Thomas Roote was born in 1605 in Badby, County Northampton, England, the son of John Roote and Ann Russell.  He emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1637; on which ship is not known.  Thomas Roote served as a soldier in the Pequot War in 1637, then joined a group in 1639 that first settled the area around Hartford, Connecticut. A year later, in 1640, his younger brother John Roote also emigrated to America. John Roote was one of the first settlers of Farmington, Connecticut.

Thomas Roote moved his family again in 1654, from Hartford up the Connecticut River to settle near Northampton, Massachusetts.  His 6 sons established several long lines of Root descendants in America. One such descendant, Dr. Ralph Eugene Root, was my maternal grandfather.

The Honorable Joseph Batcheller arrived in America in 1636 with his wife, one child, three servants, and two of his three brothers (Henry, John, Joseph, and Joshua all came to America, but Joshua came separately).  They were the sons of Mark Batcheller, born 1573 in Canterbury, County Kent, England, and Mary Vantings or Fanting born 1576.  The Batcheller brothers settled several large tracts of land in Wenham and Salem, Massachusetts.  One of Joseph's descendants, Mary Keziah Batcheller, was my maternal grandmother.

Baltiss Baumann, born 30-Apr-1834 in Oberhallau, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, immigrated at Philadelphia 9-Dec-1882 with his wife Elisabetha Graf and three youngest daughters.  They settled in Marshallville, Ohio, with others from Switzerland and southern Germany.  His youngest daughter, Martha Baumann, was my paternal grandmother. 

Nicholaos Seraphim was born about 1830 in Sparta, Greece. He emigrated to Konstantsikon in Kozani, Macedonia around 1850 and changed his family name to Karanicholas. One of Nikos' grand- daughters, Vaya Karanicholas, immigrated at Boston, Mass. and married Dimitrio Karaberis, born 1890 in Peristeri, Athens, Greece.

Dimitrio and Vaya Karaberis Americanized the spelling of their names to James & Viola Caraber.  Their son, Archie Paul Caraber, was the father of my wife, Nancy V. (Caraber) Tuttle.

Thomas B. Crouch, born 1882 in South Carolina, was one of a relatively long line of the Crouch family in America.  One of his daughters, Frances Thomasine Crouch, was the mother of my wife, Nancy V. (Caraber) Tuttle.

Maturin Ballou, born c1621 in Devon, England, came to America as a young man and married Hannah Pike, born c1627 also in Devon, England. One of his descendants, Mary Childs Celicia Ballou, was one of my great-grandmothers.

Origins of the Ballou Family in England
History & Genealogy of Ballous in Rhode Island

John Pollock, born c1750 in Scotland, eloped with Sallie Smith, a step-daughter of "Lord Russell", and fled to Northern Ireland.
After 30 years there, John and Sallie and many of their children came to America in 1800 and settled in Ohio. One of his descendants, Sarah Eleanor Pollock, was one of my great-grandmothers.

Pollock Family - Clan Badge and Tartan
Last Will & Testament of John Pollock, 1819