JOHN PROUT, only son of John Prout, a sea-captain of New Haven, Connecticut (originally from Devonshire, England), was born in New Haven, November 19, 1689. His mother was Mary, widow of Daniel Hall, and daughter of Henry Rutherford, both of New Haven.
His life was spent in mercantile occupations in his native town, where he was also much employed in public business. In 1714 he was appointed Naval officer for this port. On the death of John Alling, Treasurer of Yale College, Mr. Prout was elected (April 5, 1717) by the Trustees to that office, which he held until his retirement in September, 1765. From 1727 to 1742 he was Probate Clerk for the District of New Haven. He held for many years an appointment as Justice of the Peace (for the first time in 1735).
He died in New Haven, April 4, 1776, aged 86 years, having been for almost six years the oldest living graduate, and having attained a greater age than any of his predecessors.
He married, in 1712, Sybil, daughter of John Howell, of Southampton, Long Island. She was born August 9, 1691, and died in New Haven, February 5, 1782.
Of their eight children, two daughters only survived them, one of them the wife of the Rev. Samuel Bird, minister of the White Haven Church in New Haven. The oldest child, John Prout, Jr., graduated at this College in 1732.
The following is an extract from the notice of Mr. Prout's death in the New Haven paper of the week after:
“On Tuesday was taken with distressing pains, and on Thursday departed this life, JOHN PROUT, Esq., in the 87th year of his age, who lived in a married state with her he has now left a widow 64 years; who in life was intrusted with several important offices, particularly that of Treasurer of Yale College, and Justice of the Peace; all which he performed with honour and fidelity. And a sermon was delivered the Lord's Day following, suitable to the occasion and character of the deceased, by the Rev'd Chauncey Whittelsey, from Job 5, 26. In the death of this aged gentleman, mankind are deprived of a benevolent friend, the church of God of a sincere and praying member and brother, the distressed injured country of a true and cordial friend and well wisher to its important liberties and privileges, the widow of a most loving and faithful husband, the children of a tender father, neighbours and acquaintances of an agreeable, entertaining and undisguised friend, generally if not universally belov’d.” . . .
His tombstone calls him “a Gentleman of an Established Character for Probity and seriousness.” President Stiles speaks of his social and communicative disposition, and adds, “He was the gentleman and the Christian.”
