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Northampton Mercury, England, Saturday, 23 February 1878
Leighton Buzzard
The oldest inhabitant, John Dollin Bassett, died on the 15th instant, at the age of ninety-two years. The deceased, the son of Peter and Ann Bassett, was born at Leighton Buzzard, on the 14th of April, 1786. He was educated at Hitchin, and succeeded to his father?s business, as a wool-stapler and draper, which he carried on for some years. Soon after the commencement of the present century, he founded the Leighton Bank, the firm being carried on under the name of Bassett, Grant, Sharples, and Exton. The deceased was associated with Clarkson and Wilberforce in the abolition of the slave trade; was a member of the Peace Society; and was much interested in the temperance movement, the Temperance Hall being built by him and the late Mrs. Grant. The British and Foreign Bible Society has lost in him a firm friend, as for many years he acted as treasurer of the local auxiliary. Several London hospital shared his bounty, and locally he was a staunch supporter of the Working Men?s Institute, and the charitable institutions of the town. Deceased was interred in the burial-ground of the Society of Friends, on Thursday.
Cedars House, Church Square, Leighton Buzzard, Bedford
(From the Leighton-Linsdale Past Times)
Built in 1855 for John Dollin Bassett of Bassett's Bank, this house is situated at the end, and facing down the length of the High Street. The building is in the grounds of the original Leigh Manor House and a number of the buildings from the original Prebendal Manor House remain in the grounds e.g. the 'Temple'.
In 1866, John Dollin Bassett moved to live with his son Francis Bassett at The Heath Plantation Road and the house was taken over by Mr. Theodore Harris (a partner of Mr. Bassett).
The author Mary Norton (1903 - 1992) spent many years of her childhood living at Cedars House, and she based "Firbank Hall" in her famous book "The Borrowers" on Cedars House.
Subsequently, the building was used as a cottage, hospital, and then finally it was purchased by the Education Committee and in March 1921 the Cedars Secondary School held its first entrance exam and opened later that year. Further change occurred with the introduction of Comprehensive Secondary Education and the adoption of a Lower, Middle and Upper School system in the County. Cedars was to become an Upper School and as a result it was decided that a new purpose built site would be required and in 1973 the School moved to its present location in Mentmore Road, Linslade. At the same time the old school became Leighton Middle School, which it still is today.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1786 - 1878 (91 years)
d. 18 Sep 1821 (Age 75 years)