Generation 1

WILLIAM BASSETT 1 (d. 1667) of Plymouth and Bridgewater

Parents: Unknown

There was a William Bassett who was married to Cicely Lecht. [Ref] He intended (19 Mar 1611) to marry Mary Butler in Leyden, but she died before the wedding. [Ref] He married second Margaret Oldham on 13 Aug 1611 in Leyden. [Ref] It has been suggested that this William and the one who came to New England are the same William. But, this William seems older and there is no evidence that our William had children from previous marriages. He could have been William's father, but there is no evidence of this. [Ref]

William died between 3 April 1667, when he wrote his will, and 12 May 1667, when inventory was taken. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Unknown. [Ref] Elizabeth was alive when she received land in the 1627 division. William married Mary (Tilden) Lapham, the daughter of Nathaniel Tilden and widow of Thomas Lapham, after 1651 and before 12 Dec 1664. [Ref] She was living at Bridgewater as late as 28 March 1690 [Ref].

William came to New England on the Fortune in 1621. [Ref] He received three lots of land beyond the fort to the wood west in the 1623 Plymouth land division. [Ref][Ref says that he received two acres.] William, his wife Elizabeth and his children, William and Elizabeth, were in lot six of the 22 May 1627 Plymouth cattle division. [Ref]

William was a freeman in Plymouth before 1 Jan 1632/3. [Ref] He is in the Duxbury section of the 1643 list of those between 16 and 60 able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony. [Ref]

On 2 Jan 1632/3 and on 2 Jan 1633/4 the General Court asked the colonists to pay taxes, in grain or the equivalent. [Ref][Ref] William was assessed relatively high taxes in the first year and relatively low taxes in the second year. [Ref]

William Bassett and his son-in-law Peregrine White volunteered to serve in the 1637 Pequot War under Lieut. William Holmes. [Ref]

William was on the Plymouth coroner's jury on 2 Mar 1635/6. [Ref] He was on the Plymouth petit jury five times between 7 Mar 1636/7 and 3 Sep 1639. [Ref] He was the Duxbury deputy to the Plymouth court five times between 2 Jun 1640 and 7 Jun 1648. [Ref] He was on the committee to lay out land six times between 3 Sep 1638 and 5 Oct 1640. [Ref] He was on the committee to admit newcomers to Duxbury on 7 May 1638. [Ref] He was a freeman in Duxbury in 1639. [Ref] He was on the Plymouth grand Jury on 5 Jun 1638 and 6 Jun 1654. [Ref] He was on the committee on bounds between Duxbury and Marshfield on 2 Mar 1640/1. [Ref] He was on the council of war for Duxbury on 27 Sep 1642. [Ref] He was the constable in Duxbury on 3 Jun 1652. [Ref]

On 6 Apr 1640 he was granted 100 acres of upland. [Ref]

William was a blacksmith of Bridgewater at the time of his death. [Ref]

On 3 Apr 1667 William made a nuncupative will. He left his movables to his wife, and his house and land to her during her life, after which it was to go to his son William's son. He left his tools to his son Joseph. [Ref]

His inventory included twenty books, mostly theological. [Ref]

Children of William Bassett and Elizabeth Unknown

1. William Bassett 2 was born about 1624 in Plymouth. He died before 9 Aug 1670. He married Mary Rainsford.
2. Elizabeth Bassett was born in Plymouth about 1626. [Ref] She married Thomas Burge, Jr, son of Thomas Burge, on 8 Nov 1648 in Sandwich. [Ref][Ref] She divorced him on 10 Jun 1661 after he was "brought to court for an act of uncleanliness with Lydia Gaunt"; it was the first divorce in Plymouth Colony. [Ref]
3. Sarah Bassett was born in Plymouth say 1628. [Ref] She married Peregrine White, the son of William White, by 6 Mar 1648/9. [Ref] On 3 Jun 1652 Sarah's father gave "his son-in-law Leiftenant Perigrine White" forty acres of upland with the meadow adjoining. [Ref] On 16 Jun 1656 "William Bassett Senior of Duxburrow now living at Bridgewater" made a deed of gift of his Marshfield lands to his "two sons there living viz: Perigrine White and Nathaniell Bassett". [Ref]
4. Nathaniel Bassett was born about 1628. He died on 16 Jan 1709/10. He married Dorcas Joyce.
5. Joseph Bassett was born say 1632. [Ref] He married first Mary Unknown by about 1660; she was said to be his step sister. [Ref] He married second Martha Hobart on 16 Oct 1677 in Hingham. [Ref]
6. Ruth Bassett was born say 1634. [Ref] She married first John Sprague, son of Francis Sprague [Ref] by 1655. [Ref] John was born in 1635. [Ref] He was killed in Pawtucket in the Great Swamp Fight in King Philip's War. [Ref]She married second Unknown Thomas. [Ref][Ref] At the 6 Jun 1655 Court at Plymouth, John Sprague and Ruth Bassett, of Duxbury, were presented for fornication before they were married. They paid a fine. [Ref]

Second Generation

WILLIAM BASSETT 2 (abt 1624 - bef 1670) of Duxbury and Sandwich

Parents: William Bassett 1 and Elizabeth Unknown

William Bassett was born about 1624 in Plymouth. [Ref] He died before 9 Aug 1670, when inventory was taken on his estate. [Ref] He married Mary Rainsford by about 1652. [Ref]

William is in the Duxbury section of the 1643 list of those between 16 and 60 able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony. [Ref] He was a soldier in the Pequot War of 1637-8. [Ref]

Some of the inhabitants of Sandwich had religious differences with the authorities. Ralph Allen and Richard Kirby were summoned at the 7 Oct 1651 Court to answer for their 'deriding, wild speeches' about God's word. They were bound over to the next Court and ordered to post bonds of £10 and £20, respectively. William Bassett the younger, Thomas Dexter, Sr. and Thomas Landers were also to appear and ordered to post bonds of £10 each. [Ref]

On 20 May 1655, William pledged ten shillings for the building of a meeting house in Sandwich. [Ref] On 17 Jul 1657, he agreed to pay one pound towards the minister. [Ref] In 1657 he was constable in Sandwich. [Ref] On 22 May 1658, he was one of three men appointed to find three trooping horses for the town. [Ref] By 13 (10) 1659 he was paid a pound for 500 nails for the construction of the meeting house. [Ref] On 16 May 1662, the town chose Goodman Burge, Sr and William Bassett to be Deputies. [Ref] On 16 Jul 1662, the town of Sandwich chose Goodman Skef, Goodman Tupper, William Bassett and William Swift to arrange for Lieut. John Ellis to finish the town dock. [Ref] On 15 May 1663, William was chosen a grandjuryman. [Ref] On that date, William and Joseph Burge were chosen to be troopers for the town. [Ref] On 11 May 1665, William was again a trooper for the town. [Ref] On 2 Apr 1667, William Bassett, Mr. Richard Bourne and James Skiffe were appointed to the council of war for Sandwich. [Ref]

Inventory on his estate, taken on the oath of Mis. Mary Bassett, amounted to £184.10. [Ref]

Children of William Bassett and Mary Rainsford:

1. William Bassett 3 was born about 1653. He died on 29 Sep 1721. He married Rachel Williston.
2. Mary Bassett was born on 21 Nov 1654 in Sandwich. [Ref][Ref, p. 3] She married John Redding on 22 (8) 1676 in Sandwich. [Ref][Ref][Ref][Ref, p. 3, 8 Oct 1676] John, the son of Thomas Redding, was born about 1640. [Ref, p. 3] He died on 17 Nov 1716 in Gloucester. [Ref, p. 3] He married second Jane Unknown. [Ref, p. 3] Jane married second Richard Babson of Gloucester on 14 Oct 1718. [Ref, p. 3] Richard was the son of James and Eleanor (Hill) Babson. [Ref, p. 3]
   some descendants of Mary Bassett
   
3. Nathan Bassett was born about 1657. [Ref] He married Mary Huckins. [Ref]
4. Sarah Bassett married Thomas Lewes of Falmouth. [Ref]
5. James Bassett was born on 18 Jan 1671/2 in Sandwich. [Ref] He died on 19 May 1738 in East Haddam. [Ref] He married Abigail Robinson on 18 Feb 1695/6 in Sandwich. [Ref]
6. John Bassett died after 3 Apr 1736 in Barnstable. [Ref] He married Mary Bourne on 3 Jun 1703 in Sandwich. [Ref]
7. Elizabeth Bassett was born on 10 Sep 1675. [Ref] She married Joseph Ashley. [Ref]
8. Mary Bassett married Nathan Bassett. [Ref] She died in 1743 in Chilmark. [Ref]

NATHANIEL BASSETT

Parents: William Bassett 1 and Elizabeth Unknown

Nathaniel Bassett was born about 1628. [Ref][Ref "say 1630"] He died on 16 Jan 1709/10. [Ref] He married Dorcas Joyce, the daughter of John Joyce [Ref] and Dorothy (Cochet) Joyce, about 1661. Dorcas was born about 1640 and died on 10 Jun 1707. [Ref]

Children of Nathaniel Bassett and Dorcas Joyce:

1. Hannah Bassett married Joseph Covell.
2. Mary Bassett married Thomas Mulford.
3. Dorcas Bassett married John Nickerson. [Ref, p. 3]

Generation 3

WILLIAM BASSET 3 (1653 - 1721) of Sandwich

Parents: William Basset 2 and Mary Rainsford

William Basset was born about 1653[Ref] probably in Sandwich. He died on 29 Sep 1721. [Ref] He married Mary Williston (or Willison) of Taunton on 9 Oct 1675 in Sandwich. [Ref][Ref]

On 8 Mar 1670/1, William chose Mr. Hinckley to be his guardian. [Ref]

On 14 Aug 1679, William was chosen to take the previous year's constable's accounts. [Ref] On 18 (3) 1680, William was chosen to be a surveyor for the town of Sandwich. [Ref] Also on 18 (3) 1680, William was one of three men engaged to provide the town with trooping horses. [Ref] On 19 Aug 1680, William Bassett and Thomas Tupper 2 were chosen to view land that Henry Dillingworth wanted to exchange with the town. [Ref] On the last of Aug 1680, William was chosen a rater. [Ref] On 18 (9) 1680, William Bassett and Thomas Tupper 2 were chosen to disburse the town's silver according to each person's disbursements in King Philip's War. [Ref] On 18 Aug 1681, William was chosen a substitute rater. [Ref]

Children of William Basset and Rachel Williston

1. Mary Bassett was born on 20 Oct 1676. [Ref][Ref] She died on 18 Dec 1733. [Ref] She married Nathan Bourne on 3 Feb 1697/8. [Ref][Ref does not give the location] Nathan, the son of Elisha and Patience (Skiffe) Bourne and grandson of Rev. Richard Bourne and James Skiffe, was born on 31 Aug 1676 and died in 1770 in Sandwich. [Ref] They had eight children. [Ref] Nathan was a shipwright and owned the first packet, the Charming Betty, between Boston and Sandwich (1717).
2. Rachel Bassett was born on 25 Oct 1679 in Sandwich. She married Joseph Foster.
3. William Bassett was born about 1683. [Ref] He married Abigail Bourne on 3 Feb 1708/9. [Ref] Abigail, the sister of William's sister Mary's husband Nathan, was born on 22 Jul 1684 and died in Jan 1764. [Ref] They had 12 children. [Ref]
4. Thankful Bassett was born about 1687. [Ref] She died in 1777. [Ref] She married Matthias Ellis on 30 Mar 1710/11 in Sandwich. [Ref] Matthias, the son of Lieut. Matthias and Mercy Ellis was born on 5 Nov 1681 and died in 1771. [Ref; later corrected from Mercy Nye to Mercy Unknown] They had three children. [Ref] Thankful was admitted to the Sandwich church on 18 Feb 1710/1; her husband was admitted on 20 Nov 1709. [Ref]

HANNAH BASSETT

Parents: Nathaniel Bassett and Dorcas Joyce

Hannah Bassett married Joseph Covell of Monomoy on 1 Mar 1703/4 in Eastham. [Ref, 3;180]

Generation 4

RACHEL BASSETT (b. 1679)

Parents: William Bassett 3 and Rachel Williston

Rachel Bassett was born on 25 Oct 1679 in Sandwich. [Ref] She married Joseph Foster 'now of Sandwich' on 8 Sep 1696 in Sandwich. [Ref]

References:

Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1995. Online database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 2002.

Ballou, Hosea Starr, "Dr. Thomas Starr, Surgeon in the Pequot War and his Family Connection," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 89, 1935, 172.

Bowman, George, "Eastham, Mass., Vital Records: Literally translated from the original records," The Mayflower Descendant various issues.

Brownson, Lydia B. (Phinney) and Maclean W. McLean, "The Rev. Richard Bourne of Sandwich, Mass. (c. 1610 - 1682)," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 118, 1964, p. 83 -

Brownson, Lydia B. (Phinney) and Maclean W. McLean, "Lt. John and Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis of Sandwich, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 119, 1965, p. 161 -. Errata 125, 1971, p. 140.

Crowell, F. E., New Englanders in Nova Scotia, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1938.

Hayward, Elijah, "Plymouth Colony Records," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 313-318.

McLean, Maclean, W., "John Joyce of Yarmouth (ca. 1615 - 1666)," The American Genealogist 43, 1967, 1 - 13.

McLean, Maclean W., "John Sprague (c. 1635 - 1676) of Duxbury, Mass.," The American Genealogist 41, 1965, 178-181.

No author, "Items from the City Records at Leyden," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 15, 1861, pp. 30 - 32.

No author, "Sandwich and Bourne Colony and Town Records," 1912, C.W. Swift, Yarmouthport, in Leonard H. Smith, ed., Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy, v. 2, 1992, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore. Online: Ancestry.com.

Plymouth Colony Archive Project, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz, Court Records Laws and 17th Century Texts.

Rasmussen, James, "Edward Raynesford of Boston: English Ancestry and American Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 139, 1985, 296. (cont. from p. 238)

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "List of Those Able to Bear Arms in the Colony of New Plymouth 1643," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850, 255-259.

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "Plymouth Colony Rates," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850 252-3.

Stratton, Eugene Aubrey, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620 - 1691, Salt Lake City, Ancestry, 1986.

Vital Records of the Towns of Barnstable and Sandwich

Winsor, Justin, "Abstract of the Earliest Wills in the Probate Office, Plymouth," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1850, 188.