Ref: Book "Bullard & Allied Familys"

THE ROOT LINE

The ancient home of the Farmington, Connecticut, family was at Badby, Northamptonshire, England. Root, also recorded as Roote and Roots, was undoubtedly a personal name. The Roots are of English origin, and although the name appears as early as 1273 A.D., in the Hundred Rolls, the family does not seem to have spread to the size of most family trees. The progenitors of the New England families of this name "were of good social position among the Puritan settlers as worthy citizens, substantial farmers or skillful manufacturers of domestic goods." While some attained distinction in legal or political life, most of them have "exhibited in quiet circles those sterling and manly virtues which justly distinguished the untitled nobility of a free country."

"The Root Family of Westerfield, Massachusetts, were of Puritan stock, straight sober, God-fearing men, temperate and long lived." The earliest ancestor of this branch of the family came from the parish of Great Chart, County Kent, England, in the ship "HERCULES" and arrived in New England in 1634. In company with his brothers he first settled in Salem, Mass. where descendants by this name were prominent in the early records of the church and community.

JOHN ROOT, born in England, Feb 26, 1608, came to Salem with his brothers in 1634-5, but soon removed with the first colony of settlers who founded Farmington, Connecticut, where he married in 1640, MARIE, daughter of THOMAS KILBORN. She died in Farmington in 1697, aged 78 years. John Root died there August 16, 1684. Their children were born in Farmington, Connecticut.

Ref: Americanna Illustrated XXXII No. 1, P______

JOHN ROOT, believed to be the son of John Roote, of Badby, Northamptonshire, England, and his wife, Mary (Russell) Roote, was born in Badby on Feb. 26, 1608, according to the parish records, and died in Aug. 1684, leaving possessions valued at 819 pounds. After the death of his father, John Root was adopted by an uncle, a brother of his father. This uncle was an elderly man of means and a zealous opponent of the Roman Catholic Church. He insisted that young John Root should join the Parliamentary Army under Cromwell to fight against Charles I and the Catholics, but John Root was opposed to war and, instead, joined a company of Puritans who were coming to America. After his arrival in this country, he came to Farmington Connecticut, and was one of the FIRST SETTLERS in 1640. He and his wife were in full communion with the Farmington Congregational Church. Mr. Root subscribed the ORIGINAL ARTICLES OF SETTLEMENT, adopted by the planters of MATTATUCK, afterwards WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, and was accepted in behalf of one of his sons as ORIGINAL PROPRIETOR, Jan 15, 1678.

JOHN ROOT married, about 1640, MARY KILBOURNE, who was born in Wood Ditton, England, in 1619 and died in 1697, daughter of THOMAS and FRANCES KILBOURNE. She came to America in the ship "INCREASE" in 1635.

Children:

1. John, born about 1642, died Sept 24, 1687; md. 18 Oct. 1664 Mary Ashley (daughter of Robert of Springfield, Massachusetts)

2. Samuel, born abt 1644, died Nov. 17, 1711; md. probably a daughter of Thomas Orton

3. Thomas, born in Farmington abt. 1648, died in Westfield, Mass., 16 Aug 1709, md. 1) in 1670, Mary Gridley, who died in 1673; md. 2) 7, Oct. 1675, Mary Spencer, who died Nov. 4, 1690; md. 3) 25 Jan. 1692, Sarah (Dumbleton) Leonard, who died January 3, 1694.

4. MARY, born about 1649, married ISAAC BRONSON.

5. Stephen, died Jan. 6, 1717; md. Sarah Wadsworth, of Hartford, Conn.

6. Susannah, died Dec. 5, 1712; married in 1683, Joseph Langton.

7. Joseph, died Dec. 18, 1739; md 1) 17 Sept. 1692, Elizabeth Warner; md 2) 3 may 1727, Ruth Smith

8. Caleb, died June 10, 1712; md 1) 9 Aug 1693, Elizabeth Salmon; md 2) a Miss Gillette.