Leading his people through the wilderness, Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) founded Hartford, Connecticut, in June 1636. Two years later he preached an historic sermon, which inspired the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut of 1639, which has been called the "first written Constitution known to history that created a government."

Any person shall be eligible for membership in the Society provided he be descended from an ancestor who settled in Hartford before February 1640, as evidenced by the Book of Distribution of Land.

Purposes. The Society is organized, and shall be operated strictly for charitable and educational purposes, of which the principal shall be as follows:

To foster literacy, cultural, historical and other research and to develop and conduct programs which shall be aimed at strengthening a public understanding of the history and traditions of the City of Hartford, Connecticut (the "City") and of its early settlers

To celebrate periodically at appropriate anniversaries the Founding of the City, calling attention for all to learn the history and roots of the city and the United States of America.

To erect appropriate memorials in public places to further commemorate the early beginnings of the City.

To see to it that data concerning the English origin and ancestry of the Founders of the City may be ascertained and that genealogies of their descendants may be compiled and that original documents and historical works of merit relating to the Founders of the City and early history of the City may be published and made available to all concerned.

To teach regard for the character, deeds, and heroism of the Founders of the City and the United States of America and to inculcate patriotism to each current generation through educational and historical material and/or grants.

To preserve and restore relics, objects and places pertaining or relating to the early history of the City and its Founders so that they may be preserved and made relevant including specifically, the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford, owned by the City.

To support other historic grounds for any of the foregoing purposes with the intent of promoting the widest possible public interest in the historic sites and early history of the City.

To make Grants to other organizations in support of the above purposes.

Surnames of of the Founders of Hartford, as inscribed on the Founders Monument:

Adams, Allyn, Andrews, Arnold, Bacon, Barnard, Barnes, Bartlett, Baysey, Beale, Bearding, Betts, Bidwell, Billing, Birchwood, Blachford, Blackley, Bliss, Blumfield, Bridgeman, Bronson, Bull, Bunce, Burr, Butler, Chaplin, Chester, Church, Clarke, Cole, Cornwell, Crow, Cullick, Davis, Davy, Day, Desborough, Easton, Edwards, Elmer, Ely, Ensign, Field, Fisher, Friend, Gardiner, Garret, Gennings, Gibbons, Goodman, Goodwin, Grant, Grave, Greene, Greenhill, Gridley, Hale, Hall, Hart, Hayden, Haynes, Higginson, Hills, Holloway, Hooker, Hopkins, Hosmer, Hubbard, Hungerford, Hyde, Ince, Judd, Kellogg, Keeler, Kelsey, Lay, Lewis, Lord, Lyman, March, Marvin, Maynard, Moody, Morris, Munn, Munson, Mygatt, Olcott, Olmsted, Pantry, Parker, Peck, Phillips, Pierce, Porter, Post, Pratt, Purchas, Richards, Risley, Root, Ruscoe, Sable, Scott, Selden, Seymour, Skinner, Smith, Spencer, Stanley, Stanton, Stebbins, Steele, Stocking, Stone, Talcott, Thompson, Upson, Wade, Wadsworth, Wakeley, Wakeman, Ward, Warner, Watts, Webb, Webster, Welles, Westley, Westwood, White, Whitehead, Whiting, Wilcock, Wolterton, Woodford, Wyllys.

If you have any question as to whether you have a qualifying ancestor for the Founders of Hartford, contact the Society.

Tentative, unofficial list of Founders of Hartford before February 1640 from Freeman Family Lines (from SMLawson):

Nathaniel Bearding, John Crow, James Ensign, Elder William Goodwin, Thomas Hosmer, William Lewis, Joseph Loomis, Thomas Olcott, James Olmsted, John Pratt, Thomas Spencer, George Stocking, John Stone, William Wadsworth.

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