Second Generation

15. Charles ROOT Sr. was born on 30 March 1807 in Springfield Township, Otsego County, NY.^{5,13,30,44,51,52,54,55,113} In the Will of his father, Charles is noted to receive a bequest on the thirtieth day of March, 1828, which was presumably his twenty-first birthday.

There are listings for a Charles Root in the 1830, 1840 and 1850 Census records for Hartwick and for Butternut in Otsego County, NY. One of them may have been him.

It is possible that Charles was the subject of an article in the Tomah (WI) Journal in July, 1885: "Mr. Charles Root, from New York, arrived in Tomah Tuesday and is visiting his brother J. R. Root and other relatives. It has been 20 years since Mr. Root was here and he finds but little that is familiar in the appearance of the country."

It is not known who "J. R." Root would have been, but the newspaper may have made an error and was referring to Charles' older brother, Ira R. Root. Charles would have been 78 years old at the time. He appeared in the census in 1810 in Springfield Township, Otsego County, NY.²⁷ He appeared in the census in 1820 in Springfield Township, Otsego County, NY.⁵⁰ He was living with his mother. Charles appeared in the census in 1830 in Springfield Township, Otsego County, NY.^22,44,114 He was living with his mother.

There was a Charles Root listed in the 1850 Census in Hanover Township, Chautauqua County, NY. He and his wife Eliza had 5 children. They lived next door to James and Clarinda (Pulling) Knapp. That is very likely this Charles Root because Charles' brother Ira's son, Thomas Arthur Root, married Harriet Knapp, whose parents were James and Clarinda (Pulling) Knapp. He appeared in the census in 1870 in Villenova Township, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁵ His occupation was "Farmer." The value of his Real Estate was $5,260 and that of his Personal Estate was $4,140. He died on 13 October 1872 at the age of 65 in Villenova Township, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁶ Charles has Ancestral File Number 9XY4-9CG.³⁷ He was buried in Balcom Corners, Villenova Township, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁶ in the Villenova Cemetery.

Charles ROOT Sr. and Eliza E. BENNETT were married before 1836.¹¹⁶ Eliza E. BENNETT, daughter of Elijah BENNETT and Jane VAN WERT, was born in 1816 in Arkwright, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁶ She appeared in the census in 1870 in Villenova Township, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁵ She appeared in the census in June 1880 in Forestville, Hanover Township, Chautauqua County, NY.⁶⁶ She was living with her daughter Cordelia Jane and her family. Eliza died on 30 January 1900 at the age of 84 in Villenova Township, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁶ She was buried in Balcom Corners, Villenova Township, Chautauqua County, NY.¹¹⁶ in the Villenova Cemetery.

Charles ROOT Sr. and Eliza E. BENNETT had the following children: