(1) Welcome
(2) Selected Bassett Obituaries from Australian Newspapers
(3) Boskerris Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall. owned by the Bassett family
(4) Lewis Bassett website for Bassetts of Surrey
(5) Bassetts of Carmarthenshire, Wales by David Attride
(6) Thomas Bassett of Islington, England and Morpeth, Australia
(7) James Bassett of New York and his family troubles
(8) New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
(9) DNA project update
Section 1 - Welcome
Thanks to the dozen or so people who made donations towards the DNA project during the past month. We have raised enough money to pay for three more DNA tests for family lines not yet represented in the study.
There will be several more short articles about the Bassetts of Wales included over the next few months with the majority of the information about these families to be included in links located at our website.
In my search for Thomas Bassett of Australia, I came across several obituaries and articles about Bassett in early Australia. Please review these below and let me know if anyone can identify any of these Bassetts mentioned.
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Section 2 - Featured Bassett: Selected Bassett Obituaries from Australian Newspapers
The following were all found in a new digitized database of Australian Newspapers.
Can anyone identify any of these Bassetts?
The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday, 9 February 1847
Highway Robbery
About half-past ten o’clock on Sunday evening, as Thomas Bassett, employed in the Darlinghurst Brewery, was passing along the road between it and the new gaol, he was attacked by two men, who knocked him down, and took from him a watch and silver guard chain, value £4;, also, ten shillings in cash. Owing to the darkness of the night, the thieves had but little difficulty in effecting their escape.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday, 21 August 1861
Obituary
An old man named Thomas Bassett has been accidentally killed on the Bathurst Road. The dray which he was driving upset, and the guard-iron fell across his neck.
The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Thursday 24 August 1871
Marriages
Bassett-Armstrong – On the 9th Inst., by the Rev. H. Higginson, Thomas Bassett, son of S.T. Bassett, of Redfern, New South Wales, to Sarah Ann Armstrong, daughter of William Armstrong, of Hotham.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday, 12 August 1891
Orange, Tuesday
A man named Walter Bassett has died from injuries sustained by falling in a fire.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday, 6 November 1933
Man Drowned in Tank
Perth, Sunday. Reuben Bassett, 78, widower, was found death this morning at his son’s residence at Inglewood. His feet were protruding from a 200 gallon tank, and he had apparently been dead several hours.
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Section 3 - Featured Bassett: Boskerris Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall
Are you planning a trip to Cornwall in England? If so, you may want to check out the Boskerris Hotel St. Ives, owned and managed by the Bassett family.
This Bassett family descends from #177B William Bassett of Helston, Cornwall.
Click on the link below to read more about his hotel and see pictures of the hotel and the surrounding area.
Section 4 - Featured Bassett: Lewis Bassett website, the Bassetts of Surrey
Lewis Bassett from the #339B Bassetts of Surrey family has started a new website to hold and store information related to his family line. The following is a note from him.
"I am inviting all people who are related to line #339 of the Bassett
surname DNA project (earliest ancestor is William Bassett (m. Susannah
Quittenton on 21/02/1789 @ Titsey, Surrey) of Titsey, Surrey to
register for membership of a new online archives. The URL is: http://www.bassettarchives.co.uk. The website is a private database
for related individuals only and contains a growing GEDCOM database
and all of my records that I have managed to digitize. Those
interested can register on the website, by clicking on the link at the
bottom of the login page. If anyone has any questions, please email:enquiries@bassettarchives.co.uk" Lewis Bassett
The chart below shows all of the families that share a common ancestor with this #339B family based from our Bassett DNA project.
Image of will for Edward Bassett stored on Lewis Bassett's site.
In the Name of God Amen, I Edward Bassett of the Parish of Titsey in the County of Surrey do acknowledge this to be my last Will and testament in my own handwriting I Edward Bassett so give and bequeath to my lawful wife Ann Bassett after my funeral expenses and just debts are paid I Edward Bassett do make my lawful wife Ann Bassett full and only Executor of all my property I Edward Bassett so give my lawful Wife Ann Bassett full and holey power to pay and receive as soon as my Funeral Expenses are paid I Edward Bassett do give to my lawful wife Ann Bassett all my stock household goods and book debts to do as she likes with to either sell or keep and to receive the book debts firstly if she must as soon as I am retired likewise I give to my lawful wife all my living stock and husbandry ____ at her disposing of them Sealed and Signed in the presence of Edward Bassett. David Shorey – George Godfrey
11 Day of July in the Year of our Lord God 1820
Transcription of the will of Edward Bassett
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Section 5 - Featured Bassett: The Bassetts of Carmarthenshire, Wales
Here is David Attride's next article about the Bassetts of Wales.
CARMARTHENSHIRE BASSETTs
Bassett Branches Y-DNA testing currently has only 1 line for Carmarthen, Wales. If anyone knows of a male Bassett from Carmarthenshire, please encourage them to participate in Y-DNA testing.
I have obtained copies of all available BASSETT Wills from the National Library of Wales and the UK National Archives for any Bassett who lived in Carmarthenshire.
In chronological order they are:
Will of John Bassett, Gentleman of Killa Gwyn, Llanelli 1690
Bond for the estate of Anthony Basset of Llanelli 1737
Will of Ann Bassett, Widow; Pauper of Llangendeirne 1797
Will of George Bassett, Shopkeeper of Carmarthen 1824
Will of Richard Bassett, Farmer of Alltycreach, Llanelli 1841
So what do these Wills tell us?
Summary of 1690 John Bassett Will:
Brothers: David Bassett; James Bassett; Francis Bassett
Nephews: James Bassett; David, S/O James Bassett
Nieces: Katherine Bassett & Joan Cowey
Un-named nephews and nieces, children of his brother, David Bassett
Land in Llanelly called: Abel Carway & Killa Gwyn; land in Langendayrne parish
Note: No Anthony Bassett is mentioned (even though there are many Anthony Bassetts in Carmarthen)
No one previously in my database fit this family. However, Jeff Bassett has a David Bassett (Line #202B1) who was born before 1695 and had a son, David born in Llanelli ca1719. The elder David may be a nephew of the John Bassett of the 1690 Will.
Bond for the estate of Anthony Basset of Llanelli, CMN 1737
Unfortunately, this document reveals very little. It tells us that Anthony had a sister, named Anne Bassett and a daughter, Margaret who was married to Evan John. A search of my database reveals no one who first this description.
Will of Ann Bassett, Widow; Pauper of Llangyndeyrn, CMN 1797
Ann is a Widow but no mention of her deceased husband’s name. Someone ought to check Llangendeirne parish records for burials to see if her husband’s name can be learned. The only relation listed in the Will is a daughter, Jane, married to David Robert.
Note: The 1690 Will above, mentions land in Llangendeirne parish so perhaps one of John Bassett’s nephews is the father of this Ann Bassett.
Will of George Bassett, Shopkeeper of Carmarthen, CMN 1824
The only relation listed in this Will is his wife, Mary and his occupation: Shopkeeper. No children are mentioned. Carmarthen marriage record lists a marriage on 30 July 1816 between George Bassett of Abergwili and Mary Harris. This Will was written in October of that year which explains why no children are listed. No codicil is known so parish records would have to be searched to determine if George & Mary had any children in the 8 years they were married. Carmarthen Burial records list a burial on 9 Feb 1824 for George Bassett, aged 53 yrs so this puts his birth year ca1771. I have no baptismal record for George so have no clue as to the names of his parents.
Will of Richard Bassett, Farmer of Alltycreach, Llanelli, CMN 1841
The Will mentions only one son, Richard and names him the Executor. It names 3 daughters: Margaret Driver; Ann Jenkins; Jane Beynon. Lastly, it mentions a grandchild: John Driver.
Other records help us out. Carmarthen Burials lists: 6 Apr 1840 Allt Sgrech, Pembrey: Richard Bassett, 68 yrs so this indicates a birth ca1772. Carmarthen Baptisms list: 23 Apr 1772 Llanelly parish: Richard Bassett; parents: James & Margaret. No burial record is found for James or his wife. No record is found for Richard’s marriage which would have occured abt 1790.
No baptism records have been found for any of Richard’s 4 children listed in the Will. However, the following marriage records have been found.
18 Mar 1825 Llanelly parish: Margaret Bassett & James Driver
26 May 1829 Pembrey: Ann Bassett & David Jenkins
Lastly, according to the 1851 census; James & Margaret Driver had 7 children: John, Ann, James, William, Thomas, Jane and Richard.
Here again, a more thorough search by someone in Wales of the Llanelli parish records and land records would be most helpful.
In summary, while these 5 Wills add some useful and tantalizing family information, due to the lack of searches in Carmarthen parish registers and land records, the knowledge of the BASSETTs families for that part of Wales is fragmentary. I close with two hopes:
1) that some researcher in Wales will add to our knowledge base by searches suggested
2) that more male BASSETTs descended from other Carmarthen lines will come forward for Y-DNA testing
Section 6 - Featured Bassett: Thomas Bassett of Islington, England and Australia
We need help trying to identify Thomas Bassett of Australia. According to the family Bible, he was born 2 Feb 1828 at Islington, England. He married (1) Margaret (Robinson) Gray (2) Bertha Alida (Leigh) Jones.
Indications are he is the son of Thomas and Mary Snoulton (Smith) Bassett, but we don't know who this Thomas Bassett is either. Thomas Bassett and Mary Snoulton Smith were married 29 Dec 1813 in Faversham, Kent, England.
They had the following children:
William Amos Bassett
Edward Henry Bassett
John Bassett
Francis Bassett
Alexander Bassett
Emma Jessie Bassett
Family Bible Record for Thomas Bassett provided by descendant Laney Scott-Young
Picture of William Amos Bassett, son of Thomas Bassett of Islington
Picture provided by descendant Laney Scott-Young
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Section 7 - Featured Bassett: James Bassett and his family troubles
I have not yet identified the family that this James Bassett belongs to. Below is his information from the 1870 census.
1870 Federal Census of Albany, Albany County, New York (1 Jul 1870)
James Bassett 35 M Vermont Shoe Factory --- 100
Elizabeth 24 F Canada Keeping House
James 1 M New York
Brooklyn Eagle, 23 Dec 1890, Page 6
Elizabeth Bassett's Long Missing Husband
Arrested in Brooklyn, Where He Was Living
With a Second Family, and Taken to Albany
He Had Been Twelve Years Absent From His First Wife
Armed with a warrant issued by Justice Peter A. Stephens, of Albany, Detective Sergeant Price, of the Central office squad, called yesterday afternoon at 160 Stuyvesant avenue and took into custody James Bassett, whom Elizabeth Bassett, of the capital city, claims as her long lost husband.
James Bassett is 52 years of age, a shoemaker by trade and until recently has been employed as foreman of a shop on Quincy street. Just now the shop is shut down and the foreman is out of a job.
When the detective called the door was answered by a pretty 11 year old girl.
"Is Mr. Bassett at home?" he asked.
"Father is in there," she said, pointing to a rear room. Bassett was very much surprised to learn the officer's object in visiting him, and when it was explained that Elizabeth declared that he had abandoned her twelve years ago, he said: "That is not true. She left me. We were living in Poughkeepsie at the time. I took her back when first she went away, but the second time I thought we were quits. She went to Troy and afterward, I understand, moved to Albany."
Bassett declared that he had moved from one place to another and finally came to Brooklyn.
"Who is the present Mrs. Bassett?" inquired the detective, glancing at the five children, who were watching and listening with wide open mouths. Bassett hinted strongly that he had not contracted a second marriage tie, but the woman, who was summoned by the officer, denied his statement. In fact, she was in such a state of grief and indignation that she could hardly say anything.
Bassett was taken to the First precinct station house and this morning, in the Adams street court, he was turned over to Albany detectives.
"I don't see," he remarked, in a injured tone of voice, as he left the court room, "why my wife wants to trouble me at this late day."
It will remembered that when John Melville Bassett was arrested for complicity in causing the death of Theresa Covert in Jamaica this Albany woman then thought he might be the man for whom she had been so long searching.
Section 8 - New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
The following family lines have been added since the last newsletter.
444B. Thomas Bassett of Islington, England (b. 1828)
445B. John Bassett (b. 1796) of Rigsby and Willoughby, Lincolnshire, England
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Section 9 - DNA project update
Several new participants joined the DNA project from the #1A William Bassett of Plymouth line this month. Also, upgrades were ordered for 4 different lines from 37 to 67 markers in hopes to figure out the relationship between the following family lines.
#41B Simon Bassett of Pennsylvania
#118 Frank Horace Bassett of Missouri
#24B Isaac Bassett of Newton County, Indiana
Hamman family of Newton County, Indiana (exact match to the #24B Isaac Bassett family)
Donations of any amount can be made to the Bassett DNA project by clicking
on the link below. Any funds donated will be used to fund select Bassett DNA
tests that will further our project as a whole and benefit all Bassetts worldwide.
