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.<ref>[https://www.dsdi1776.com/signer/lyman-hall/ Lyman Hall (1721-1790)], Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence Society, Thornton C. Lockwood, 2008, Accessed January 26, 2024</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/hallancestryseri00hall/page/254/mode/2up Hall Ancestry : a Series of Sketches], Charles S. Hall, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1896, p. 98-255-256</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QjNVJnNF7_MC&q=theophilus+yale+john+hall+sarah+mary&pg=PA298 Early Families of Wallingford, Connecticut], Charles Henry Stanley Davis, Clearfield, Baltimore, Maryland, 1979, p. 297-298</ref><ref>Barthelmas, Della Gray, “The Signers of the Declaration of Independence”, McFarland & Company, 1997. Chapter: Lyman Hall</ref> Dr. Hall was also a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, a Yale graduate, and Governor of Georgia.
Capt. Yale's daughter Sarah became the great-grandmother of abolitionist Congressman Sherlock James Andrews, who also graduated from Yale.<ref name="Atwa1"/> Capt. Yale's brother-in-law, John Peck, was the nephew of Rev. Jeremiah Peck, a founder of Newark, New Jersey, and first rector of Hopkins Grammar School, funded by Theophilus's granduncle, Gov. Edward Hopkins of England.<ref>[https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download/A_Genealogical_Account_of_the_Descendants_in_the_Male_Line_of_William_v1_1000763548.pdf Genealogioal Account of the Descendants in the Male Line William Peck], Darius Peck, Bryan & Goeltz, Steam Book Printers, Hudson, 1877, p. 14</ref><ref>Baldwin, Simeon E., et al. “[http://www.jstor.org/stable/25079885 December Meeting, 1902. Gifts to the Society; Rev. John Higginson, of Salem]; Suicide in Massachusetts; Letters of John Quincy Adams; Memoir of Lincoln F. Brigham.” Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 16, 1902, p. 496, JSTOR, Accessed 26 Jan. 2024. </ref>
Among his descendants, number were involved in seafaring ventures; the grandson of his son Theophilus, Sea Captain Theophilus Yale, was involved in the Old China Trade, dealing in natural resources, and died at sea in Valparaiso, Chile.<ref>[https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_180.260 Theophilus Yale], National Portrait Gallery, China Trade Portrait, Catalog of American Portraits, Slater Memorial Museum, Object Number : 180.260, 1818</ref><ref name="SeaSlate1"/><ref name="Geni0"/> Relatives included Dr. John Graham of Wallingford, seaman Joseph Yale, his brother-in-law the sea captain Thomas Davis Winship, capt. Joseph Winship and sea captain Samuel Freeman.<ref name="SeaSlate1"/> Capt. Thomas Winship was captured when serving aboard the brig General Armstrong under commander Samuel Chester Reid, who later helped design the Flag of the United States.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=105_cong_documents&docid=f:sd013.105.pdf |author=United States Government |title=Our Flag |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |year=1861}}</ref> He served as a Privateer in the War of 1812, serving America, and operated a whaling business with wholesale grocers Fitch Brothers & Co. of Marseille, France.<ref name="SeaSlate1">[https://www.nfaschool.org/uploaded/Slater_Museum_Files/Newsletters/Slater_Newsletter_Summer_2012.pdf 19th Century Maritime Norwhich : Whaling, the War of 1812, the Civil War and Civil Seafaring], The Muse, Newsletter of the Slater Memorial Museum, Vivian F. Zoe, Summer 2012, p. 1 to 8</ref>
==Death== [[File:A View of Halifax - Thomas Davies.jpg|thumb|A View of Halifax, Louisbourg Expedition, c. 1757]]
Capt. Theophilus Yale died on September 13, 1760.<ref name="sketches1"/> His wife died at the home of her son-in-law named Joseph Hough, in Wallingford, on November 28, 1795, at 94 years of age.<ref name="sketches1"/> They had 7 children.<ref name="Geni0"/>
*Elihu Yale (1703-1745), became a soldier in the Louisbourg Expedition against the French, and died at Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.<ref name="sketches1"/> He was the father of Capt. Stephen Yale, the great-grandfather of Lt. Gov. William H. Yale, and served in the 10th Connecticut Militia Regiment during the Revolutionary War.<ref name="Geni0"/> *Samuel Yale (1711-1754), married Scottish Susannah Abernethy and became a wealthy farmer, leaving a large estate; he was the father of Capt. Street Yale, a Patriot who fought in the Revolutionary War.<ref name="Yale Patriot">{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lxARAQAAMAAJ&q=yale+sovereign+dynasties&pg=RA2-PA115 | title=The Heroes of the American Revolution and their Descendants| author=Henry Whittemore|publisher=The Heroes of the Revolution Publishing Co.| year=1897 |pages=112–117}}</ref><ref name="sketches1"/> His grandson Samuel Yale was also a patriot and became the first manufacturer in Meriden, Connecticut in 1791.<ref name="Yale dysn1"/><ref name="Yale Patriot"/> He was the patriarch of the Yale family manufacturing dynasty of Connecticut.<ref name="Yale dysn1">[https://www.nederlandsetinvereniging.nl/wp-content/uploads/101-200/0142/0142_PCCA_bulletin_133_2006_Vol_13_nr_6.pdf The Yales of Meriden and Wallingford, CT], Andrew F. Turano and Robert G. Smith, The Pewter Collectors' Club of America, The Bulletin, Winter 2006, p. 2</ref> Members included merchant William Yale, Senator Charles D. Yale, General Edwin R. Yale, merchant Henry Clay Yale, Yale merchant William H. Yale, Yale spy William Yale, CIA Director of Finance Thomas B. Yale, and others.<ref name="Yale dysn1"/><ref>[https://library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/william-yale-papers-1916-1972 William Yale Papers, 1916-1972William Yale Papers, 1916-1972], MC 21, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.</ref>
*Theophilus Yale (1714-1759), became the father of Capt. Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who was among the first bayonet manufacturers of Connecticut.<ref name="Geni0"/> Capt. Yale became the uncle of Canadian fur merchant James Murray Yale, and grandfather of New York media magnate Moses Yale Beach. Members of this branch included NYC's first subway builder Alfred Ely Beach, politician Arthur Yale, politician Moses S. Beach, inventor Frederick C. Beach, aviation pioneer Stanley Yale Beach, Yale Rev. Brewster Yale Beach, and others.<ref name="YaleM2">{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/yalegenealogyhis00byuyale/page/n13/mode/2up|author=Rodney Horace Yale|title=Yale Genealogy and History of Wales. The British Kings and Princes. Life of Owen Glyndwr. Biographies of Governor Elihu Yale|date=1908|publisher=Milburn and Scott company|website=Archive.org|language=en|pages=202–237}}</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/poughkeepsie-journal-obituary-for-brewst/45913472/ Rev. Brewster Yale Beach], Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, New York, Tue, Jun 24, 2008 Page 4B</ref> *Sarah Yale (1716-1784), became the wife of Capt. Joshua Atwater, and the great-grandmother of abolitionist Congressman Sherlock James Andrews, who was a graduate from Yale and the 1st President of the Cleveland Bar Association.<ref name="Atwa1">Atwater, Francis. [https://archive.org/details/Vol1AtwaterHistoryAndGenealogy/page/n163/mode/2up?q=andrews ''Atwater History and Genealogy'']. Meriden, CT: Journal Publishing Co., 1901, Vol. 1., p. 113-122-123-153</ref> He was also the son-in-law of Congressman John W. Allen, Mayor of Cleveland, and was related to the Griswold family and the Clay family.<ref>Salisbury, Edward Elbridge (1892). [https://hylbom.com/family/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Family-Histories-and-Genealogies-by-Salisbury-1892-Vol-I-part-1.pdf Family Histories and Genealogies], Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, Vol. 1, Part 1. p. 66-68-70</ref>
Divan Berry Yale, father of Linus Yale Sr., of the Yale Lock Company, was Capt. Theophilus Yale's great-grandnephew, being a descendant of one of his brothers. Members of this branch included inventor Linus Yale Jr., railroad builder Julian L. Yale, Rockefeller partner George W. Gardner, abolitionist Barnabas Yale, golfer John Deere Cady, baseball owner William Yale Giles, and others.<ref name="YaleM2"/>
==Further reading== * [https://archive.org/details/theophilus-yale-1675-1760 Theophilus Yale (1675–1760) of Wallingford, Connecticut]. Max Brian Yale Genealogical Collection, 2025
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yale, Theophilus}} Category:1675 births Category:1760 deaths Theophilus Category:Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Category:American justices of the peace Category:People from Wallingford, Connecticut Category:18th-century Connecticut politicians