Eleventh Generation

1410. John ROOTE III (*)^310,399 was born on 23 December 1642 in Farmington Township, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^{193,265,928,971,1035,1036} He was christened on 23 December 1642 in Farmington Township, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. He lived at his home in Westfield, Westfield Township, Hampden County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America about 1668.⁶⁷¹ From the Chronology of Westfield: "Grants were confirmed, January 9th, (1668) to George Phelps, Isaac Phelps, Thomas Noble, David Ashley, Rev. John Holyoke, the minister, John Ponder, and Hugh Dudley on Fort side (Main street); Capt. Aaron Cook, Mr. James Cornish, Thomas Dewey, John Osborn, and John Ingersoll on South side (Little River street), to be settled with families by November 10, 1668.

Thomas Gun, John Williams, Ambrose Fowler, Jonathan Alford, bought in the Cooper tract.

John Ponder, Thomas Gun, John Root, Thomas Root, George Typer, Joseph Whiting, had homelots on south side of Main street, west of Dudley's lot.

In March Union street was laid out, also Capt. Aaron Cook opened the first tavern on Little River street." John died on 24 September 1687 at the age of 44 in Westfield, Westfield Township, Hampden County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.^{181,193,265,971,1035,1036} Newspaper Article: "The next ancient stone, in order of time, is that of John Root, who came prior to 1679, with his brothers, Dea. Samuel and Thomas, to Westfield from Farmington, Conn., and the name has been favorably known, with many others, through all its history. The inscription is as follows: 'John Root, Aged avove 44 years. He dyed the 24 of Sept 1687."

He was a son of John Root of Farmington, who also was a son of John of Badby, England, born in 1608. His name appears with Rev. Edward Taylor and Isaak Phelps, with three others, signed to an invitation "To the 5 churches at Norwich, Windsor, Springfield, Northampton, and Hadley to send ye Revd. Elders and Messengers to assist in forming a Church (which had already been authorized by the Authorities of ye Province of Massachusetts Bay) in Westfield," which was duly organized Aug. 27, 1679.

He was married to Mary Ashley in 1644, and they had eight children, of whom the second, Sarah, born in 1670, married Adigah Dewey, whose name appears on a quaint old stone, also the eighth, Mercy, born in 1685, married to Samuel Fowler, whence began the Fowler famiy in Westfield, Mary, the wife of John Root, died March 9th, 1702. Likewise another daughter of John, the sixth child, married Joseph Maudsley (now Mosely) in 1696, being in her sixteenth year.

Near this stone and also near the two tombs of Samuel Taylor and his wife, is the second and only remaining tablet of the Root family in this part of the grounds, that of Moses Root, a son of Lieut. John, grandson of John above, and widow Elizabeth Sackett, his wife. He died Oct 7, 1744, age 28 years. We also find near the south east corner, by the old trees, a foot-stone only, inscribed "Mr. John Root." probably the third child of Thomas, Sr., (the father of ten children) who died Oct. 1, 1755. The fifth child of Thomas, Sr., Elizabeth, was married in 1705 to Nathiel Williams, of whom more hereafter."

Newspaper Article: "The Root family was among the first settlers on the Fort side, Main street, at Westfield; and also at Westfield Farms a little less than a century afterwards. John, Thomas and Samuel, sons of John and Mary (Kilburn) Root of Farmington, Connecticut were grantees of land at Waranoak and settled on the Fort side.

John root was born about 1642, was an original grantee of land in July 1666 and became the first clerk of the new town of Westfield in 1669; made a freeman on the twenty-seventh of September in the same year; was commissary during King Philips's War and the General Court of Massachusetts allowed him fourteen pounds in 1680, for his services; was one of the seven foundation men at the institution of Westfield church on the twenty-seventh of August 1670; a selectman in 1686; lived on Main street and died on the 24th day of September 1687, aged about 44 years.

He married at Springfield on the 18th day of October 1664, Mary Ashley a daughter of Robert and Mary ______, born on the 6th day of February 1644, joined Westfield church on the 16th day of September 1680 and died after 1685.

They had eight children, namely Mary born in 1667, married in 1686 to John Smith; Sarah born in 1670 married Captain Adijah Dewey; John born in 1672, married; Samuel, born in 1675, married; Hannah, born in 1677; Abigail born in 1680, married in 1696 to Joseph Moseley; Joshua born in 1682, married; Mercy born in 1685, married in 1711 to Samuel Fowler, Junior.

John Root married a second wife about 1702, Sarah Stebbins, who died on the 9th day of March 1703, giving birth to a daughter Sarah, who eventually married a Thomas Noble."

He was buried in Westfield, Westfield Township, Hampden County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.^193,265,971 He has Ancestral File Number 2N6V-5H. Mary Elizabeth ASHLEY (*) and John ROOTE III (*) were married on 18 October 1664 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.^{181,193,971,1035,1036} (A Westfield, MA newspaper article reported in 1895 that they had eight children: Mary, 1667; Sarah, 1670; John, 1672; Samuel, 1675; Hannah, 1677; Abigail, 1680; Joshua, 1682; and Mercy, 1685.

Several MyHeritage.com websites list three more: Joshua, 1669; Thankful, 1677; and Susanna, 1678.
Those three are included in this database.)

1411. Mary Elizabeth ASHLEY (*)^193,310,399 was born on 6 February 1644 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.^181,193,971 She died on 9 March 1701 at the age of 57 in Farmington Township, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^{181,193,254,971,1035} She has Ancestral File Number 37LG-57. Mary was buried in Westfield Township, Hampden County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.¹⁹³

Children were: