Joseph Root and Hannah Benton
Joseph Root was born in 1693 in Farmington, Connecticut. In 1711-1716 he married Hannah Benton. They had the following children: Lydia, Samuel, Thankful, Hannah, Joseph, Mary, Benjamin, and Temperance.
In his last will and testament, Joseph identifies himself as "being rifted with a distemper of body which may prove mortal."1 He lists in his will the following children: oldest son, Samuel Root, Thankful North, Marah Smith, Lydia Root, Temperance Root, and Joseph Root. It is Joseph, his son, that Joseph the elder makes his executor. To his "dearly and well beloved wife" Hannah, Joseph leaves her one third of his personal estate and one third of his real estate.2 To Samuel Root, his oldest son, he leaves five pounds and what he has already received.3 To his oldest daughter, Thankful, he left her one hundred and fifty pounds in "old tenor" which he wanted paid to her one year after his death.4 The reference to "old tenor" throughout the will is a reference to the currency of the colony; specifically, old tenor was a currency used in the Massachusetts Bay colony, but it is not unlikely that a currency slang was used in other colonies (i.e. Connecticut).5 Joseph Root also left his daughter Marah Smith ten shillings and what she had already been given, to his daughter Lydia root he gave her one hundred and fifty pounds, to his youngest daughter Temperance Root he gave her one hundred and fifty pounds to be paid when she turned eighteen years old.6 To Joseph Root he left him the remainder of his personal and real estate.7
The oldest son of Joseph and Hannah Root, Samuel, died at the age of 31 in 1747, the same year his father died. In his will he describes himself as having a "distemper of the body which hath proved mortal to many."8 Both Joseph Root and Samuel Root made their wills the same day - October 12, 1747.9 Samuel mentions no wife in his will, but he did leave to his "loving sister" Hannah fifty pounds to be given one year after his death. 10 To his sister Lydia he left her fifty pounds.11 To his sister Temperance he left her fifty pounds which she would receive after she turned eighteen years old.12 Samuel's remaining property was left to Joseph, his brother, whom he made the executor of his estate.13
Joseph's daughter, Thankful, married Nathaniel North. Thankful died in 1747, in November, at the age of 30.
Hannah married Gideon Griswold, a witness of Joseph's will, and they had five children: Elijah, Samuel, Ashbel, Hannah, and Lydia.14
In his last will and testament, Joseph identifies himself as "being rifted with a distemper of body which may prove mortal."1 He lists in his will the following children: oldest son, Samuel Root, Thankful North, Marah Smith, Lydia Root, Temperance Root, and Joseph Root. It is Joseph, his son, that Joseph the elder makes his executor. To his "dearly and well beloved wife" Hannah, Joseph leaves her one third of his personal estate and one third of his real estate.2 To Samuel Root, his oldest son, he leaves five pounds and what he has already received.3 To his oldest daughter, Thankful, he left her one hundred and fifty pounds in "old tenor" which he wanted paid to her one year after his death.4 The reference to "old tenor" throughout the will is a reference to the currency of the colony; specifically, old tenor was a currency used in the Massachusetts Bay colony, but it is not unlikely that a currency slang was used in other colonies (i.e. Connecticut).5 Joseph Root also left his daughter Marah Smith ten shillings and what she had already been given, to his daughter Lydia root he gave her one hundred and fifty pounds, to his youngest daughter Temperance Root he gave her one hundred and fifty pounds to be paid when she turned eighteen years old.6 To Joseph Root he left him the remainder of his personal and real estate.7
The oldest son of Joseph and Hannah Root, Samuel, died at the age of 31 in 1747, the same year his father died. In his will he describes himself as having a "distemper of the body which hath proved mortal to many."8 Both Joseph Root and Samuel Root made their wills the same day - October 12, 1747.9 Samuel mentions no wife in his will, but he did leave to his "loving sister" Hannah fifty pounds to be given one year after his death. 10 To his sister Lydia he left her fifty pounds.11 To his sister Temperance he left her fifty pounds which she would receive after she turned eighteen years old.12 Samuel's remaining property was left to Joseph, his brother, whom he made the executor of his estate.13
Joseph's daughter, Thankful, married Nathaniel North. Thankful died in 1747, in November, at the age of 30.
Hannah married Gideon Griswold, a witness of Joseph's will, and they had five children: Elijah, Samuel, Ashbel, Hannah, and Lydia.14
Samuel Hutchison and Lydia Root
Lydia married Samuel Hutchison. Samuel had been born about 1666. They had four children: John, Rebecca, Samuel, and Mary. After Samuel's death, around 1747, Lydia married Moses Andrews who had been born in 1722. Moses Andrews had been appointed the guardian of the Hutchison children before Samuel's death.14 Lydia and Moses had one son, Joseph in 1751.
Sources
1. Probate records, 1649-1932; Connecticut Probate Court (Hartford District); Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut. Connecticut, Wills and Probates, 1609-1999. Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 2015 Provo, UT, USA.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. "The 'Old Tenor' Affair."Nationalhumanitiescenter.org. 2009.
6. Probate records.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid. Samuel's will - one page over from Joseph's will.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Root, James Piere. Root Genealogical Records: 1600-1870 Comprising the General History of the Root and Roots Families in America. New York: R.C. Root, Anthony, & Co. 1870
14. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Volume XXIV, Genealogical Gleanings from Orphans Court Records of Lancaster County, Page 34.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. "The 'Old Tenor' Affair."Nationalhumanitiescenter.org. 2009.
6. Probate records.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid. Samuel's will - one page over from Joseph's will.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Root, James Piere. Root Genealogical Records: 1600-1870 Comprising the General History of the Root and Roots Families in America. New York: R.C. Root, Anthony, & Co. 1870
14. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Volume XXIV, Genealogical Gleanings from Orphans Court Records of Lancaster County, Page 34.