Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Thomas Strong, by his first wife, was born
November 4, 1668. He removed to Farmington,
Connecticut, where he engaged
in farming. He married, June II, 1689,
Margaret, said to be a daughter of Deacon
Stephen Hart. Asahel Strong died Octo-
ber 8, 1739.
Captain Asahel (2) Strong, son of
Asahel (1) Strong, was born October 13,
1702; married, January 8, 1729, Ruth,
born April 16, 1708, daughter of Hon.
John and Abigail (Standley) Hooker.
Captain Strong was a lawyer and a promi-
nent man in the public affairs of the town.
He died March 3 (or 30), 1751. Hon.
John Hooker was born February 20, 1664-
65
daughter of Captain John and his second
wife, Sarah (Fletcher) Standley. She
was born in Farmington, July 25, 1669.
Captain John Standley was a man of
wealth and high social position, and had
won distinction as a lieutenant and captain
in the Indian wars. Hon. John
Hooker was one of the best known men
; married, November 24, 1687, Abigail,
of his day and for many years was the
leading man in Farmington; was magistrate
; judge of the Supreme Court of the
colony, 1724-32; member of the Lower
House of the Assembly, 1699-1723; then
became member of the Upper House,
serving twenty-one sessions ; was clerk
two sessions and speaker six sessions
was chosen assistant in 1723, and filled
the office continuously for eleven years.
He served on important committees, and
was frequently appointed to settle difficulties
in towns, churches, etc., and many
other responsibilities were placed upon
him, attesting his ability and the implicit
confidence reposed in him. He is de-
scribed as having "dark hair and dark
eyes, and a dignity in his air and expres-
sion that procured profound respect."
Another description says : "He was a fine
looking man, tall, very erect, and had a
;
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
56
prominent large nose." He died February
21, 1745-46. His wife died February
21, 1742. His father, Rev. Samuel Hooker,
was born in 1633
; married, September 22,
1658, Mary, daughter of Captain Thomas
and Mary (Brown) Willet, of Plymouth,
Massachusetts, where she was born November
10, 1637. Rev. Samuel Hooker
entered Harvard in 1651, and was gradu-
ated in 1653 ; entered the ministry in 1657,
and preached at Plymouth, Massachu-
setts. He removed to Farmington, in
1 661, where he preached until his death
in 1697. He was famous as an eloquent
preacher. Captain Thomas Willet was at
that time a successful merchant at Plymouth.
He succeeded Captain Miles Stand-
ish in command of the famous military
company at Plymouth and he afterward
became the first mayor of New York City.
Rev. Samuel Hooker was the son of Rev.
Thomas Hooker, a sketch of whom ap-
pears elsewhere in this work. The latter
was born in England about 1586; entered
Emanuel College, Cambridge, in 1604;
received degree of Bachelor of Arts in
1608; that of Master of Arts in 161 1
entered a divinity course and was elected
a fellow of the college. He left college
before completing the course and received
the degree of Bachelor of Divinity. He
came to America in the ship "Griffin,"
in 1633, and was settled as the pastor
of Newton, Massachusetts, that year.
Owing to differences with the leaders of
the Massachusetts colony, more political
and commercial than religious in their
nature—though in his day religion and
politics were not divorced—Rev. Thomas
Hooker, in 1636, gun in one hand, and
Bible in the other, led a company of his
followers through the wilderness to what
is now Hartford, Connecticut, where he
became the leader of the colony. He died
in 1647, leaving an estate inventoried at
one pound, one hundred and thirty-six
;