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These are the descendants of my 10G
Grandfather, Thomas Roote, that I have recorded over the
last six years or so. I would appreciate hearing from anyone
with corrections to this information. I am sorry to say,
however, that I will no longer be adding descendants to the
web site that are submitted by the many Root researchers out
there. What little time I have these days for genealogy I
need to devote to the direct ancestors of my children.
Still, there are more than 2,000 individuals here; I hope
you find this site useful.
The majority of this information was culled from Root
Genealogical Records by James Pierce Root (1870). The book
also contains the descendants of John Roote of Farmington,
CT (who may have been Thomas's brother) and the descendants
of Thomas Rootes of Salem, MA. Additional information came
from the handwritten family tree of Edward B. Root and the
records of Mrs. Darlene Root. Thanks also to Jay Root, Wiley
Alston Jarrell, and Don Lee. Maps provided courtesy of
Ancestry.com and Jennifer Anne Clark. Reprints of Root
Genealogical Records may be ordered from Higginson
Books. The book contains
much information on the origins of the Root surname,
reproductions of signatures, and stories about many of the
people listed therein.
From Root Genealogical Records :
Thomas Roote, believed to be the son of John Roote and Ann
Russell of Badby, England, born Jan. 16, 1605, came to this
country about the year 1637, and was among the first
settlers of Hartford, CT, where he lived many years, and
where his children were born, although on account of the
incompleteness of the ancient records of Hartford, as they
have come down to this generation, the birth of only one of
them (John) is recorded. This Thos. Roote is to be
distinguished from the Thomas Rootes who was a resident of
Salem, Mass., about the same period, and who remained there
until his death. "Thomas Roote (probably this settler of
Hartford) went to Pequot in 1637, as a soldier," says Hon.
R. H. Hinman. The name of Thom. Roote is mentioned in the
list of proprietors of undivided lands in 1639, and may be
found on the monument in the old grave-yard in Hartford, in
the rear of the Center Church, erected by the Ancient Burial
Ground Association in memory of the first settlers of the
city. he was a considerable landholder there, and one parcel
of the land assigned to him was located on what is now
[1870] North Main street, about a mile west of the
State House. After a residence of about fifteen years in
Hartford he removed with his six sons and one daughter, and
settled in Northampton, MA, on the 9th day of May, 1654, as
one of the planters of what was then called Nonotuck. In the
Massachusetts Colonial Documents we find that in 1659, on
petition, he was appointed one of the selectmen. He was both
farmer and weaver of cloth. His record of lands assigned him
by the town is dated 7th Dec., 1659. On the 18th of June,
1661, the parish church was gathered, and the Rev. Eleazar
Mather was ordained as pastor and teacher of the flock.
Among the eight pillars of the church thus organized was
Thomas Roote. It is believed by some that he was a deacon of
the church. The old Root homestead in Northampton was on
King street, opposite where the Roman Catholic church now
stands, and it has only within a few years been torn down.
Thomas Roote died at a very advanced age, on the 17th of
July, 1694, age 89, naming his children in his will, and
mentioning that he lived with his son Jonathan at the old
homestead. The name of Thomas Roote's wife is not
known.
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