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- Portrait and Biographical Album of Oakland County, Michigan
By Chapman Brothers
John Bassett
John Bassett, one of the hard-working and prosperous farmers of Novi Township, is a son of Samuel Bassett, a native of Litchfield County, Connecticut, who was born March 29, 1784. The father was a farmer by occupation, but served his country in the War of 1812, following the patriotic example of his father, Daniel Bassett, who was one of the Revolutionary heroes. This family originated in America with William Bassett, who came from England in the "Anna", the second ship that came. He was one of the Puritans and made his home at Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
The mother of our subject was Mary, daughter of John Caywood, of New Jersey, who was a Revolutionary soldier, and moved from the latter State to Seneca County, New York,, and took possession there of a soldier's claim. The family is of Scotch descent. Mary Caywood was born August 23, 1794, and she married Samuel Bassett in Ovid, Seneca County, New York in 1810. They resided there until May, 1832, when they came to Michigan and settled in Bloomfield Township upon a heavily timbered farm which they bought from old Peter Desnoyer, of Detroit. They built a log house and having established themselves in the new home undertook to clear the farm of timber.
In May, 1831, Samuel Bassett came to Novi Township and took up one thousand and forty acres of wild land at $1.25 per acre. Four hundred acres of it were located in Novi Township, and the remainder in West Bloomfield. In the fall of 1831 he came in with Sidney Hinman and helped the latter to get a start upon some land in the center of West Bloomfield Township. He then returned home and the following spring he brought on his family and made his permanent home on the new land. He retained three hundred and twenty acres and had it finely improved long before his death, which occurred in 1873. His wife had been called from his side by death in October, 1833.
The subject of this sketch is one of ten children of his father's family, only two of whom are now living, his brother Daniel residing at Birmingham in this county. The father was a great reader and although exceedingly quiet in his manner was a tremendous worker. He was a Whig in his political views and later a Republican. He was the owner at one time of thirteen hundred and sixty acres of land, which was divided among his children. Their mother was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. The son John was born May 29, 1816, at Ovid, New York. He attended the common school until he reached the age of twelve years, but after that it was necessary for him to go to work upon the farm and he at once entered upon hard work. He was sixteen years old when he came to Michigan, and he remembers with interest the thousands of Indians and the numerous wild animals that then abounded. When nearly twenty-one years of age he located on the farm where he now lives without a dollar to his name. In the fall of 1836 he sowed the first wheat here, ten bushels on ten acres of land. He built a tamarack shanty and had a sugar bush of some three hundred trees.
The marriage of our subject occurred February 16, 1837. His bride, Ervilla Coomer, was a daughter of David and Betsey (Cole) Coomer, who came from Yates County, New York, to Michigan about the year 1830, and settled in Farmington Township. These were the first settlers there and they made it their permanent home. Mr. Coomer was born April 8, 1787 and died June 2, 1865. His wife was born October 14, 1790, and died July 2, 1870. They were the parents of ten children, three of whom still survive.
Mrs. Bassett was born April 17, 1816, in Yates County, New York. She died in March, 1887. Nine of her thirteen children are still living. They are as follows: Samuel, born February 18, 1838. He married Dorinda Holmes, and with his wife and four children resides in Novi Township, Eugene was born December 10, 1840, and married Elizabeth Hamlin, and they with their three children are living at Ypsilanti. Celestia, born May 10, 1842, is the wife of Bathurst Davis, and lives in Waco, Texas. She has been twice married and has three children by the first union. Irving, who was born January 2, 1844, married Hannah McKendrick, and lives at Ironwood, Michigan, with his wife and five children. Mary L., born October 23, 1845, is the wife of Edgar O. Durfee. They live in Detroit and have four children. Truman J., born January 21, 1848, married Mary Baker and makes his home in Detroit. Kate, who was born Aprl 20, 1851, is single. Antoinette, who was born July 8, 1855, is Mrs. Orren S. Hulett and lives in Detroit. She has four children. Vie, born March 5, 1859, married Vernon Merserveau, of St. Louis. They have three children.
The second marriage of Mr. Bassett was solemnized in November, 1888. He was then united with Carrie McKenney, daughter of Alexander McKenney and Jane Murphy. Both of her parents were natives of Ireland, who came to Michigan forty-two years ago and made their home in Southfield Township. This old settler still remains at the age of sixty-seven years, but his good wife passed away in 1871. All of their four children are now living. Mrs. Bassett was born January 14, 1856, in the township where her father now resides. She is a devout and earnest member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Bassett built his residence some thirty-six years ago. He has cleared one hundred and eight acres of his farm of two hundred and eighty, and removed great quantities of stumps and stone. He has also put in an extensive system of tiling, and all other improvements have been placed on this farm by himself. He has carried on general farming, and pays some attention to sheep and Jersey cows, of which he now has twenty-five head. For fifty years he has been a member of the School Board. He takes great interest in local politics, having been first a Whig and then a Democrat. For four terms he has filled the office of Supervisor and has been the Justice of the Peace for fifteen years. He has been Road Overseer. When he came to this part of the country sixty years ago he was sixteen years old and six feet tall, and did a full man's work. He still actively carries on his farm. He has been entrusted with the settlement of numerous estates for over thirty-five years. Indeed, he has done more in this line than any other man in the county. During the past winter he settled five estates.
History of Oakland County, Michigan (Supplement)
John Bassett
Novi
The father of this gentleman, Samuel Bassett, late of Bloomfield township, Oakland County, was born in New Haven county, Connecticut, in March, 1784. From thence, about 1806, he removed to Ovid, Seneca county, New York, where his son, John Bassett, the subject of this sketch, was born May 29, 1816.
In June, 1832, he removed to Michigan with his father, who settled in Bloomfield. John remained with him there until 1837, in which year - February 18 - he married Ervilla Coomer, of Farmington, and settled in Novi, on a tract of two hundred and forty acres of land purchased from government by his father in 1831, and which constitutes the fine homestead farm on which he still resides.
Samuel Bassett continued his residence in Bloomfield township until his death, which occurred in the autumn of 1873, at the age of eighty-nine years.
1840 Federal Census of Novi, Oakland County, Michigan
John Bassett 101010000-1000100
1850 Federal Census of Novi Township, Oakland County, Michigan
John Bassett - 34 - M - New York
Arvilla - 35 - F - New York
Samuel - 12 - M - Michigan
Eugene - 9 - M - Michigan
Celicia - 8 - F - Michigan
Ervin - 6 - M - Michigan
Mary - 4 - F - Michigan
Jay - 2 - M - Michigan
Alfred Pettibone - 36 - M - Vermont - Laborer
1860 Federal Census of Novi, Oakland County, Michigan (5 Jun 1860)
John Bassett - 44 - M - New York - Farmer 8000 2400
Erville - 45 - F - New York - House Keeper
Eugene - 20 - M - Michigan - Farmer
Celestia - 18 - F - Michigan - House Keeper
Irving - 16 - M - Michigan - Farmer
Mary - 14 - F - Michigan
Jay -1 2- M - Michigan
Kate - 9 - F - Michigan
Eliza - 5 - F - Michigan
Vie - 1 - F - Michigan
1870 Federal Census of Novi, Oakland County, Michigan (1 Jul 1870)
John Bassett - 54 - M - New York - Farmer 13,200 6,500
Ervilla - 55 - F - New York - Keeping House
Samuel - 32 - M - Michigan - Farm laborer
Davinda - 30 - F - Michigan - At home
Jay - 22 - M - Michigan - At home
Kate - 19 - F - Michigan - At home
Nettie - 15 - F - Michigan - At home
Victoria - 11 - F - Michigan - At school
Robert - 10/12 - M - Michigan
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Bassett Family Association Database
1816 - 1890 (73 years)