Bassett Family Association Database

Elisha Bassett

Male Abt 1649 -


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  • Name Elisha Bassett 
    Born Abt 1649  Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    _UID CFF8000D8531E842B454CC638860D7F39D5E 
    Notes 
    • There is no marriage record for Elisha Bassett and Elizabeth Collins in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, which would seem to indicate that Elizabeth came from another community. Accounts vary as to the number, name and date of birth of their children. Only Hannah, Elizabeth, Elisha and Daniel are certain, for they are recorded in the vital statistics of Lynn, Massachusetts. Others are said to be William and Zebedee. Another account refers to an old Bible with a note dated 30th Oct 1837 to the effect that Richard Bassett, William, Zebedee and Daniel, with brother and sister, names unknown, emigrated from Lynn, Massachusetts to New Jersey about 1682. Another account lists Zebedee, born 1680, William born 1685 and Benjamin born 1687, all born in Lynn, Massachusetts. Other accounts say that they had thirteen children.
      Apparently Elisha Bassett took his family to Pilesgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey between late 1694 and 1700, for son Daniel was born in Lynn in October of 1694. On 22 Oct 1700, Elisha bought 100 acres of land on the main branch of Salem Creek from Benjamin Acton.
      Thomas Elwell, Elisha's brother-in-law, bought land in the same township on 6 Nov 1698, and one Samuel Bassett bought 150 acres on 26 Nov 1698, both from the same Benjamin Acton. Samuel was presumably a brother of Elisha and of Sarah (Bassett) Elwell. No record of Samuel is found in Lynn, other than his name mentioned in his father's will, after this date. Since Elisha was a Quaker, as well as two of his brothers, it is logical that Samuel was also. Their names were not on the list of Quakers submitted to the governor, and this seems evidence that neither of these two were in Lynn in 1703. The assumption is that Samuel also went to New Jersey.
      Elisha was elected constable of Salem, New Jersey in 1705 and held the office for eight years. Several histories of Salem County state that the Bassett who emigrated from Lynn was named William, and that his son, Elisha was the constable. However, all of the William Bassetts of Lynn are accounted for, they all remained in Lynn. It had to be Elisha who settled in Salem County and was the constable. His son, Elisha, who is known to have been born in 1692, could hardly have become a public official at the age of 13, or have bought land when he was 8 years old.
      No record has been found of the date of Elisha Bassett's death. The Salem Friends Monthly Meeting records have been published, but not those of the early Pilesgrove Meeting, which was established in 1725 in the borough of Woodstown, and of which the Bassett and Davis families were original members.

      WILL OF WILLIAM BASSETT, proved and allowed 22 May 1703
      "In the name of God everlasting Amen: I William Bassett Senr. of Lyn in ye County of Esex in Newengland being of good & perfect memory & Rationally Disposed And having attained to ye years of a good old age & being very sensable of ye decay of nature & ye many Distempers & Infirmities that do attend my outward (mein?) not knowing how soone my great & last chang may come have therefor taken this opportunity to settle ye affaires of my family & so leave this as my last will and testament. Impr: as for my precious mortall soul I freely resign it to him that gave it & to my Redeemer Jesus Christ which by his precious blood hath ransome my soul from Death. as for my body which is fraile I comend it to ye dust willing a decent Interment thereof suitable to my Rank & quality. Although worms my skin destroy yet in my flesh I shal see God - Amen. As for the disposall of my outward Estate which God of his Goodness hath given me - my will is that after my funerall charges & lawfull debts bee paid I bequeathe to my deare & loving wife who hath bin carefull of mee & industrious in her place for ye procurement of what outward Estate I have I bequeath unto her the Improvement of my whole Estate during her naturall life and all the moveable estate in my house which is mine to be at her disposall - as shee shall see cause: Item: I give to my eldest son willm Bassett all ye housing land meddowes marshes and movalbes within y bounds of Lyn township or Elsewhere to bee at his absolut disposall: further it is to bee under stood that my son willm Bassett is to pay out of such Estate all such Legasies as I shall give to ye rest of my children as followeth: Item: I give to my son John Bassett five pounds in mony: Item: I give to my son Elisha Bassett fivetie shillings in mony: Item: I give to my son Samuel Bassett fivetie shillings in mony: Item: I give to my daughter Elizebeth Bassett allias Richards forty shillings in mony: Item: I give to my daughter Sarah Elwell fortie shillings in mony: Ittem: I give to my daughter Merriam Sandy fortie shillings: Ittem: I give to my daughter Mary Ruck fortie shillings in mony: Ittem: I give to my daughter Rachel Silsbe fortie shillings in mony: Ittem: I give to my daughter Rebeckah Bassett fortie shillings in Mony: Ittem: I give to my Hannah Lille fortie shillings in mony -- and if any of ye above named Children Except my son Willm should then to be divided Equaly amongst them all. It is to be understood that these legasies are to be paid with-in a one yeare after my disease and my wives and my will is that neither str? nor waste be made But to the end foresaid. Ittom my will is that my son William Bassett bee sole Executtor to this my last will and testament. Heare unto I have sett to my hand and seale this tenth day of february in the yeare of our 1701. Sighned William Bassett with a seale--Wittnessed by Before sighning it is to be understood that my son William Bassett is to have my whole Estate as is above mentioned to him & his heirs for ever."
      Witnesses: Samuel Johnson, Lois Rogers, Ezekiel Rogers.

      Will of Ann (Holland) Bassett Burt, mother of William Bassett
      (Written 8 Jun 1664; Rcords and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County)
      My will ist that William Bassett Jr. should have one of my cows, and John Bassett should have one cow, and Elisha Bassett should have on cow, and that Samuel Bassett should have the steer. And it is my will that these children should have the profit of these cattle and the principal when they be 18 years old, and I give to Elizabeth Bassett a new feather bed, a bolster and a pillow and a pillow bear (case), a blanket and a rug, and I give Sarah Bassett my old feather bed, a bolster and pillow and pillow bear, a blanket and a tapestry covering, and I give to Merriam Bassett, a copper kettle, a table cloth and 1/2 dozen napkins and a ewe sheep, a hand towel, and I give to Mary Bassett my biggest iron pot, a long table cloth and 4 napkins and a hand towel, a ewe sheep; to Hannah Bassett 2 iron pots and a warming pan and a pair of sheets and a pair of pillow bears and a ewe sheep; to Ellen Bartrom, a ewe lamb and to Hannah Bartrom, a ewe lamb and I give to the wife of William Bartrom my black broadcloth suit and one pewter basin, and I give to Liddi Burrill 5 shillings or a ewe lamb, and my will is that their goods should not be used until the children doth reserve them and that these girls should have the profit of their sheep and the principal when they come to age. Witnesses: Francis Burrill and William Crofts.
      The inventory included household items, one cow and 10 sheep. Total value 47 pounds, 2 shillings, sixpence.
    Person ID I8  4B William Bassett of Lynn, Massachusetts
    Last Modified 16 Jun 2012 

    Father William Bassett,   c. 30 May 1624, Dorking, County Surrey, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 31 Mar 1703  (Age ~ 78 years) 
    Mother Sarah Burt 
    Married Abt 1646 
    Family ID F4  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth Collins 
    Children 
     1. Hannah Bassett,   b. 15 Dec 1689, Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. Elizabeth Bassett,   b. 25 Apr 1691, Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
    +3. Elisha Bassett,   b. 21 Aug 1692 or 1682, Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1786/1787  (Age 105 years)
    +4. Daniel Bassett,   b. 20 Oct 1694, Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID F13  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart