A little bit of matchmaking

Engraved portrait of Isabella Beecher Hooker, Charlotte Cowles’ friend.

I took a brief “field trip” to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center on Monday to look at their collection of John and Isabella Hooker correspondence, focusing on those that mentioned or were written by Charlotte Cowles Hull and her husband Joseph. Of course, anything related to Charlotte is fun in my book.

Three of the letters contained what I consider new and interesting information. On November 28, 1840, Isabella, who was in Boston, wrote to John that she had been speaking with her cousin Henry and that he was thinking of being a missionary. Of course, every missionary needed a wife. Isabella asks John, what about Charlotte Cowles? Isabella claims that Charlotte has “determined not to marry at all,” but Isabella asks how irrevocable is her decision given that she could be a missionary’s wife (that would certainly make me want to get married!)? Needless to say, Charlotte did not marry Henry.

Another Charlotte Cowles (Hull) letter to write about!

Letter addressed to Charlotte C. Hull from Isabella Hooker. Ms 101809.

One of our good friends recently purchased and then donated to us a letter written by Isabella Beecher Hooker to Charlotte Cowles Hull. Yes, a letter to “our” Charlotte Cowles after her marriage to Joseph Hull.  Isabella Beecher and her husband John Hooker introduced Charlotte and Joseph and evidently maintained that friendship. The letter was written February 21, 1845, at which time Charlotte had a child and was living in Essex, Connecticut.

Henry Ward Beecher

In 1872 Henry Ward Beecher, a noted and popular, although often controversial, minister in Brooklyn, New York, was accused of having an affair with one of his parishioners, Mrs. Tilton. She alternately confessed and retracted her confession while Beecher consistently stated his innocence. To clear his name, he appointed an investigative committee composed of friends and supporters in the church. Their findings were unsurprising–he was innocent. Today, his guilt or innocence remains unresolved.

Woman suffrage in Wyoming Territory: A letter to Mrs. John Hooker

Woman suffrage is one of my favorite topics, and I was therefore quite excited this morning when I stumbled upon this letter. It is even more relevant considering we have just celebrated the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment.

H. Glafcke letter to Mrs. John Hooker, 6 May 1871, Ms 100929. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

The women of Wyoming voted in their first general election in September 1870. Herman Glafcke, who served as Secretary of Wyoming Territory between 1870 and 1873, shared his recollections of the event in a letter to Isabella Beecher (Mrs. John) Hooker, a well known suffragist in Hartford, Connecticut. Dated May 6, 1871, Glafcke begins by stating his opposition to suffrage before he moved to Wyoming. “You are aware that, when I left your state for Wyoming Territory about a year since, I looked upon woman suffrage as an impracticable idea; a movement, if carried into effect, likely to undermine the fundamental principles governing our social system.” The September election, however, served as a catalyst for an incredible change of opinion.

Glafcke watched as a seventy-eight year old woman was the first to cast a ballot. The men, he wrote, “took off their hats and remained uncovered, while she performed the sovereign duty of an American citizen.” After this, numerous women followed. According to Glafcke, everyone at the polling place was on their best behavior.

The records from Glafcke’s office indicated that approximately two-thirds of eligible women voted (he noted that the numbers did not include Indians). In addition to voting, women earned the right to serve on juries. Wyoming Supreme Court judges, according to Glafcke, “concur in the opinion that, since women have served on our juries, crime has decreased wonderfully; criminals have been brought to justice; and a due regard for the law has been instilled into those who had formerly committed crimes without fear of being punished.” Certainly the fundamentals of the social system were not being harmed.

H. Glafckce letter to Mrs. John Hooker, 6 May 1871, Ms 100929. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

At the end of the letter, Glafcke boldly comments, “Our community is satisfied with the result and could not be induced to return to the old, barbarous system of disfranchisement of a portion of our citizens any more than our nation could be persuaded to return to allegiance to Great Briatin.” It would be difficult to find a more rousing endorsement. Glafcke had clearly been convinced that the benefits of giving women the vote far outweighed the risks.

A record for this letter will be added to our online catalog at the end of August. Please search the catalog to learn more about our collections, including other Isabella Beecher Hooker items, suffrage material, and anti suffrage material.

H. Glafcke letter to Mrs. John Hooker, 6 May 1871, Ms 100929. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

This letter is open for research. Please see our website for more information about visiting and researching at CHS. Don’t forget, we also have a special hallway exhibit currently on view regarding suffrage.