(1) Welcome
(2) DNA Results from the Bassetts of Eardisland, England
(3) Bruce Eugene Bassett, Jeweler of Santa Monica, California
(4) John Bassett and son John Louis Bassett of Hampshire, England
(5) Fred Clarence Bassett of Colorado, Lather
(6) Jonathan Bassett, merchant of Toongabbie, Australia
(7) William Edwin Bassett of Utah, followup
(8) New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
(9) DNA project update
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Section 1 - Welcome
Work continues on the adding of Bassett data to the website. More than a dozen family lines were completed since the last newsletter.
A very interesting DNA result was received this month. It links the #2B Thomas Bassett of Virginia family to a family of Bassetts from Eardisland, Hereford, England. This is the first link of Thomas Bassett to any Bassett family in England. More details on this can be seen in Section 2.
It has been over two years since I last asked for donations for the Bassett project. The Bassett fund that is used to pay for DNA testing for families that would like to participate but can't afford the test is running low. I would like to raise funds to pay for several new tests for Bassett lines with roots in England or France that have not yet taken part in the project. If you are from a line that has not yet tested but would like to join and haven't done so in the past due to lack of funds, please let me know.
Click on the link below to make a contribution directly into the Bassett DNA project fund. No amount is too small.
Family Tree DNA is currently running a special where the price of a 12-marker y-chromosome test is just $39! For anyone that has wanted to join but price was an issue, this may be the time to order a kit. Contact me if you are interested.
The following trees were added to the Bassett website database since the last newsletter:
54B. Edward Bassett of Rennselaer County, New York (201 individuals)
61B. Joseph Bassett of Glastonbury, England (207 individuals)
65B. George Bassett of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (161 individuals)
118B Robert H. Bassett of Michigan/Missouri (164 individuals)
420B Elisha H. Bassett of Massachusetts (21 individuals)
422B. Bassetts of Hallaton, Leicester, England (28 individuals)
423B. William & Mary Bassett of West Peckham, Kent, England (32 individuals)
424B. William & Jane Bassett of West Peckham, Kent, England (67 individuals)
425B. Thomas Bassett of Kemsing, Kent, England (33 individuals)
426B. Bassetts of Burlington County, New Jersey (23 individuals)
427B. Burrows Bassett of Ashdon, Essex, England (82 individuals)
428B. Bassetts of North Luffenham, Rutland, England (35 individuals)
430B. John Bassett of Brooklyn, New York (17 individuals)
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Section 2 - Featured Bassett: DNA Results from the Bassetts of Eardisland, England
#3B Thomas Bassett was born in 1617 in England. He arrived in Virginia on 10 Jun 1635, aged 18 years. We do not know where in England he came from. Up until now, he has not matched any other Bassetts in the DNA project.
This month a descendant of #220B Richard Bassett of Eardisland, Hereford, England took part in DNA testing. Richard Bassett married Elizabeth Hooper in 1685 in Eardisland, Hereford, England. He had at least three sons, Richard Bassett, Jacobus Bassett, and Samuel Bassett.
Now DNA testing shows a link between these two families. What this means is that they share a common ancestor sometime before 1617. Anyone from the #2B Thomas Bassett family that might want to pursue this can contact me and I'll give them the current information that I have on both of these families.
The results for these related families are shown in the table below.
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Section 3 - Featured Bassett: Bruce Eugene Bassett, Santa Monica Jeweler
Bruce Eugene Bassett descends from William Bassett of Plymouth as follows:
William Bassett and wife Elizabeth
William Bassett (b. 1624) and wife Mary Raynesford
William Bassett (b. 1656) and wife Rachel Willison
Nathan Bassett (b. 1685) and wife Mary Stetson
Joshua Bassett (b.1723) and wife Martha McCarroll
Cornelius Bassett (b. 1755) and wife Chloe Smith
Romeo Bassett (b. 1793) and wife Almira Sherwood
George Bassett (b. 1830) and wife Salura Morton
Clarence Granville Bassett (b. 1855) and wife Ada Drephine Lucas
Bruce Eugene Bassett (b. 1887) and wife Anna Carolyn Brostrup
Bruce Eugene Bassett ran a jewelry shop in Santa Monica, California during the 1930's and 1940's.
A picture of a felt bag from the Bassett's Jewelry Shop of Santa Monica, California was forwarded on to me.
I have traced it back to Bruce Eugene Bassett. I contacted descendants of the family and they provided the
letterhead and article about the opening of the jewelry store.
Felt bag label for silver flatware
Picture provided by Daniel Carpenter
Bassett Jewelry Co. Letterhead provided by Bobbe Patchen
News article from an unknown 1937 California newspaper provided by Bobbe Patchen
New Bassett Store Opens Tomorrow (1937)
Proprietor Announces Week’s Celebration
Hailed by jewelry trade publications, manufacturers and wholesalers as Southern California’s most beautiful jewelry store, the new home of the Bassett Jewelry Co. at 1259 Third st., will be formally opened, according to an announcement today by Bruce E. Bassett, owner.
One of the major modernization projects completed in downtown Santa Monica in the last two years, the new store introduces many new and completely different ideas in retail store arrangement, appointments and fixtures.
Distinctive Store
“Our new store is the result of months of planning, searching, selecting and eliminating ideas gathered from all parts of the nation,” Bassett said today. “From the smart shops of metropolitan cities from coast to coast we have gleaned ideas from these ideas, designed our new store. We have tried to make it one of the most distinctive stores in the Southwest.”
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Section 4 - Featured Bassett: John Bassett and son John Louis Bassett of England
John Bassett descends from #412B James Bassett as follows:
James Bassett and wife Deborah Walker (married 1823) of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England
Elijah Bassett (b. 1823) and wife Sarah Jeffs
John Bassett (b. 1875)
John Louis Bassett (b. 1912)
John Bassett (picture from ancestry.com)
John Louis Bassett being presented with the BEM by Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire.
(BEM - British Empire Medal). Picture from ancestry.com
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Section 5 - Featured Bassett: Fred Clarence Bassett of Colorado
Fred Clarence Bassett is descended from the #266B family as follows:
James H. Bassett (b. 1805) and wife Abigail Gifford
Jeremiah Johnson Bassett (b. 1845) and wife Phebe Catherine Hammond
Fred Clarence Bassett (b. 1867) and wife Minnie Belle Kercheval
Denver Post, Sunday, April 11, 1909
Thought He Had Tuberculosis, but is Now Much Better
An Invalid Three Years
Iron Long Imbedded in Lung Brittle as Piece of Ice
F.C. Bassett, a week ago today, coughed up a nail an inch long that had been imbedded in his lung for three years.
While working on a hotel in Colorado Springs at his trade of lathing he swallowed a nail that he had in his mouth, as is the custom of lathers that they may have both hands free for their work. At the time it did not pain him greatly, but it was not a month until he developed a cough, and it grew worse with the progress of time. He supposed that he had contracted tuberculosis and accordingly secured treatment for that disease. The trade of lathing is one that is carried on in dust, and he supposed that he had weakened his lungs so that they were not able to withstand infection. While here he lived at 2253 Champa street.
He moved to Gothenberg, Neb., thinking that he could get less arduous work in that town, but he grew worse and worse and his wife and family of three children were in despair.
Last Sunday morning, before getting up, he was seized with a violet fit of coughing and finally coughed up the nail, now entirely black. He took the nail to a physician, and he pinched it between his fingers and it crumbled to pieces.
The letter received by his mother-in-law, Mrs. W.T. Kercheval of 1327 Lawrence street, this city, stated that he was improving rapidly.
Dr. C.B. Lyman says that cases where people have swallowed nails, retained them in the body for years and then ejected them in a violet paroxysm of coughing are not unknown, but are very rare. He says that the blackening and softening of the nail was due to the large quantity of hydrochloric acid that is secreted in the body. Although Bassett’s recovery is not certain, Dr. Lyman thinks that he stands a much better chance for regaining his health than he would with the nail in the body.
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Section 6 - Featured Bassett: Jonathan Bassett, Australian merchant
I have not been able to find the parents of Jonathan Bassett. He was born in 1828. He died 18 Jan 1896 in Traralgon, Victoria, Australia. He is buried in Toongabbie Cemetery. He marries Susannah Stone, daughter of Edward and Margaret (Jack) Stone. They had the following children:
William Edward Bassett - born 1863
Charles Henry Bassett - born 1866
Walter Kirman Bassett - born 1870
Edgar Ernest Bassett - born 1872
Jonathan James Bassett - born 1873
Jonathan Thomas Bassett - born 1876
Frank Valentine Bassett - born 1877
Bertie Frederick Bassett - born 1880
Percival Clement Bassett - born 1883
Please contact me if you have any idea of where Jonathan Bassett fits into the Bassett family tree.
Gippsland Times, Victoria, Australia, Saturday, 26 August 1871
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Section 7 - Featured Bassett: William Edward Bassett of Utah, followup
William Edward Bassett descends from #66B Lewis Bassett of Lavernock, Wales as follows;
Lewis Bassett (b. 1683) and wife Frances
John Bassett (b. 1707) and wife Mary Ann William
Richard Bassett (b. 1742) and wife Mary John
Richard Bassett (b. 1778) and wife Mary Millward
Thomas Bassett (b. 1827) and wife Margaret Edwards
William Edward Bassett )b, 1851) and wives Sarah Ann Williams & Catherine Smith
William Edward was first featured in the November 2012 Bassett family newsletter.
The following appeared in the Truth, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 28, 1907.
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Section 8 - New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
The following family lines have been combined/eliminated since the last newsletter.
255B. William H. Bassett of Tennessee into the #2B Thomas Bassett of Virginia family.
The following family lines have been added since the last newsletter.
255B. Sarah Bassett of Gloucester, Essex County, Massachusetts
489B. Jonathan Bassett of Australia (b. 1827)
490B. William J. Bassett of Wisconsin (b. 1880)
491B. Job Albert Bassett of Leicester and Dorset, England
492B. Christopher M. Bassett of Wellesley, Massachusetts
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Section 9 - DNA project update
No new participants joined the project this month. Results of the #220B Bassetts of Eardisland family are featured in Section 2 above.
We believe we have found a link between the #243 Eligah Bassett of Canada family and Henry Bassett of Massachusetts, and descendant of #3B Thomas Bassett of Connecticut. This will be presented in a future newsletter as more DNA results are back to confirm this placement.
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.
