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- John Ray Bassett was admitted to the bar in 1852. In 1857 he moved to Aledo, Mercer County, Illinois where he practiced law with his brother Isaac. He served nine years as a judge. He farmed in Osage County, Kansas from 1883 until 1886 before moving to Burlingame, Kansas. (Information from 1913 Burlingame obituary.)
Rock Island Argus, September 29, 1913
Relatives in this city have received the sad news of the death of Judge John R. Bassett which occurred at his home in Burlingame, Kansas, last Friday at the advanced age of 92 years. Judge Bassett was a brother of Judge I.N. Bassett and Mrs. Frances Rice and Mrs. Mary Mills of this city, and was for many years a highly respected and influential citizen of Aledo. Judge Bassett was born in Lewis county, Kentucky, August 2, 1821. He began the practice of law in 1852 and moved to Illinois in 1857, where he practiced law in Aledo until 1869, when he purchased a large stock farm and spent a few years on the farm.
He was elected judge of Mercer county in 1865 and served four years. In 1873 he was reelected and served until 1878, making nine years in all. In all that time while there were many cases appealed he never had a case reversed. He was also master in chancery for three more years. Judge Bassett was married to Miss Cynthia Strickett, Dec. 21, 1856, who with their seven children to mourn the loss of a kind and loving husband and father. The children are William and Frank Bassett, and Mrs. H.C. Green of Topeka, Kansas, Lewis and Arthur Bassett of Burlingame, Kansas, Clay Bassett of Kansas City, Kansas and Mrs. A.M. Stahl of Turlock, California.
Burlingame City Cemetery, Burlingame, Osage County, Kansas
Bassett, Cynthia A. - b. 1836, d. 1923
Bassett, John R. - b. 1821, d. 1913
Bassett, Ralph E. - b. 1875, d. 1902
Bassett, Sophie M. - b. 1876, d. 1939
Bassett, Will Thomas - b. 1857, d. 1945
1850 Federal Census of 15th District, Greenup County, Kentucky
Isaac Bassett - 58- M - Pennsylvania - Farmer
Elisabeth - 35 - F - Kentucky
John - 28 - M - Kentucky - School Teacher
Elizabeth E. - 13 - F - Kentucky
A.W. - 11 - M - Kentucky
1860 Federal Census of Mercer County, Illinois
John R. Bassett - 38 - M - Kentucky
Cynthia A. - 24 - F - Kentucky
Willie - 2- M - Illinois
Mary C. - 4/12 - F - Illinois
1870 Federal Census of Millersburg Township, Mercer County, Illinois (29 Jun 1870)
John R. Bassett - 48 - M - Kentucky - Farmer 15,000 1700
Cynthia A. - 36 - F - Kentucky - Keeping House
Willie T. - 12 - M - Illinois
Mary E. - 10 - F - Illinois
Lewis - 6 - M - Illinois
Henry C. - 4 - M - Illinois
Martha C. - 3 - F - Illinois
1880 Federal Census of Millersburg, Mercer County, Illinois
John R. Bassett - 58 - M - KY-NJ-VA - Head - Farmer
Cynthia A. - 44 - F - KY-KY-KY - Wife - House Keeper
Willie T. - 22 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son - Farmer
Lizzie - 19 - F - IL-KY-KY - Daughter - At home
Louis - 16 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son - At home
Henry C. - 14 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son - At home
Martha - 12 - F - IL-KY-KY - Daughter - At home
Ralph E. - 6 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son - At home
Arthur - 2 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son - At home
Frank - 9 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son - At home
Special to the Captol: Burlingame, Aug. 2
A Kansas Judge Who Retains Duty of Family Purchasing Agent at 92
Topsy, hitched to the family carriage each morning is driven down town by Judge John R. Bassett, who celebrated his ninety-second birthday at his home here today. The judge hitches up the horse himself and attends to the family shopping just the same as he did when he came to Osage county from Illinois thirty years ago. Judge Bassett, slightly stooped, but otherwise vibourous in body and intellect, was the center of interest, when friends gathered about him today. His mind is alert with the details of law cases which he decided fifty years ago. He has a wonderful fund of historical knowledge, gained from a life long reading of the best writers, such as Mommseunn, Merivale and Gibbons, with which his library is replete. He is also well informed on current events, reading several daily papers. Judge Bassett was born in Lewis county, Kentucky, August 2, 1821. He taught school for ten years in Kentucky, before he began to study law in 1850. He started to practice in 1852 and rode the circuit, as was the custom then to try the cases before justices of the peace. He moved to Illinois in 1857 and practiced law in Aledo until 1869, when he bought a large stock farm.
He was elected judge of Mercer county in 1865 and served for four years. He was re-elected in 1873 and served until 1878, making nine years in all. During that time many cases were appealed, but he has the distinction of never having had a case reversed. He was also master in chancery and examiner for three more years. He cast his first vote for Henry Clay and has been a life long Whig and Republican. His brother Isaac N. Bassett, is still practiving law in Aledo at the age of 88. He has two sisters living there, Mrs. Francis Rice, 86 years old, and Mrs. Mary Mills, 84 years old. Allan Bassett, another brother died a few years ago at the age of 86. Judge Bassett was married to Miss Cynthia Stricklett, December 21, 1856. They have seven children living, the youngest of whom is only 34 years old. They are William and Frank Bassett and Mrs. H.C. Green of Topeka, Lewis and Arthur Bassett of Burlingame, Clay Bassett of Kansas City, Kansas and Mrs. A.M. Stahl of Turlock, Cal.
Excerpt from Autobiography of Isaac Newton Bassett
My brother John R. studied law in Kentucky and commenced the practice of law there in 1854 or 55 at Clarksburg the county, seat at that time of Lewis Co. KY. My Father who then had no children with him moved to Clarksburg and Brother John lived with them. John R. was married to Cynthia A. Stricklett at Clarksburg in the fall, Dec 21st of 1856 and in the spring of 1857 he came to Keithsburg, Ill where I was located practicing law and entered into a co-partnership with me and remained until 1869. In the meantime he served on term as Co. judge of Mercer Co. He then bought a farm near Aledo, Ill and moved to that and remained there until the spring of 1883 serving 5 years during that time as County Judge. He then moved to Burlingame Kansas and is now on a farm 8 miles from there. He has children living, to wit: William who is married and lives at Topeka, Kansas and is car-inspector in the shops of the A.T. and S.F.R.R. Co; Elizabeth [added later: "Green," perhaps her married name] who is unmarried, is a teacher and is now at the Rosebud Indian Agency, South Dakota. Mattie, who is married to Alex Stahl and lives near her father; Lewis who lives with his father; Henry Clay who is conductor on the Santa Fe Railroad. Other children, Effie, Frank and Arthur, Ralph, (Effie and Ralph are dead).
I went into partnership in law practice, on my return, with my brother J.R. Bassett and continued to practice under the firm name J.R. and I.N. Bassett until the spring of 1869 when I bought out all of my brother's interest and he quit practice.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1821 - 1913 (92 years)