Bassett Ancestors

I wanted to pull my hair out when I started researching my Bassett ancestors! There are so many Bassett's named Thomas and William and it gets very confusing trying to sort them all out. Actually I haven't sorted them out and am desperate for some assistance. What I have found is that Thomas Bassett arrived in America in 1635 via the ship Truelove. I don't know if he was the first Bassett (in my line) in this country or what his relationship is to the Massachusetts Bassett's.

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Generation No. 1

WILLIAM BASSETT was born about 1590 in England and died 1624 in Jamestown, Virginia. He married ISABELLA about 1615 in England.

Notes for WILLIAM BASSETT
WILLIAM and ISABELLA had been in the Virginia Colony less than a month when he died in the Jamestown Massacre. On 22 Mar 1623/24: The Record of the Virginia Company of London notes that: Wm Bassett was one of the massacred by the savages of Virginia. Notice to be given to his family in England, "to the end that Heyres (Heirs) may take heed for the property: College People (about 2 miles from Henry City, Va.) Copy filed under Va Prob. or Land and Prop.

Child of WILLIAM BASSETT and ISABELLA is:

  1. THOMAS BASSETT, b. 1617, England; d. before 1659, York, Virginia

Generation No. 2

THOMAS BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT1) was born 1617 in England and died about 1655 in York, Virginia. He married MARY about 1642. She was born about 1622 in England and died January 1677/78 in York, Virginia.

Notes for THOMAS BASSETT
There are records indicating that THOMAS sailed on the "Truelove" which departed London, June 10, 1635, bound for Barbados and the Sommers Islands. He was living in York County, Virginia in April, 1639. However, it's recorded that his parents were living in Virgina in 1623/24 when his father was killed. I'm not entirely sure that WILLIAM and ISABELLE were the parents of THOMAS because of this discrepancy. I'll leave them listed this way until I can do more research.

Notes for MARY BASSETT
After THOMAS died, MARY married WILLIAM FELGATE who died in 1660. MARY and WILLIAM had no children. MARY married as her third husband, CAPTAIN JOHN UNDERHILL and had four children by him: JOHN, JANE, NATHANIEL, and MARY.

Children of THOMAS BASSETT and MARY are:

  1. WILLIAM BASSETT, b. about 1643, York County, Virginia; d. before May 1724, St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia
  2. MARY BASSETT, b. about 1645

WILLIAM BASSETT was born unknown and died unknown. He married ANNE. She was born unknown and died unknown.

Child of WILLIAM BASSETT and ANNE is:

  1. WILLIAM BASSETT, JR., b. England; d. about 1671/72, Virginia

Generation 3

WILLIAM BASSETT (THOMAS BASSETT2) was born about 1643 in York County, Virginia and died before May 1724 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia. He married ANNE. She was born about 1645.

NOTES for WILLIAM BASSETT
He is listed as being Sheriff of New Kent County in 1699 and Vestryman for St. Peter's Parish (Churchwarden in August 1700). This information was taken from an article in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. I (January 1894), No. 3, pp. 229 and 235.

Children of WILLIAM BASSETT and ANNE are:

  1. THOMAS BASSETT, b. about 1668, New Kent County, Virginia; d. April 20, 1720, New Kent County, Virginia
  2. ANNE BASSETT, b. about 1670, New Kent County, Virginia; m. THOMAS MOORE
  3. URSULA BASSETT, b. between 1670 - 1673, New Kent County, Virginia; d. after 1720
  4. MARY BASSETT, b. between 1672 - 1673, New Kent County, Virginia; d. 1724; m. JOHN BAUGHAN
  5. JOHN BASSETT, b. between 1675 - 1682; m. ELIZABETH
  6. ELIZABETH BASSETT, b. July 4, 1676, New Kent County, Virginia; d. October 4, 1738; m. JOHN HOWLE; d. 1741
  7. FRANCES BASSETT, b. between 1676 - 1678; d. after 1733; m. ROBERT HORSLEY

WILLIAM BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT2) was born in England, year unknown and died 1672. He immigrated to America about 1665. He married BRIDGET CARY in 1670 in Virginia, daughter of CAPTAIN MILES CARY and ANNE TAYLOR. She was born 1652 and died unknown.

Notes for WILLIAM BASSETT
I found the following information regarding William Bassett in Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume I.

Name: William Bassett, son of William Bassett, "yeoman," of Newport, in Isle of Wight, England, had seen military service; came to Virginia prior to 1665, when he was made commander of the workmen employed in building a fort at Jamestown; was paid 10,000 pounds of tobacco for his services; acquired a large estate, and died in 1672, leaving a son, William Bassett, of "Eltham," New Kent county, member of the council, by Bridget Cary, daughter of Capt. Miles Cary.

Child of WILLIAM BASSETT and BRIDGET CARY is:

  1. WILLIAM BASSETT, b. 1671; m. JOANNA BURWELL, November 28, 1693

Generation 4

THOMAS BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT3) was born about 1668 in probably York County, Virginia and died April 20, 1720 in New Kent County, Virginia. He married (1) ELINOR about 1693. She died September 7, 1713 in New Kent County, Virginia. He married (2) ELIZABETH. She died April 7, 1717 from complications of childbirth. He married (3) MARY. She died April 18, 1719 from complications of childbirth.

Children of THOMAS BASSETT and ELINOR are:

  1. JOHN BASSETT, b. February 5, 1694; d. March 17, 1716
  2. THOMAS BASSETT, b. December 10, 1696, St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia; d. 1758, St. Paul's Parish, Richmond County, Georgia
  3. NATHANIEL BASSETT, b. February 18, 1701; d. 1732
  4. ANNE BASSETT, b. 1703; d. before 1732
  5. WILLIAM BASSETT, b. July 1, 1705; d. March 8, 1716
  6. ELIZABETH FRANCES BASSETT, b. 1707; m. WILLIAM ALLEN
  7. JANE BASSETT, b. 1711

Children of THOMAS BASSETT and ELIZABETH are:

  1. URSULA BASSETT, b. June 7, 1715
  2. MARY BASSETT, b. April 4, 1717

Child of THOMAS BASSETT and MARY is:

  1. DAVID BASSETT, b. April 7, 1719

ANNE BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT3) was born about 1670 in New Kent County, Virginia and died unknown. She married THOMAS MOORE.

Children of ANNE BASSETT and THOMAS MOORE are:

  1. WILLIAM MOORE, b. about 1702, New Kent County, Virginia
  2. JUDE MOORE, b. about 1703, New Kent County, Virginia
  3. SUSANNA MOORE, b. about 1704/05, New Kent County, Virginia
  4. ELIZABETH MOORE, b. about 1709, New Kent County, Virginia; m. LEWIS BOBBITT
  5. JAMES MOORE, b. about 1712/13, St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia

JOHN BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT3) was born between 1675-1682 and died unknown. He married ELIZABETH (CARTER?).

Children of JOHN BASSETT and ELIZABETH are:

  1. WILLIAM BASSETT, b. 1725
  2. ANNE BASSETT, b. 1726
  3. ELLINOR BASSETT, b. 1729

FRANCES BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT3) was born about 1676 in New Kent County, Virginia and died after 1733. She married ROBERT HORSLEY about 1699 in Virginia. He died in 1733 in Hanover County, Virginia.

Children of FRANCES BASSETT and ROBERT HORSLEY are:

  1. JOHN HORSLEY, b. about 1703, New Kent County, Virginia
  2. ROBERT HORSLEY, b. about 1706, New Kent County, Virginia
  3. WILLIAM HORSLEY, b. about 1710, New Kent County, Virginia
  4. ELIZABETH HORSLEY
  5. MARY HORSLEY, b. about 1714, New Kent County, Virginia
  6. ROWLAND HORSLEY, b. about 1720, New Kent County, Virginia; d. after 1787 in Amelia County, Virginia; m. SUSANNAH
  7. ANN HORSLEY, b. about 1721, New Kent County, Virginia

WILLIAM BASSETT (WILLIAM BASSETT3) was born between late 1670 and August 28, 1671 in New Kent County, Virginia and died October 11, 1723 in New Kent County, Virginia. He married JOANNA BURWELL, November 28, 1693 in New Kent County, Virginia, daughter of LEWIS BURWELL and ABIGAIL BACON SMITH. She was born about 1674 in probably New Kent County, Virginia and died 1727 in New Kent County, Virginia. Both WILLIAM and JOANNA were buried at Eltham but were reburied in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia in 1879.

Notes for WILLIAM BASSETT
William Bassett, of "Eltham," New Kent county, was a son of Capt. William Bassett of the same county and was born in 1670. He was a member of the house of burgesses from New Kent in 1692, 1696, 1702 and probably in the intervening years. On May 22, 1702, Edmund Jennings and John Lightfoot certified that Col. William Bassett, who was elected burgess for New Kent, "was tendered the oaths for burgess and returned the following answer, 'I have already in several qualifications testified my allegiance to King William's government by taking the oaths &c.; but I am now informed, and fully satisfied that he is dead, and therefore I think myself obliged both in prudence and conscience to decline taking ye oaths to him at this time.'" On May 14, 1702, the Queen appointed him a member of the council of Virginia and he was present at sessions of that body until April 15, 1708. Within a few years Bassett desired to retire from the council and wrote to England to that effect, stating that neither his health nor his private affairs would permit him to attend. This, after some delay, was granted, but Bassett seems to have made too high a record as an official to be allowed to remain long in retirement, and in 1711, he was returned to the council, but declined to accept as he was not restored to his former position in that body. On March 11, 1714-15, he was again included in a commission to the councilors and this time took his seat, attending regularly the sessions until his death in 1723.
III--Colonial Councilors of State

Children of WILLIAM BASSETT and JOANNA BURWELL are:

  1. MARTHA BASSETT, b. December 28, 1694, New Kent County, Virginia; d. June 12, 1738, King and Queen County, Virginia; m. GAWIN CORBIN
  2. MARY BASSETT, b. 1696, New Kent County, Virginia
  3. ELIZABETH BASSETT, b. July 4, 1697, New Kent County, Virginia; d. October 14, 1738, Virginia; m. BENJAMIN HARRISON(?)
  4. LUCY BASSETT, b. May 24, 1699, New Kent County, Virginia; d. 1760, Virginia; m. WILLIAM ROSDOW
  5. JOANNA BASSETT, b. October 12, 1701, New Kent County, Virginia; d. October 4, 1708, New Kent County, Virginia
  6. WILLIAM BASSETT, b. March 27, 1705, New Kent County, Virginia; d. September, 1708, New Kent County, Virginia
  7. LEWIS BASSETT, b. August 10, 1707, New Kent County, Virginia; d. September 8, 1708, New Kent County, Virginia
  8. WILLIAM BASSETT, b. July 8, 1709, New Kent County, Virginia; d. 1744, Eltham, New Kent County, Virginia; m. ELIZABETH CHURCHILL; Notes - I found the following information regarding William Bassett in Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume I. Name: William Bassett, of "Eltham," New Kent county, Virginia, was son of Col. William Bassett and Joanna Burwell, his wife; was member of the assembly of 1742-1747, but died in 1744, before the termination thereof. He married Elizabeth Churchill, daughter of Col. William Churchill, and was father of Burwell Bassett (q. v.).
  9. BURWELL BASSETT, b. March 3, 1712, New Kent County, Virginia
  10. HANNAH BASSETT, b. March 9, 1714, New Kent County, Virginia; m. PETER HACKE
  11. MARY BASSETT, b. August 7, 1716, New Kent County, Virginia; d. August 23, 1755, Greenwich, Prince William County, Virginia; m. 1) EDWIN DAINGERFIELD, 2) EDWARD HACKE MOSELEY
  12. NATHANIEL BASSETT, b. January 16, 1719, New Kent County, Virginia

Generation 5

THOMAS BASSETT (THOMAS BASSETT4) was born December 10, 1696 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia and died 1758 in St. Paul's Parish, Richmond County, Georgia. He married (1) LYDIA HOWLE, February 25, 1719 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia. She was born about 1699 in Virginia and died before 1754 in Richmond County, Georgia. He married (2) ELIZABETH MILLS, February 25, 1754 in Savannah, Georgia.

Children of THOMAS BASSETT and LYDIA HOWLE are:

  1. NATHANIEL BASSETT, b. about 1721; d. 1794, Prince Edward County, Virginia
  2. MARY BASSETT, b. about 1727
  3. FRANCES "FANNIE" BASSETT, b. March 7, 1728; m. JOSEPH CHATWIN
  4. ELIZABETH BASSETT, b. March 12, 1732, Goochland County, Virginia; d. May 1819, Mercer County, Kentucky
  5. THOMAS BASSETT, b. 1737; d. 1781, Georgia; m. LUCY

Child of THOMAS BASSETT and ELIZABETH MILLS is:

  1. LOUISSA BASSETT

Generation 6

ELIZABETH BASSETT (THOMAS BASSETT5) was born March 12, 1732 in Goochland County, Virginia and died May 1819 in Mercer County, Kentucky. She married ALLEN BURTON, 1754 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, son of NOWELL BURTON and JUDITH ALLIN. He was born February 12, 1729 in Henrico County, Virginia and died in either 1802 in Mercer County, Kentucky or November, 1781 in Granville County, North Carolina.

Notes for ALLIN BURTON
Will Book 2, Mercer County, p. 305, dated July 17, 1802, gives 'Division of Slaves of Allen Burton' to Elizabeth Burton, widow. There is also a will for Allen Burton in Granville County, North Carolina in 1781 and it refers to Elizabeth Burton, adm. of the estate of Allen Burton. Obviously these are two different Allen Burton's but exactly which is which is a coin toss.

Allen Burton is shown on a 1779 Petition for Division of Bute County along with his brother, Bassett. Bute County was abolished in 1779 when it was divided into Warren County and Franklin County.
He also signed the Oath of Allegiance in Bute County, 1764-1779, as did his brother, Bassett.

Children of ELIZABETH BASSETT and ALLEN BURTON are:

  1. FRANCES BURTON, b. April 3, 1755
  2. JUDITH BURTON, b. July 3, 1757
  3. LOUISA BURTON, b. October 9, 1758
  4. BASSETT BURTON, b. December 29, 1760
  5. MARY BURTON, b. October 13, 1762; m. JOHN WILLIAMS
  6. ALLIN BURTON, b. April 11, 1764, Granville County, North Carolina; d. November, 1822, Daviess County, Kentucky
  7. HUTCHINS BURTON, b. January 8, 1767; d. 1847; m. ELIZABETH STAPP, September 21, 1798, Madison County, Kentucky
  8. JESSE BURTON, b. November 12, 1769
  9. ELIZABETH BURTON, b. January 8, 1772; m. WILLIAM HALL, November 1, 1792
  10. JOHN BURTON, b. April 11, 1774
  11. ROBERT ALLEN BURTON, b. August 11, 1776, Granville County, North Carolina; d. May 31, 1825; m. MARGARET FERGUSON, March 23, 1796, Mercer County, Kentucky

NATHANIEL BASSETT (THOMAS BASSETT5) was born about 1721 in Virginia and died 1794 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. He married MARY DAWSON about 1756 in Virginia. She was born about 1735 in Virginia and died 1809 in Henry County, Virginia.

Children of NATHANIEL BASSETT and MARY DAWSON are:

  1. JOHN BASSETT, b. 1756, Virginia; m. NANCY COMER
  2. NATHANIEL BASSETT, b. October 12, 1758, Virginia; d. 1832, Tennessee; m. MARGARET ARMSTRONG SPENCER
  3. MARTHA BASSETT, b. 1760, Virginia; m. PHILIP JOHNSON
  4. ABNER BASSETT, b. 1765, Virginia; d. August 5, 1822; m. SUSANNAH HARBARD
  5. BURWELL BASSETT, b. 1767; m. MARY HUNTER

THOMAS BASSETT (THOMAS BASSETT5) was born 1737 in Virginia and died 1781 in Alabama. He married LUCY.

Notes for THOMAS BASSETT
Because he was a British Royalist, he fled the Patriots of Georgia about 1768 and went to the interior of the British West Florida Territory where he received two British Grants totaling 1,850 acres. After the Revolutionary War, THOMAS and his brother, NATHANIEL, swore an allegiance to the Spanish Crown and obtained Spanish Warrants for the land previously conveyed by British Grant. He was murdered by Indians along the creek which bears his name.

Children of THOMAS BASSETT and LUCY are:

  1. NATHANIEL BASSETT, b. 1761; d. 1803 (never had children)
  2. THOMAS BASSETT, b. 1762; m. SARAH CLEVELAND

ELIZABETH BASSETT marries ALLEN BURTON and consequently is the last BASSETT ancestor I have. Therefore, I haven't pursued the BASSETT family beyond Generation No. 6.

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