unknown Bassett

Notes:

"another son, born 1944, was a photographer with
three sons and a daughter born between 1968 and 1972."
Jeffrey Bassett

unknown married unknown. unknown and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married unknown in 1912 in Polesworth, Warwickshire. unknown and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Richard Bassett - christened 23 Sep 1838 in Polesworth, died
1906, married the daughter of a Tamworth laborer.

My great grandfather was Richard Basset (1838-1906) and they were married on the 29th May 1863 at Tamworth. He had many occupations in his time including gardener at Bolehall in 1863, gas works stoker at Fazeley, gas works stoker at Tamworth, shop keeper at 6 Colehill St. Tamworth, and famer at Birchmoor.
Richard and Mary had 16 children between 1863 and 1882, my grandfather George Charles Basset (1882-1957) being the youngest born 4th Janaury 1882 at the Game Cock Inn, Birchmoor, Polesworth, where his father had become landlord in 1875. Along with William Gilliver they continued a life long indulgence in the cock fighting world. The Gilliver family were world famous, William's ancestor, also William, trained and supplied fighting cocks to George III, and in the 1880's William and Richard met Edward Prince of Wales at Newmarket as he was also into cock fighting or so the family story goes.
When my brother and sister and I were young we would sit around, with our mouths wide open, listening to grandad telling us many stories about his dad and how he went to cock fights all over England with the Gilliver clan and others. He told us of the fights that they used to hold in the attic of the Gamecock Inn, and of the police raids on the pub and the escape route they had through the adjoining attics, out of a window in the apex and down a ladder to run like hell across the fields. This window can still be seen to this day. Cock fighting was outlawed in 1849.
It may be plain to you that Richard did not take to working for a living as grandad said they used to win very large sums of money. His life was not all money and roses. Richard and Mary buried 8 of their children, one at Tamworth, one at Fazeley, the rest are at Polesworth and four were born dead.
To go back to the cock fighting it is an irony that Richard died by accidentally falling down and fracturing the base of the skull on the 29th January 1906. A coroner's inquest was held on the 3rd of January 1906 and I am in the process of trying to obtain the coroner's report from Warwick Records Office. Perhaps the details from this will be worthy of another instalment!
Pete Bassett

Richard married Mary in 1863. Mary and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

daughter of a Tamworth labourer