In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Hagrid kicks down the door, introduces
himself to Harry by giving him a birthday cake, and tells Harry his dad was a
wizard.
Our “Hagrid” was my cousin,
Daniel Root, who kicked down our door in the spring of 2013 when he shared some
family history with the rest of us. He pointed us to a book published in the
late 19th century:
Root Genealogical Records 1600 – 1870: Comprising the General History of the Root and Roots Families in America, by
James Pierce Root.
Daniel had sketched out a
guide to help us trace our family’s specific bloodline, drawing a line through the 500+
pages and thousands of names listed in this 145-year-old book. Our line started with Thomas
Root, who came to the colonies in 1637 aboard the ship Increase, through to near-modern day with David Anson Root, born
1849. One of Daniel’s comments caught my eye:
