M. 1 Jun 1609 in Birstall, England1
Husband: John Chester
D. before 27 May 1662 in Hartford, Connecticut1
Dorothy Hooker’s life was largely shaped by the fact her brother was a prominent Puritan minister. But she had enough status in her own right to later have her name engraved on a monument as a founder of a city.
Even though Dorothy was about 38-years-old, she opted to not get remarried. Instead, she seemed to follow the path of Reverend Thomas Hooker, her older brother. Hooker began preaching at a time when Puritans were under the threat of authorities in England. For a few years, he escaped persecution by moving to the Netherlands, then he made the decision to migrate to Massachusetts. He arrived on the ship Griffin on September 4, 1633 along with his wife and children, and it's likely that Dorothy and her son Leonard were also on the ship.2
Reverend Hooker first settled in Newtown, Massachusetts, but had disagreement over some issues with the colony leaders, and he made plans to settle elsewhere. He obtained a grant of land in the Connecticut valley, and in 1636 led a group of 100 people there. They were the original settlers of Hartford, and Dorothy was among them.1
Painting of Rev. Hooker's 1636 journey into Connecticut.
Dorothy's brother had a significant influence on Hartford during its early days. Hooker felt that all Christian men should have the right to vote, not just those who had been through the screening process of becoming a freeman. He once said, “The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the free consent of the people.”3 In January 1639, he and his followers created a document called “Fundamental Orders of Connecticut,” which is been thought to have been the earliest “democratic constitution establishing a representative government” in the world.3
Shortly after the Fundamental Orders were ratified, the land in Hartford was divided into lots for the settlers. Dorothy may have been the only woman to be given land in her own right.1 Her town lot was shown on a 1640 map to be at the end of a block of what was later Main Street.4 She was given two years to build a house there; it’s not known if she actually did.
1640 Hartford map showing the plot of land granted to Dorothy.
Dorothy’s name turned up in early Hartford court records. In 1649, she made a complaint against three people named George Chappell, Goody Coleman and Daniel Turner whom she accused of “misdemeanors.”5 Daniel Turner was mentioned as having “libeled” Dorothy, and he was given a harsh sentence that included both a prison term and two public whippings.
Reverend Hooker died in 1647,3 and Dorothy’s son Leonard passed away in 1648.6 Sometime in 1662, Dorothy's estate was inventoried on May 27, 1662,1 so we know that she died by that date. Years later, she would be one of only two women named on the Hartford Founders Monument. Dorothy left some noteworthy descendants, including Calvin Coolidge, Bette Davis, Endicott Peabody (governor of Massachusetts), writer Archibald MacLeish, actor Orson Bean, and Kyra Sedgwick.7
Hartford Founders' Monument showing Dorothy Chester.
Children:
1. Leonard Chester — B. 15 Jul 1610, Blaby, Leicestershire, England;6 D. 11 Dec 1648, Wethersfield, Connecticut;6 M. Mary ______ (~1608-1688), 1634, Wethersfield, Connecticut1
2. Elizabeth Chester — B. 6 Feb 1625, England;1 D. young
Sources:
1 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
2 According to GMB, she was in the colony by late 1634 — her connection to Thomas Hooker makes it seem likely she traveled with him.
3 Thomas Hooker (Wikipedia article) — both citations in his paragraph, plus his death in last paragraph
4 The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Volume 1, James Hammond Trumbull, 1886
5 A Catalogue of the Names of the early Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut, Royal Ralph Hinman, 1852
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Leonard Chester
7 FamousKin.com listing of Dorothy Hooker
