Dorothy Hazard facts for kids

Dorothy Hazard was an amazing English woman who lived in the 1600s. She was a religious reformer, which means she wanted to change how people practiced their faith. She also played a brave part in defending the city of Bristol during a big conflict called the English Civil War.

Even though she was married to a minister from the official church, Dorothy started her own church in Bristol. This church was for people who wanted to worship differently. It became Bristol's very first Baptist church, known as Broadmead Baptist Church.

Religious Beliefs

We don't know much about Dorothy Hazard's early life. She was married to a grocer named Anthony Kelly. After he passed away, she continued to run their shop in Bristol.

At this time, Dorothy supported the Separatist movement. These were people who wanted to separate from the official Church of England. Because of her beliefs, she faced some trouble. Her shop was even vandalized and its windows broken at least once.

In the late 1630s, a Puritan preacher named Matthew Hazard came to Bristol. Dorothy Kelly, who was a widow, decided to marry him. Her husband later became a minister at Christ Church with St Ewen.

Dorothy felt a conflict inside. She had her own strong religious beliefs, but she was also a minister's wife. She finally decided to fully separate from the Church of England. She then joined the Separatists.

In 1640, Dorothy Hazard and four men started the first Dissenter church in Bristol. They held their meetings at her home and at Rev. Bacon's house. This church later became part of the Baptist movement. It has continued to exist for over 300 years!

Defending Bristol

During the English Civil War, the city of Bristol was attacked. Royalist troops, led by Sir Ralph Hopton, surrounded the city.

When the Royalists stormed Bristol, Dorothy Hazard showed great courage. She and her friend Joan Batten led a group of women to the city's Frome Gate. There, they helped barricade holes in the walls using sandbags. They also encouraged the soldiers who were defending the city.

Dorothy even offered to gather a group of women to stand in front of the soldiers. This was to help protect them from the enemy. However, Bristol's governor, Nathaniel Fiennes, later surrendered to the Royalists.

Dorothy Hazard's brave actions at the wall became famous. An artist named Gerald Moira created a mural about it. This painting was made in 1923 for Bristol's Old Council House.