Thomas Root, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

THOMAS¹ ROOT, HARTFORD FOUNDER (JOHN^A) was baptized 16 Jan 1605/06 in poss Badby, Northamptonshire, England, and died 17 Jun 1694 in Northampton, MA. Information on his wife has not been found.

Thomas Root, apparently born in Badby, Northamptonshire, England, brother of John Root who settled in Farmington, removed to the American colonies and was in Hartford before 1637, as he served in the Pequot War of that year. He was a farmer and a weaver. In the Hartford land inventory of February 1639/40 he held: two roods on which his dwelling house stood with yards or gardens, located on the east side of the road from Centinel Hill to the Cow Pasture; four acres on the east side of the Great River; one acre and two roods in the Pine Field; two acres in the West Field; one rood in the Soldiers Field; seven acres and fourteen perches in the Cow Pasture; and five acres of swamp at Podunk.

He was elected chimney viewer in Hartford on 31 January 1648/9. He had removed to Northampton, Massachusetts by 09 May 1654 when he was acknowledged as a planter, he was made Northampton selectman 10 January 1658/9, and lands were assigned to him by the town as recorded on 07 December 1659.

The name of his wife, and her vital statistics are unknown. He made his will in Northampton on 03 December 1691, and died there 17 June 1694.

Recommended genealogy: “Root Genealogical Records, 1600-1870”, James Pierce Root, New York, 1870 (Although this genealogy is dated, the data presented crosschecks against both Hartford and Northampton vital records, and it supports assertions with land and probate records.)