| Notes |
- Written by Virginia Bassett Alleman, 1956
One best that I know and understand of the Bassetts of my father's immediate family is that they came directly from England to the colony of Virginia; they came sometime after the execution of Charles I (1649); they were Cavaliers. Colonel William Bassett of Virginia was a close relation to my great-grandfather Bassett. I have no reason to believe that he was a brother, but possibly a nephew or first cousin. My great-grandfather Bassett (first name unknown to me) was born in Charles City County, Virginia. My grandfather, William Henry Bassett, was also born in Charles City County, Virginia. He was born October 24, 1796. He became an orphan before the age of five; both his parents having died in an epidemic. At that tender age he was adopted and reared by the mother of William Henry Harrison, who later became president of the United States. This relative of my grandfather's (exact relation unknown) was Elizabeth Bassett, wife of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence. She was the daughter of Colonel William Bassett of "Eltham" in Virginia. Then still in his teens my grandfather, William Henry Bassett, went to sea. Not many years later, I was told, he owned a coastwise ship that plied between Norfolk, Virginia and New York City.
On January 22, 1822 he married Eleanor O'Neill of Baltimore, Maryland. Some family papers state that they were married in Washington, D.C.; other papers say Alexandria, D.C. At any rate, their first child (my father Joseph Carter Bassett) was born in Washington, D.C. on December 31, 1822. Their second child, William Henry Jr. came into this world in New York City. In the early 1830's my grandfather with his family and in his own ship came to Louisiana. He visited New Orleans; he also visited the coast of Cuba and Central America, then came up the Atchafalaya River to a small fishing village, now called Morton City, Louisiana. From there, he proceeded up the Teche River and came to Centerville, Louisiana, which at that time was a thriving village, or so I was told by my father who was a child of ten or older.
My grandfather, William Henry Bassett, must have remained at Centerville quite a few years as two sons were born there, Benjamin Harrison and Thomas Jefferson. From Centerville my grandfather moved to Vermilionville, Louisiana. (The Lafayette, Louisiana of today.) A daughter was born at Vermilionville named Eleanor Ann. She died at the age of 8. From Vermilionville, William Henry Bassett went to Washington, Louisiana, and a son was born there. He also died while still young. Eleanor O'Neill who married my grandfather (William Henry Bassett) in 1822 was the daughter of O'Neill (first name unknown to me) and Eleanor O'Brien, who were both from Antrim, Ireland. They were married in Ireland and came to the United States and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. Of this union there were two childen, a son named Bernard and my grandmother, Eleanor, who married William Henry Bassett. Bernard died without issue and was never married. He died while on an expedition to the West. Eleanor O'Neill Bassett died at Bayoudes Glaise in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, October 9, 1867. She is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. My grandfather, William Henry Bassett married a second time, a Caroline Toon of Memphis, Tennessee. A son, Lewis Bassett, was born to them. He became a doctor and settled in Texas. (Benjamin Harrison and Thomas Jefferson Bassett also settled in Texas.)
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Bassett Family Association Database
1835 - 1843 (7 years)