This was posted in May and June of 1998 and I just now found. I must be
really slow! There is some really great info that I did not know about my
Bassett family, posted by Kaye. I have deleted that name of the person
that posted these few paragraphs before hers. I found this in the
GenForum at http://genforum.familytreemaker.com/
David
I don't believe the Bassetts of Southampton, Eng.
& New Kent Co.,Va. are the same as those of New
England, in fact I'm pretty sure of it.
Would the following 3 persons Mickey Fournier of
11/16/97, D.Kaye Watts Collier of 2/18/98, & Patty
Shepherd of 4/12/98 all list your sources &
references for the data you put on your Bassetts
in your queries & replys (follow ups)? It doesn't
agree with the data we have on Wm. Bassett b. ca.
1630 Southampton Co./Newport,Isle of Wight,Eng.
d. 1671/72 New Kent Co.,Va. If he was born around
1630, then he could not have been the Wm. Bassett
who had wife Iszabella & servant Richard Sanders
who came to James City Co.,Va. in 1639.
Our Wm. Bassett 1630-1671 was in Va. by 1665 & his
sister Mary/Elizabeth/Mary Elizabeth marr. in Eng.
ca. 1651 & came to York Co.,VA. at about that time.
So it is possible that Wm. Bassett may also have
been in Va. as early as 1650's.
So you 3 people listed above, please give us your
sources/references for your material, so the rest
of us can study it. Thanks for your cooperation.
Name of poster deleted
Posted by D. Kaye Watts Collier on June 04, 1998 at 16:07:57:
In Reply to: Re: The New Kent Co.,Va. Bassetts posted by XXX
XXXX on May 03, 1998 at 14:00:58:
There is neither the space or time to list all of the "sources" of
information documenting the many Branches of the Bassetts of New Kent
Co., VA and their migration into other Virginia Counties as well as
other States.
NOR does your message site a SOURCE for the information contained in
your message.
This may come as a surprise to you Mr. XXXXX, but William Bassett,
the Councillor, son of William and Anne Bassett of Newport, Isle of
Wight, Southampton Co., England was NOT the FIRST Bassett to immigrate
to the Colony of Virginia.
The Virginia Company of London records the death of William BASSETT 22
March 1624 (Jamestown Massacre of 1624), notice to be given to family
so heirs may take heed of the property about 2 miles from Henry City,
VA.
Now with regard to our Patriarch, Thomas BASSETT I and his
descendants. Bassett, Virginia, home of Bassett Furniture Industries,
takes its name from our BASSETT line. This distinguished family
established the Bassett line of furnitre around the turn of the
Century.
Thomas BASSETT I, sailed on the boat "Truelove" departing from London
June 10, 1635 outbound for Barbados and the Sommers Islands. On 18
April 1639 he took possession of 150 acres bounding East and West on
the Chichohomony North to Pattococok, York Co., VA (taken into New
Kent 1654). He and wife Mary had two children: WILLIAM b. 1643 and
Mary b. 1645. Mary married after the death of Thomas I abt. 1657-59,
William Felgate, Capt. Johon Underhill, buried near "Ringfield" on
Felgate's Creek and lastly, Dr. Isaac Clopton. John Underhill and wife
Mary sold the Felgate property, which became known as "Ringfield" to
Joseph Ring 1692/93.
Our William Bassett is recorded in the Vestry Book and Register of St.
Peter's Parish, New Kent and James City Counties, Virginia. (Thomas I
was formerly in St. Pauls Parish, York Co until 1654.) Our William
Bassett is recorded as Churchwarden in 1689 (at which time William
Bassett, Jr. (son of William and Bridget Cary Bassett) was a minor,
age 18 and not yet married to Joanna Burwell, daughter of Lewis
Burwell and Abigail Smith, neice of Nathaniel Bacon, Sr.
The Vestry Book and Register clearly defines our William Bassett,
Churchwarden as Mr. William Bassett, while at the same time clearly
defines the minor (age 18) William Bassett as William Bassett, Jr.
page 20 of Mr. Chamberlayne's fine work lists the names of the
Companys (teams) into which the gentlemen were assigned to remark the
boundries of the lands of each man to divide the Parish into
Presincts. To wit, the following teams are some of those listed:
Capt Joseph Foster, Mr John Roper Sr, Mr William Bassett, Jr, Mrs
Elizabeth Littpage, William Harman and Edmund Bedford
Robert Chandler, William Moss, John Ossling, Mr Jarrett, Sam Weaver,
John Howle
on Page 21 these are a few of the teams:
Abra Venable, Rouland Horsley, Robert Lancester, John Medlock, Renall
Allen, John Hight
Mr. William Bassett, Mr. James Moss, Charles Fleming, James Austin
Anthony Burrus, John Guntin, William Bassett, Jr., John Peace, John
Englebricht, Sam Waddy
Take note, the Episcopal Church certainly respected the difference
between the elder Mr. William Bassett and the minor, William Bassett,
Jr.
William Bassett, Jr. became, as denoted by historians, a member of the
House of Burgess, whereafter, he was referred to as William Bassett,
Esq.
Now sir, William Bassett the Councillor, son of the Yeoman William
Bassett and wife Anne of Newport, Isle of Wight, Southampton Co.,
England, IMMIGRATED about 1665 and married 1670c in Virginia Bridget
CARY born 1652, daughter of Captain Miles CARY and Anne TAYLOR. (Lyon
G. Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia, p. 181) They lived in Eltham, New
Kent County, VA, where their only child William Bassett, Jr. (the
minor, later known as William Bassett, Esq.) was born in 1671. Shortly
thereafter, William the Immigrant died 1671/72. Family Bible records
at the Virginia State Library record the marriage of William Bassett,
Jr. (the minor, later known as Esq.) 28 November 1693 to Joanna
Burwell, daughter of Lewis Burwell and Abagail Smith, niece of
Nathaniel Bacon, the elder, who immigrated to the Colony of Virginia
in 1651, and later became president of the Council.
Now if you had done very much research on your own, you'd have
discovered all of the above information for the many highly regarded
sources provide not only and abundance, but rather a wealth of
information on the distingued BASSETT Families. There are hundreds and
hundreds of sources readily alvailable to support all of the above.
Consequently, I have NOT seen a single source that records a spouse
"Iszabella" for The Immigrant William (the Councillor) BASSETT, son of
William and Anne BASSETT of Newport, Isle of Wight, Southampton Co.,
England.
Further, the 1704 Virginia Quit Rent Rolls show taxes were paid by the
following: William Bassett 350 acres, Thomas Bassett 150, and William
Bassett, Esq. 1,150 acres.
Our William BASSETT, son of THOMAS I, died about May 1724. His son,
Thomas BASSETT II died 20 April 1720, just six short months prior to
the execution of his father's will, dated 15 October 1720.
Certainly, it is a bit confusing, what with multiple William and
Thomas Bassetts, each married to a different spouse, and some having
multiple spouses, like our Thomas II who was married to Elinor,
Elizabeth, and Mary. Thomas III removed to Cumberland County where he
owned more than 6,000 acres (some of which he possessed by virtue of
1738 British Land Grant of King George III) which he sold in 1750
prior to emigrating to the Colony of Georgia where he owned
considerable acreage, again some via British Land Grants, and also was
GRANTED, with others, 50,0000 acres on the Mississippi River. His son
Thomas BASSETT IV, a British Royalist, fled the Patriots of Georgia
c1768, removing to the interior of the British West Florida Territory
where he received two British Grants of totalling 1,850 acres. Thomas
IV was murdered by Indians along the Creek which bears his name, which
ran through his properties. The largest Creek Stream in Washington
Couonty, AL it runs on both sides of the Tombigbee River. Thomas V and
his brother Nathaniel, following the Revolutionary War, swore an oath
of allegiance to the Spanish Crown, and obtained Spanish Warrants for
the same acreage previously conveyed by British Grant.
Nathaniel, the brother of Thomas IV, returned from Georgia to
Cumberland Co., VA and purchased from William Gray 900 acres of the
original 6,719 acres his father sold to Mr. Gray.
Beginning with Thomas BASSETT II, each successive Thomas had a son
named Nathaniel, each of which was older than the successive sons
Thomas.
The grandson of Thomas Bassett V homesteaded in 1834 several hundred
acres some 25 or 30 miles southeast, as the crow flies, from his
grandfather's 1,050 acre St. Stephens plantation situated on the West
side of the Tombigbee River and upon which Bassetts Creek meanders,
upon which, at the foot of the hill beneath the residence again, runs
BASSETT's CREEK; commonly known as Richardson's swimming-hole where I
learned to swim and spent many a hot summer afternoon. The Richardson
Homestead, a historical landmark, is the oldest original homesite in
Washington County, AL which has remained in the possession of a direct
descendant of John A. Richardson, passing first to his son, then
purchased by his grandson, passed to his great-grandson and now my
cousin, his great-great grandson. A typical home soundly constructed
of logs, with a thatched, moss covered roof, double roofed with tin in
later years.
Descendants of Thomas Bassett V own and enjoy the "quiet" use and ease
of upscale country living on the very acreage pioneerd by our
ancestor.
Sources? I have copies, obtained from Records of England, of the
original 750 acre Plantation Grant from King George III situated on
McIntosh Bluff, another historical landmark, in Washington County, AL.
Likewise a copy of the recorded warrant issued by the Land
Commissioners in 1804/05 and recorded at St. Stephens in Washington
County, Mississippi Territory for the 1,050 acre plantation also
originally granted in 1776 by King George III.
Copies of the Georgia Grants from King George III to Thomas III read
very much the same, but are partially printed and lack the charm of
the beautifully scrolled handwriting of the other Grants.
Sources? The "wealth" of abundant sources documenting the
distinguished Bassett Family Branches are readily available if one
diligently pursues them. You can find them in most GOOD Genealogy
Libraries, especially, those in the Southeast. All of our primary
allied Washington County families, except one, migrated from Virginia
to Georgia to the Mississippi Territory.
