Allen family: Martin Root, Patriot 1721-question mark

There is probably more information about Martin Root than I have been able to find.  It is probably documented better than I have been able to find.  He seems to be a very elusive person, so this is only the best I can do, at this time.  I just don't want him to go completely unnoticed in our family, because he lived through some very turbulent times and surely there are records to search that I've not yet located.  If and when I do, I will either update this post or do a whole new post. 

We know that Martin was born either December 19, 1720 or December 14, 1791.  It's quite possible there were two babies by the name of Martin Root.  It's also possible that the date on one, or the other, or both, has been misread.  His parents were Samuel and Mary Gunn Root, and he was born in Westfield, Massachusetts.  Martin's grandparents had all been born in New England so his connections with England were tenuous, at best.  Maybe his grandparents had passed on a story or two, but most of what he knew would have come from his own home and surrounding towns.

Martin married Eunice (sometimes seen as Unis) Lamb, daughter of Samuel and Martha Stebbins Lamb, on May 16, 1745 in Springfield, Massachusetts, where the Stebbins and Lamb families had lived for many years.  Westfield is currently 14 miles from Springfield but if we make allowance for a sprawling city, maybe it was more like 20 miles at the time.  However, Westfield had a small river that connected with Springfield, so transportation would have been easy.  The two may have met through mutual family members or friends, or their fathers may have done business together, or perhaps a chance meeting on the street.  

Samuel and Eunice had 11 children together, starting in 1746 and ending in 1767. (Eunice, you have my admiration and my sympathy, both!).  I've not yet learned what Samuel did for an occupation, nor have I learned what, if anything, he did in the French and Indian War.  He was certainly a perfect age to have been in the conflict, and the Springfield area contributed a lot of men to the effort, but I've not yet located his name in a file or record.

We do know, however, that he is listed as a Patriot in the DAR index, because he was a member of the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety in 1776 and 1777.  They worked to co-ordinate with other cities in Massachusetts (and probably Connecticut) and helped make sure the men had the best supplies available to them.  Several websites state that he marched to Lexington after the April 18,1775 alarm but it seems to me that it's more logical that it was his son, Martin Root, Jr. (also our ancestor) who went on that expedition.  Martin Junior was born in 1753 and would have been the right age to go to war.  However, the Martin Root military story is even more complicated because the Martin Root who shows up on Fold 3 records died in 1777, which doesn't fit either of our men.  So some more digging needs to be done on the Revolutionary War story.  Regardless, the service on the Committee does allow anyone who can prove descent to join the DAR, if you are so inclined.

I haven't found a death date for Eunice, but neither have I found a re-marriage for Martin.  So perhaps they both lived to a good age.  Martin's death date is also in dispute.  Many websites give it as 1788 but "Deaths in the First Church, Westfield, Massachusetts 1728-1836" gives a date of March 11, 1791 for Martin Root, with the notation 71 years.  This closely matches our Martin and I am using this until someone sets me straight or I find further information.  Again, there were several Martin Roots and it's possible that this is "the other" Martin Root, if there was one.

That's not much information for a man who lived 71 years, more or less.  We know his family but we don't know how he supported them.  I've not found a will.  I did find a record of an ear mark for cattle registered by son Martin, so there is that slight hint that maybe his father also had a farm.  I would certainly love to know whether/when/where he served in the French and Indian War.  The hint in the death record shows us that he was a member of the First Church of Westfield.

It's frustrating to feel that there are stories that need to be told, and yet they are just beyond my fingertips.  I'd love to hear from others who are researching this man!

The line of descent is:

Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants