This section is dedicated to the Boot families and their stories — a name that has appeared in my family tree in more than one branch, with spelling variations, coincidences, and connections that make their history all the more fascinating.
My great-grandmother was Bertha Boot — a fantastic name that immediately caught my attention and inspired me to learn more about her and her family. Bertha married Henry Spencer, my paternal great-grandfather, and their story can be found under “Bertha.”
Their ancestral line has so far been traced back to Reuben Boot, born in 1806 in Old Radford, Nottingham, and Thomas Boote, born around 1770 in Manchester.
But how did the same name appear on opposite branches within the family? In a story still to be fully explored, in 1846 Mary Ann Boot (my 3× great-grandmother) married William Boote (my 3× great-grandfather).
Yes — that information was checked, and checked again!
Family 