James Pierpont ''or'' Pierrepont (January 4, 1659 – November 22, 1714) was a Congregationalist minister who is credited with the founding of

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

in the United States.

Early life

Pierpont was born in

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for neighborhood services coordination. The city states that Roxbury se ...

on January 4, 1659. He was one of five children born to John Pierpont and his wife, Thankful (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Stow) Pierpont (1629–1664), daughter of John Stow. His father, who was born in London in 1619, was a Roxbury town officer and a deputy to the general court before his death in 1682. He attended

The Roxbury Latin School The Roxbury Latin School is a private boys' day school that was founded in 1645 in the town of Roxbury (now a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts) by the Rev. John Eliot under a charter received from King Charles I of England. It bills ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

Career

Pierpont became an ordained Congregationalist minister on July 2, 1685. In 1701, he secured the charter for The Collegiate School of Connecticut, which soon thereafter took the surname of its benefactor

Elihu Yale Elihu Yale (5 April 1649 – 8 July 1721) was a British-American colonial administrator and philanthropist. Although born in Boston, Massachusetts, he only lived in America as a child, spending the rest of his life in England, Wales and India ...

. He served as a founding trustee of Yale from October 16, 1701, until his death in 1714.

Personal life

Pierpont was married three times and lived in New Haven at what was known as the Pierpont Mansion. His first marriage was on October 27, 1691, to Abigail Davenport (1672–1691), the daughter of John Davenport and Abigail (née Pierson) Davenport. Abigail died on February 3, 1692, from a cold she caught shortly after their marriage. His second wife was Sarah Haynes (1673–1696), whom he married on May 30, 1694. Sarah was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Haynes and Sarah (née Lord) Haynes, and the granddaughter of Governor John Haynes. She died on October 27, 1696, after giving birth to their only child: * Abigail Pierpont (1696–1768), who married Rev. Joseph Noyes (1688–1761) in 1716. In 1698, James Pierpont married for the third time to Mary Hooker (1673–1740) of Farmington. Mary was a daughter of Rev. Samuel Hooker and granddaughter of Rev.

Thomas Hooker Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647) was a prominent English colonial leader and Congregational minister, who founded the Connecticut Colony after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was known as an outstanding spea ...

, chief founder of the Colony of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

. * James Pierpoint (1699–1776), who married Sarah Breck (1710–1753). After her death, he married Anne Sherman (1728–1803) in 1754. * Samuel Pierpoint (1700–1723), who drowned while crossing the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...

in a canoe. * Mary Pierpont (1702–1740), who married Rev. William Russell (1690–1761) in 1719. * Joseph Pierpont (1704–1748), who married Hannah Russell. After his death, Hannah married Samuel Sackett. * Benjamin Pierpont (1706–1706), who died in infancy. * Benjamin Pierpont (1707–1733), who died unmarried. * Sarah Pierpont (1710–1758), who married noted colonial minister Jonathan Edwards in 1727. * Hezekiah Pierpont (1712–1741), who married Lydia Hemingway (1716–1779). After his death, Lydia married Theophilus Morgan. He died on November 22, 1714, in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

, where he was buried. His widow died on November 1, 1740.

Descendants

Pierpont's descendants also include

U.S. Vice President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

, financier John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan, Edwards Pierrepont, and songwriter James Lord Pierpont, best known for "

Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed t ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pierpont, James 1659 births 1714 deaths People of colonial Connecticut People from colonial Boston Roxbury Latin School alumni Harvard University alumni 17th-century Congregationalist ministers 18th-century Congregationalist ministers Massachusetts colonial-era clergy American Congregationalist ministers Yale University founders