Robert Lettis Hooper or Robert Lettice Hooper (died 1738/39) was a chief justice of the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases cha ...
.
Biography
Robert Lettis Hooper was a son of
Daniel Hooper, a native of
Barbados
Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
.
A merchant in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, he subsequently relocated to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. He was Warden of St. Peter's Church, Perth Amboy in 1726, and Vestryman from 1734 to 1738.
Robert Lettis Hooper was elected to the eighth
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
(1721-1725 Legislative Session), representing the
Somerset County Constituency. He was commissioned as
Chief Justice of the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases cha ...
on January 1, 1724/5 (
O. S.) and took the bench on March 30, 1725. Hooper would serve as Chief Justice until his death, with the exception of a brief interruption in 1728, when
Gov. William Burnet had named
Thomas Farmar to the post; Hooper was reinstated the following year.
One of the more prominent cases heard by the Hooper Court was ''Lithgow v. Schuyler'' in 1734, in which the East New Jersey Proprietors attempt to oust a settler from land in
Elizabethtown was defeated by a jury.
[''Conceived in Liberty, Vol. II'', Murray N. Rothbard; Ludwig von Mises Institute; Auburn, AL; 1999; p. 47]
On November 16, 1738 he was commissioned of the
New Jersey Provincial Council
His Majesty's Council for the Province of New Jersey was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under colonial rule until it was replaced by the New Jersey Legislative Council under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776.
History
The Provinc ...
, but would only serve briefly before his death.
Robert Lettis Hooper made his will on January 27, 1738; it was proved February 19, 1738/39.
Family
Hooper married Mrs. Sarah Graham in 1701 in New York. They had three children including Robert Lettis, James and Isabella. A grandson,
Robert Lettis Hooper, Jr., would serve the Patriot cause in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, and would serve as Vice President of the
New Jersey Legislative Council
The New Jersey Legislative Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776. It replaced the New Jersey Provincial Council under colonial rule and was replaced by the New Jersey Senate under the ...
.
References
External links
Robert Lettis Hooper, Deputy Quarter-Master General in the Continental Army and Vice-President of New Jersey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooper, Robert Lettis
1739 deaths
People from Somerset County, New Jersey
Politicians from Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Members of the New Jersey Provincial Council
Chief justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
American people of English descent
Barbadian people of English descent
American people of Barbadian descent