On May 18 from 1-2 p.m., the King Hooper Mansion ballroom at 8 Hooper Street will welcome an illustrated talk by social historian Judy Anderson, who will explore the “Loyalist/Patriot” divide in Revolutionary Marblehead.
Unlike many other cities and towns, Marblehead had few Loyalists. But in May 1775, after the mounting rebellion in only a dozen of Great Britain’s North American colonies exploded into armed conflict in Massachusetts the month before, most were forced to leave town.
Find out why, who they were and what happened to them – including Marblehead’s most famous Tory, Robert “King” Hooper. Though Hooper himself was actually a moderate, one of his sons was a flaming Tory, another was an active Patriot in a different town and the rest were in the middle.
Anderson will be hosting another illustrated talk in the Mansion’s ballroom June 1 from 1-2 p.m. to showcase the homes of Marblehead’s few Loyalists. Some of them still stand, even if not in their original place – and those that do not have fascinating stories.
See where Hooper sat out most of the 8-year war as he aged while having to watch the formerly prosperous town, whose success he was so instrumental in building, come crashing to the ground both economically and socially.
There is no need to RSVP to either event, and donations will benefit the Marblehead Arts Association.
