Identity:

He was the grandson of a Derby seedsman who left Derby, England in the beginning of the nineteenth century to live and Boston, MA where he set up an import-export business.

Life:

He grew up in London where his father managed the English side of the business. Among his acquaintances were Boston merchant, Francis Lowell, and his brother-in-law, Patrick Jackson. Lowell originated the idea of a model textile industry but died before his dream could be realized. Boot visited the textile mills in Derby, and using the knowledge gained there, established a new textile centre, which he later named Lowell. AMW lived in Lowell, MA from 1833 to 1837, where her husband worked as the agent for the Locks and Canals Cooperation.

Bibliography:

Who Was Who in America. Historical Volume, 1607-1896, Chicago, 1963, p. 64; Lowell Historical Society, Lowell Views, A Collection of Nineteenth-Century Prints, Paintings, and Drawings, Lowell, MA, 1985.