Thomas Hooker

NAME Thomas Hooker

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Thomas Hooker is best known as a Puritan pastor, powerful preacher, and political thinker whose ideas helped shape early American democracy. He was a founding figure of the Connecticut Colony and a principal intellectual force behind the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639), widely regarded as the first written constitution in history to establish a government. For this reason, Hooker is often called “the father of American democracy.”

BIRTH Thomas Hooker was born on July 7, 1586, at Markfield (or possibly Marefield or Birstall) in Leicestershire, England. Some sources also reference Tilton or Marfield as possible birthplaces within Leicestershire.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Hooker came from modest circumstances. His father, also named Thomas Hooker, was a yeoman—a farmer of modest means. Almost nothing is known about his mother's name or identity.  Family genealogists have linked Thomas Hooker to the prominent Hooker family in Devon, which produced the theologian Richard Hooker. Hooker had several siblings, including Amy, John, Dorothy, William, and Anne Hooker, who were baptized in Leicestershire parishes during the late 16th century.

CHILDHOOD Very little is recorded about Hooker's childhood beyond two sentences in Cotton Mather's Magnalia Christi Americana: "He was born of parents who were neither unable nor unwilling to bestow upon him a liberal education: from which the early lively sparkles of wit observed in him very much encouraged them". Mather described Hooker's natural temper as "cheerful and courteous; but it was accompanied with such a sensible grandeur of mind, as caused his friends, without the help of astrology, to prognosticate that he was born to be considerable". (1)

Growing up in a rural English setting during the final years of the Elizabethan era, his upbringing was likely defined by the rigorous rhythms of farm life and the increasing religious tensions within the Church of England.

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EDUCATION Hooker attended the grammar school at Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, established by Sir Wolstan Dixie, approximately 25 miles from his birthplace. The school still exists today. 

In March 1604, at age 18 or 19—several years older than typical entrants—Hooker entered Queens' College, Cambridge as a sizar (scholarship student). He soon transferred to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, a known hotbed of Puritan thought, after winning a scholarship, possibly from his grammar school. At Emmanuel, he received his Bachelor of Arts in 1608 and Master of Arts in 1611. In 1609, he was elected to a Dixie fellowship at Emmanuel, a position he held until approximately 1618 or 1619.

During his Cambridge years, Hooker studied under the leadership of Master Laurence Chaderton and was influenced by prominent Puritan preachers including William Perkins, Paul Baynes, William Ames, John Preston, Richard Sibbes, and John Cotton. He witnessed significant Puritan controversies at Cambridge, including William Ames's expulsion in 1610. Hooker served as a catechist at Emmanuel College, teaching theology to students. It was during his time at Emmanuel that Hooker experienced a profound spiritual conversion that would define his ministry.

CAREER RECORD 1609-1618/1619: Fellow and catechist at Emmanuel College, Cambridge

c. 1618-1620: Rector of St. George's Church in Esher, Surrey. 

c. 1625-1626: Lecturer at the Church of St. Mary (Chelmsford Cathedral) in Chelmsford, Essex. 

c. 1629-1630: Opened an unlicensed school at Little Baddow, Essex,

1630-1633: Minister in Holland, likely in Rotterdam or Delft. 

1633: Immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony aboard the ship Griffin

1633-1636: Pastor of the church at Newtown (later renamed Cambridge), Massachusetts. 

1636: Led approximately 100 men, women, and children westward to found Hartford, Connecticut

1636-1647: Pastor of First Church of Hartford, Connecticut. In this role, Hooker enjoyed enormous influence in the colony.

1638  Delivered his most famous sermon to the Connecticut General Court, articulating principles of popular sovereignty and limited government based on Deuteronomy 1:13. 

1643: Served as a commissioner in the formation of the New England Confederation

APPEARANCE No contemporary portraits of Thomas Hooker are known to exist. When sculptor Frances Laughlin Wadsworth created his statue in Hartford in 1948-1950, she used the features of his local descendants as a guide to determine his probable appearance. The statue depicts Hooker in period Puritan clothing with a belted coat and long cape, holding a Puritan-style hat in one hand and clutching a large book to his chest with the other.

Hooker's statue by Frances Laughlin Wadsworth

FASHION Based on his statue and historical descriptions, Hooker wore typical Puritan ministerial dress of the early 17th century: simple, modest clothing including a belted coat, long cape, and the characteristic Puritan hat. Hooker opposed the elaborate vestments of the Church of England—"surplices, caps, copes, cassocks, and other like matters of sanctimonious foppery"—which he viewed as remnants of Catholic ritual. (1)

CHARACTER Cotton Mather described Hooker's natural temperament as "cheerful and courteous" but combined with "such a sensible grandeur of mind" that suggested future greatness. Another source noted that "though Mr. Hooker's natural disposition was irascible, he acquired a wonderful command of his temper". He was "always ready to sacrifice his own apprehensions to the better reasons of others" and treated "the meanest of his brethren, and even children...with endearing condescension". (2)

Contemporary descriptions emphasized Hooker's authoritative yet compassionate pastoral approach. He possessed "a natural mobility of soul, whereby the distinct images of things would come so nimbly and yet so fitly into his mind". The word "jealousy was left out of his composition; he accorded to every one his dues in a large, liberal way". (1)

SPEAKING VOICE Thomas Hooker was celebrated as one of the greatest preachers of his time, with an extraordinarily powerful speaking voice and dramatic delivery style. His preaching was characterized by what one observer called "vox vivida"—a lively, vigorous voice. His sermons were said to be so powerful they "would put a king in his pocket". (3)

Hooker consciously modeled his preaching on John Rogers of Dedham, developing a dramatic style that drew large audiences and quickly made him a celebrity. One contemporary wrote that in Hooker "everything was lively; a lively voice, lively eyes, lively hands, lively every gesture".  (1)

His use of Scripture was authoritative, typically following each point with multiple direct biblical quotations, giving him an air of unquestionable authority.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Cotton Mather's description of his "cheerful" temperament and his use of vivid, homely similes in preaching—such as comparing meditation to a goldsmith's work or describing a father stepping behind a bush to make his wandering child seek him—suggest a capacity for engaging, accessible communication that may have incorporated elements of wit.

RELATIONSHIPS Hooker married Susannah Garbrand on April 3, 1621, at Amersham St. Mary, Buckinghamshire. Susannah was the daughter of Richard Garbrand (c. 1550-1601) and Anna Farrar (c. 1555-1609) and had been lady-in-waiting to Joan Drake. Susannah was Hooker's second wife; nothing is known about his first wife. Susannah survived her husband by nearly three decades, dying on May 17, 1676, in Farmington, Connecticut.

Thomas and Susannah Hooker had several children, though exact numbers vary in sources. They include

Rev. Samuel Hooker (c. 1633-November 6, 1697), who graduated from Harvard College in 1653 and became minister of Farmington, Connecticut. Cotton Mather wrote of him: "Thus we have to this day among us our dead Hooker, yet living in his worthy son Samuel Hooker".

Hooker maintained important relationships with fellow Puritan ministers. At Cambridge, he was influenced by William Perkins, William Ames, John Dod, and John Preston. In New England, his most significant relationship was with John Cotton, with whom he had both friendship and theological tension. Their disagreements over preparationism and church governance contributed to Hooker's decision to leave Massachusetts. Hooker also worked closely with Samuel Stone, his colleague who accompanied him to Connecticut and served with him at Hartford.

Hooker successfully counseled Joan Drake through her severe spiritual crisis, a formative pastoral experience that shaped his approach to ministry. He maintained friendships with John Dod and John Preston, who had also attempted to help Mrs. Drake.

Though respectful of figures like John Winthrop, Hooker often disagreed with them politically.

MONEY AND FAME Hooker's position as rector at Esher provided only £40 per year, a modest income. As a lecturer in Chelmsford and later as pastor in Hartford, he would have received support from his congregation, though specific amounts are not recorded. The typical Puritan minister lived simply, consistent with the values of plain living and rejection of worldly wealth.

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Hooker achieved considerable fame during his lifetime. His reputation as a preacher in England was such that even after his departure, his name carried significant weight. Cotton Mather called him "the Light of the Western Churches," indicating his prominence in New England. In 1643, he was invited to participate in the Westminster Assembly, recognition of his theological stature. His May 31, 1638 sermon became legendary, cementing his reputation as a political philosopher as well as theologian.

FOOD AND DRINK He followed the plain colonial diet: bread, porridge, vegetables, and occasional meat. He drank "small beer" (a low-alcohol beverage used because water was often unsafe). Fasting was also a regular part of his spiritual discipline.

MUSIC AND ARTS Like most Puritans, Hooker’s relationship with music was primarily liturgical. He supported the "plain singing" of Psalms in church without instrumental accompaniment, believing that the heart’s melody was more important than artistic flourish. Hooker viewed the arts primarily as vehicles for religious expression.

LITERATURE His library was one of the largest in early New England, filled with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew texts.

Hooker was a prolific author whose works were widely read in both England and New England. His major writings during his lifetime include The Soules Preparation for Christ (1632) - A treatise on contrition explaining how God breaks the heart and wounds the soul in conversion

Several  works were published posthumously including:

A Survey of the Summe of Church-Discipline (1648) - His most comprehensive theological work, defending Congregational church governance against Presbyterian critics like Samuel Rutherford. This massive 500-page treatise represented the culmination of his thinking on ecclesiology.

The Application of Redemption (1656) - Systematic treatment of how salvation is applied to believers through the work of the Word and Spirit

Various other works on practical divinity and church government

Hooker's literary style combined theological precision with homely vigour and vivacity, using accessible language and vivid illustrations drawn from everyday life. His writings emphasized preparationism—the doctrine that individuals must undergo preparation of the heart before experiencing God's saving grace. This theological emphasis distinguished him from John Cotton's more immediate experience of free grace.

NATURE Hooker appreciated nature as God’s creation and saw the New World landscape as both a spiritual testing ground and a divine opportunity.

Hooker's historic journey through the wilderness from Massachusetts to Connecticut in 1636 demonstrated his willingness to engage with the natural world under challenging conditions. The expedition through over 100 miles of wilderness, with his invalid wife carried on a litter, showed both determination and adaptation to the demands of the New England landscape. Below is Frederic Edwin Church's 1846 painting Hooker and Company Journeying through the Wilderness from Plymouth to Hartford, in 1636,.

PETS Animals in his household (likely horses and oxen) were viewed as working livestock essential for the survival of the Hartford settlement.

No information about pets or animals in Hooker's household appears in historical sources.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Hooker's life was consumed by pastoral duties, preaching, writing, andand correspondence with other theologians. Puritans generally viewed leisure with suspicion, emphasizing instead diligent labor and spiritual disciplines.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Hooker was educated in the "Quadrivium" (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy) at Cambridge. He applied logic—specifically Ramist logic—to his sermons, treating theology as a systematic "science" of living for God.

PREACHING CAREER Thomas Hooker was ordained as an Anglican minister, although this was rather like joining the local bowls club while firmly believing bowls should really be played uphill, in the rain, and without any of the rules everyone else seemed so attached to. His Puritan convictions meant he was always a little out of step with the Church of England—polite, earnest, and quietly preparing for trouble.

Around 1618–1620, Hooker became Rector of St George’s Church in Esher, Surrey, a position that paid the magnificent sum of £40 a year, which was not so much a living as a prolonged spiritual exercise in trusting God. His patron, Francis Drake (a relative of the famous Sir Francis Drake, which must have come up at dinner), kindly took him into his household. Hooker’s main task was not preaching to crowds but ministering to Mrs Joan Drake, who was convinced she had committed the unpardonable sin and was therefore beyond hope and mercy. With the help of John Dod and John Preston, Hooker patiently talked her back from spiritual despair, proving that calm pastoral conversation can sometimes do what shouting sermons cannot. While living in the Drake household, Hooker met Susannah Garbrand, Mrs Drake’s lady-in-waiting, who evidently found his theological reassurance rather attractive. They later married, which suggests that not all pastoral visits were quite as grim as they sound.

By 1625–1626, Hooker had moved on to become Lecturer at the Church of St Mary in Chelmsford, where he delivered sermons of such evangelical intensity that people came in alarming numbers. This was excellent for their souls but disastrous for his career. Hooker became something of a celebrity preacher, which inevitably attracted the attention of William Laud, Bishop of London, who regarded Puritan enthusiasm the way one might regard damp creeping up the walls—something to be stopped immediately.

In 1629, Hooker was suspended from his post, which did not make him less Puritan, merely more mobile. He promptly opened an unlicensed school at Little Baddow, operating out of a farmhouse now called Cuckoos Farm, which feels symbolically appropriate. His assistant was John Eliot, later famous as the “Apostle to the Indians,” proving that many important careers begin in places that are technically not allowed to exist.

Later that same year, Hooker was summoned before the Court of High Commission to explain himself, his views, and presumably why he was being so Puritan about everything. Instead of attending, he forfeited his bond and fled to Holland, demonstrating that discretion is sometimes the better part of theological valor.

From 1630 to 1633, Hooker ministered in the Netherlands—probably in Rotterdam or Delft—where he met the theologian William Ames and enjoyed the rare pleasure of practising his faith without being immediately told to stop.

In 1633, Hooker decided that if England and Europe were going to be difficult, he might as well cross the Atlantic. He sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony aboard the ship Griffin, which arrived in Boston on September 3, 1633, after eight weeks at sea. About 200 passengers made the journey, including fellow ministers John Cotton and Samuel Stone, and one baby—Seaborn Cotton—who arrived mid-voyage, clearly unwilling to wait for land.

From 1633 to 1636, Hooker served as pastor at Newtown (later Cambridge), Massachusetts, leading a congregation affectionately known as “Mr Hooker’s Company.” Tensions soon arose with John Cotton over who exactly should be allowed to vote—Hooker having the radical notion that more people might be trusted with responsibility, while others felt this was all getting rather loose.

In 1636, Hooker resolved the problem by leading about 100 men, women, and children on a month-long trek through the wilderness to the Connecticut River Valley. The journey covered more than 100 miles, involved mosquitoes, exhaustion, and uncertainty, and included the minor complication of Hooker’s invalid wife being carried on a litter. They arrived in early July and founded Hartford, named after Samuel Stone’s English hometown, presumably because calling it “We’re Finally Here” felt undignified.

From 1636 until his death in 1647, Hooker served as Pastor of the First Church of Hartford, where his influence was enormous. On May 31, 1638, he preached his most famous sermon to the Connecticut General Court, using Deuteronomy 1:13 to argue—calmly but firmly—that authority comes from the people and rulers should not get ideas above their station. This sermon inspired what would become the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.

In 1643, Hooker served as a commissioner in forming the New England Confederation, a defensive alliance among the colonies, and also defended Congregationalism at a meeting of ministers in Boston. That same year, he was invited—along with John Cotton and John Davenport—to attend the Westminster Assembly of Divines in England. Hooker declined, choosing instead to influence matters from a safe distance, which by now had become something of a theme.

In 1647, he attended a synod in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but fell ill during a widespread epidemic. He died before the synod completed its work, having spent a lifetime preaching, organising, fleeing, founding, and gently insisting that God trusted ordinary people more than authorities often did.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Thomas Hooker was one of the great theological heavyweights of early New England Puritanism, though you would never have known it from the way he went about things, which suggested less “towering intellect” and more “man who has spent a very long time thinking about your soul and is not about to let you off lightly.” His theology had several main emphases, each of them designed to ensure that no one accidentally wandered into grace without realising quite how dreadful they were first.

Preparationism sat at the very centre of Hooker’s thinking. He was the most prominent champion of the idea that conversion should not be rushed, slipped into, or approached casually, like popping into a shop for milk. Instead, the seeker must be thoroughly prepared—by a crushing awareness of sin, a profound terror of divine wrath, and a deep humiliation that left no room for optimism, self-confidence, or cheerful hymns in a major key. Only after this spiritual dismantling could grace be safely administered. Hooker believed that by diligently using the “means of grace,” a person might place themselves in a suitable position to receive God’s mercy. This did not mean earning salvation, but it did mean arriving at it exhausted, shaken, and keenly aware that it was entirely undeserved. This approach put him at odds with John Cotton, who seemed to think grace could arrive rather more quickly and with less emotional trauma, a view Hooker regarded with polite but firm suspicion.

Closely tied to this was Hooker’s commitment to covenant theology. He saw the relationship between God and humanity as covenantal—structured, solemn, and binding in a way that suggested God had taken the whole thing extremely seriously. The covenant of grace, in Hooker’s mind, governed not only salvation but also the life of the church. The church itself existed because of a covenant freely entered into by its members, which meant it had both dignity and responsibility and could not simply drift along hoping for the best.

This naturally led Hooker to his strong defense of congregationalism. In his enormous and impressively titled Survey of the Summe of Church-Discipline, he argued that each congregation possessed the authority to govern itself, elect its own officers, and exercise discipline—though preferably with trembling and prayer. While he believed firmly in cooperation among churches, he was equally firm that no external authority should be allowed to swoop in and reorganise things without permission. Presbyterian critics were answered at length, and one suspects, thoroughly.

Hooker’s view of sin was, in a word, grim. Sin, he believed, was clever—far cleverer than most Christians gave it credit for—and perfectly capable of sabotaging grace at every turn. It was not something to be managed lightly or explained away with optimism. His preaching returned again and again to the terror of divine judgment and the urgent need for believers to examine themselves carefully, repeatedly, and without sentimentality, just in case something dreadful was lurking unnoticed.

Yet for all this intensity, Hooker was deeply committed to application and practice. Theology, in his view, was not meant to sit politely on a shelf. Following the pattern of William Perkins and William Ames, he structured his sermons to move from doctrine to “uses”—clear, practical implications for daily Christian life. After explaining a truth, he would then explain what you were supposed to do about it, how it should change you, and why you were probably not doing it nearly well enough.

Theologically, Hooker was a product of Cambridge Puritanism, shaped by thinkers such as Perkins, Ames, John Preston, and John Dod. His emphasis on preparationism closely matched that of his son-in-law, Thomas Shepard, suggesting that intense theological scrutiny of the human soul was something of a family tradition.

Taken together, Hooker’s theology reveals a man who believed grace was free, magnificent, and utterly necessary—but also something you should approach with fear, honesty, and a very clear understanding of just how much trouble you were in without it.

POLITICS Thomas Hooker’s political philosophy was revolutionary, though he would probably have insisted it was simply common sense, clearly stated, and rooted in Scripture, and that if everyone else had failed to notice this before, that was hardly his fault. What he proposed was nothing less than the alarming idea that ordinary people might be trusted with power—under God, of course, and with firm instructions.

In his famous sermon of May 31, 1638, delivered to the Connecticut General Court, Hooker laid out three principles that would eventually become the backbone of democratic government, though at the time they were presented as doctrinal observations rather than political dynamite.

First, he calmly explained that the choice of public magistrates belongs to the people, and that this arrangement had been approved by God Himself, which made it rather difficult to argue against without sounding impious. Second, he reassured everyone that this did not mean people could vote however they liked, on a whim or after a bad night’s sleep, but that elections must be conducted in accordance with the law and will of God, which was both comforting and appropriately sobering. Third, he pointed out—almost as an aside—that if the people had the power to appoint magistrates, they also had the power to limit what those magistrates were allowed to do, a statement that probably caused several officials to sit up very straight indeed.

The foundation for all of this, Hooker insisted, was simple: authority begins with the free consent of the people. Not conquest. Not heredity. Not “because we said so.” Consent. He said it as though it were obvious, which somehow made it more unsettling.

This conviction led directly to his most significant political disagreement with the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where voting rights were limited to “freemen”—men who had survived an intense examination of their religious experience and lived to tell the tale. Hooker believed this was far too narrow. In his view, all Christian men should have a voice in civil government, not just those who had successfully navigated the spiritual obstacle course of church membership. This disagreement, carried on politely but firmly, eventually contributed to his decision to leave Massachusetts altogether and start again in Connecticut, where things could be done properly.

The practical outcome of Hooker’s thinking was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, adopted on January 14, 1639, and inspired directly by his 1638 sermon. This document established a representative government with elected officials, no religious test for voting, clear limits on governmental power, and authority vested not in a king but in the General Court. It is often described as the first written constitution in history to establish a government, which is quite an achievement for something that began as a sermon.

On the relationship between church and state, Hooker took a middle road. Unlike Roger Williams, he did not argue for complete separation, believing instead that church and state should cooperate while staying in their own lanes. Civil magistrates, he said, could call church assemblies, but they had no business forcing anyone to believe anything. God, after all, was quite capable of handling conscience without government assistance.

Everything Hooker said rested firmly on a biblical foundation, especially Deuteronomy 1:13, which he read not as ancient history but as a divine blueprint for good governance. Authority came from God, yes—but God had chosen to place that authority in the hands of the people, along with the responsibility to restrain it.

Later historians noticed what Hooker’s contemporaries were still trying to digest. John Fiske famously wrote that the Fundamental Orders marked “the beginnings of American democracy,” and that Thomas Hooker deserved more than any other man to be called its father. Hooker himself would likely have found the title excessive and slightly embarrassing, while quietly hoping people had been paying attention.

In 1643, Hooker served as a commissioner in the formation of the New England Confederation, an early attempt at intercolonial cooperation that respected the independence of each colony. It was a modest experiment in shared governance—federalism before anyone had thought to give it a name—and another small step toward a very large idea.

All of this emerged not from rallies or revolutions, but from sermons, Scripture, and a stubborn belief that God trusted people more than rulers often did.

SCANDAL Hooker avoided personal scandal, though his theological independence placed him at odds with Massachusetts authorities.

MILITARY RECORD Hooker was involved in the events surrounding the Pequot War (1636-1637), which erupted shortly after his arrival in Connecticut. As a spiritual leader in Hartford, he would have provided pastoral guidance during this violent conflict between English colonists and the Pequot people. Connecticut declared war on the Pequot on May 1, 1637, and Captain John Mason led forces from Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor in the campaign that culminated in the Mystic Massacre of May 26, 1637.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS During his time at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Hooker experienced a profound spiritual crisis that manifested in physical symptoms. Cotton Mather recorded that "It pleased the spirit of God very powerfully to break into the soul of this person with such a sense of his being exposed to the just wrath of Heaven, as filled him with most unusual degrees of horror and anguish, which broke not only his rest, but his heart also". This period of intense spiritual distress, including terrifying dreams and waking anguish, lasted "a considerable while". A fellow student named Mr. Ash attended to him "with such discreet and proper compassion" during this difficult time. (1)

The 1636 journey from Massachusetts to Connecticut—over 100 miles through wilderness in early summer heat—required considerable physical endurance, though Hooker's wife was ill enough to be carried on a litter.

HOMES England:

Markfield/Marefield, Leicestershire (birthplace, 1586)

Cambridge (Queens' College and Emmanuel College, 1604-1618/19)

Esher, Surrey (c. 1618-1620) - Lived in Francis Drake's household at Esher Place while serving as rector of St. George's Church

Chelmsford, Essex (c. 1625-1629)

Little Baddow, Essex (c. 1629-1630) - Operated school at Cuckoos Farm

Cuckoos Farm, Little Baddow, Essex, Hooker's home around 1629 Wikipedia

Holland/Rotterdam (1630-1633)

New England:

Boston/Newtown (later Cambridge), Massachusetts (1633-1636)

Hartford, Connecticut (1636-1647) His final home was a substantial timber-framed house befitting a leader of the colony, located near the center of the town he helped survey and design.

TRAVEL Hooker's most significant journeys included:

1630: Flight from England to Holland to escape prosecution by Archbishop Laud.

1633: Transatlantic voyage on the ship Griffin from Downs, England to Plymouth/Boston, Massachusetts. The eight-week journey carried approximately 200 passengers including John Cotton and Samuel Stone. The Griffin weighed 300 tons and saw the birth of at least one child during the voyage.

June 1636: Historic overland journey through wilderness from Newtown, Massachusetts to the Connecticut River Valley. Led approximately 100 men, women, and children over 100 miles through unsettled territory, taking about a month. This journey became legendary, later memorialized in art and monument. The party faced extreme heat during the final miles of the march. The difficult trek helped define New England’s expansion.

1643: Traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts for meetings regarding the New England Confederation and ecclesiastical synods.

1647: Attended synod sessions in Cambridge, Massachusetts, shortly before his final illness.

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DEATH Thomas Hooker died on July 7, 1647, in Hartford, Connecticut, on his 61st birthday. He fell victim to an "epidemical sickness" (likely a form of influenza) that swept through the colonies, affecting both Native Americans and European settlers. The epidemic had forced the adjournment of a synod meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Hooker had been in attendance.

His colleague Samuel Stone wrote to Thomas Shepard on July 19, 1647, describing Hooker's final days. Hooker's last will and testament was declared on July 7, 1647, "in the presence of Henry Smith, Sam. Stone, John White".

The most commonly cited deathbed exchange in later devotional literature has a friend asking Hooker, “Brother, are you going to receive the reward of your labors?” and Hooker replying, “Brother, I am going to receive mercy." (4)

Hooker was buried in the Ancient Burying Ground (also called Old North Cemetery) in Hartford, near the original site of First Church. In 1739, First Church moved to its current location adjacent to the Ancient Burying Ground, where it became known as Center Church. The church was built over part of the cemetery, and Hooker's grave is now beneath the church building.

A marker by his grave reads: "Thomas Hooker 1586 – 1647. A leader of the founders in this commonwealth. A preacher of persuasive power. A statesman who based all civil authority on the free consent of the people".​

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Monuments and Memorials:

A bronze statue of Thomas Hooker stands at Thomas Hooker Square in front of the Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut, at the site of the original First Church. The statue was sculpted by Frances Laughlin Wadsworth and dedicated in 1950. It stands seven feet tall on a short pink granite pedestal. The statue depicts Hooker in Puritan clothing holding a hat in one hand and a large book in the other.

The pedestal inscriptions read:

West side: "THOMAS HOOKER 1586-1647 Founder of Hartford Pastor - Statesman - 'The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the Free Consent of the People'"

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South side: "'The choice of public magistrates, belongs unto the people, by God's own allowance. And it is in their power, also, to set the bounds and limitations of the power and place, unto which they call them'"

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East side: References his journey through the wilderness, founding of Hartford in June 1636, and the sermon that inspired the Fundamental Orders

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Other Memorials: The Thomas Hooker Trail has a marker in Grafton, Massachusetts, marking the Indian trail he followed in 1636

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The Founders Bridge over the Connecticut River in Hartford is designated in honor of Hooker and his company

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A memorial to later groups of "Adventurers" who joined Hooker is located on the southwest side of Hartford's City Hall

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Blue plaques mark his residences in England, including at Cuckoos Farm in Little Baddow and in America at the First Church of Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Plaque honoring Hooker's ministry at the First Church of Cambridge, Cambridge

Thomas Hooker Beer, brewed in Connecticut, bears his name

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Art: Frederic Edwin Church created a painting titled "Hooker and Company Journeying Through the Wilderness From Plymouth to Hartford in 1636" (1846), depicting the historic migration.

Modern Recognition: Connecticut is known as "The Constitution State" largely because of Hooker's role in creating the Fundamental Orders. Hooker Day (specifically celebrated with the Hooker Day Parade) is celebrated in Connecticut commemorating his contributions.

ACHIEVEMENTS Founded the city of Hartford, Connecticut

Inspired the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639).

Co-founded the New England Confederation in 1643.

Author of over 20 published theological works.

Established a democratic precedent for the separation of church and state in voting rights.

Early champion of representative government

Enduring influence on American democratic thought

Sources: (1) The Life of Thomas Hooker by Edward W Hooker (2) Bible Study Tools (3) Christian History Institute (4) Sermon Search