Charles Hooker was the father of Herbert Roswell Hooker and the great grandfather of Neal Hooker. But who was the father of Charles Hooker? Was Charles the son of William Farrar Hooker and born in 1813? Or, was he the son of Charles Joseph Hooker born in 1818? In either case, the lineage can be traced back to the Reverend Thomas Hooker, just through different sons of Samuel Hooker.
Only one of them is the Charles Hooker who was married to Melita Shepherd who together produced a significant number of interesting Hookers, including a Charles Hooker. I am not sure that I can provide a definitive answer, but there are some clues. The problem is compounded by what appears to be sloppy genealogy. It is necessary to remember that there are a large number of people who religiously record the historical records of individuals. If the sources are missing or inaccurate, the evidence is only as good as the vigilance of the recorder. Then the problem gets compounded by others copying and spreading shoddy work.
To put it suscinctly, there were 2 Charles Hooker, both born in New York to two different parents. Only one of them married Metita Ann Shepard. Which one?
William Farrar Hooker
Willliam Farrar Hooker is a possible, in fact probable, father of Charles, husband of Melita Shepard:
- According to Edward Hooker, The Descendants of Rev. Thomas Hooker, William Farrar Hooker was the son of Daniel Hooker and Mary Sedgwick. Assuming that Edward listed Daniel’s children in birth order as was his practice, and assuming that there was at least 2 years between the children, William was born sometime between 1776 and 1780. The Charles we are interested in was born either 1813 or 1818 and it is perfectly credible that William Farrar could have been the father of either.
- William was born in West Hartford, Connecticut as were all of his siblings. Both his mother and father died in West Hartford.
- William married 2 women:
- Clarissa Cummings. Not sure when they marrried, but she died in 1822 in New York. I believe that she gave birth to the following children
- Polly King had perhaps had been married earlier. Think they married the same year as Clarissa died, 1882