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- William Bassett IV
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V V
William Bassett III Rachel Willison
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William Mary Thomas
Bassett II Rainesford Williston
William Bassett III, son of William and Mary (Rainsford) Bassett, was
born in Sandwich, Massachusetts in 1656. He attained considerable distinction
in the affairs of the colony. He was chosen chief marshall of Plymouth Colony
in 1689, serving until 1692, when the Plymouth and Massachusetts coloni
united. He was a captain of militia and on the council of war at Point
Garrison in 1689. He was a representative from Sandwich both to the general
court in Boston until 1716. He attained the rank of Colonel in the militia. He
was one of the judges of the superior court of Massachusetts 1710-1715, and
subsequently was register of probate. With John Otis and Thomas Smith he was
appointed by the general court in 1697 to investigate and report on the
practicability of building a canal across Cape Cod at Sandwich. He married
Rachel Willison, daughter of Thomas Willison of Taunton, Massachusetts, on 9
Oct 1675. Governor Hinckley was his guardian after his father died. He was an
excellent penman, and wrote a very small, yet distinct and beautiful hand,
easily read. The records show that he was a careful and correct man. He was
the most distinguished of any of the names in Massachusetts. He died in
Sandwich, 29 Sep 1721 in the 65th year of his age. He was a blacksmith.
The National Ccolpaedia of American Biography
BASSETT, William, colonist, was born in Sandwich, Mass., in 1656, son
of William and Mary (Burt) Bassett, and grandson of William Bassett, an
Englishman, who emigrated to America from Sandwich, England, with his wife,
Margaret Oldham, in the ship "Fortune" to the Plymouth colony in 1621. He was
the gunsmith for the colony and accumulated a considerable library; he helped
to lay out Dusbury, and subsequently Bridgewater, Mass. His grandson, William
Bassett (3d), attained considerable distinction in the affairs of the colony.
he was chosen chief marshal of Plymouth colony in 1689, serving until 1692,
when the Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies united. He was a captain of
militia and one of the council of war at Point Garrison in 1689. He was
representative from Sandwich both to the general court at Plymouth and after
the union with Massachusetts, to the general court in Boston until 1716. He
attained the rank of colonel in the militia. He was one of the judges of the
superior court of Massachusetts, 1710-15, and subsequently was register of
probate. With John Otis and Thomas Smith he was appointed by the general court
in 1796 to investigate and report on the practicability of building a canal
across Cape Cod at Sandwich. He was married to Rachel Willison, of Taunton,
Mass., Oct. 9, 1675, and had the following children: Mary, who married
Nathaniel Bourne; Nathan, who married Mary Stetson, of Scituate; Rachel, who
married Joseph Foster; William, who married Abigail Bourne; Jonathan, w
married Mary Gate; and Thankful, who married Mathias Ellis. Another son named
Jonathan, died in infancy. Of these children, William, the second son, served
as a representative on the old colony court. William Bassett died at Sandwich,
Mass., Sept. 29, 1721.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1656 - 1721 (65 years)