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WILLIAM BASSETT (d. 1667)
ELIZABETH UNKNOWN
William Bassett died between 3 April and 12 May 1667, probably in Bridgewater. He married first Elizabeth ___. He married second Mary (Tilden) Lapham. [1]
William came to Plymouth on the Fortune in 1621. [1] He was a blacksmith.
The Leiden records tell of a Separatist—William Bassett, master mason—who was the widower of Cecily Bassett. He was betrothed to Mary Butler in 1611, but she died before the marriage could take place. He was betrothed on 29 July 1611 to Margaret Oldham, and they were married on 13 August 1611. It is possible that Margaret died, this William married Elizabeth ___, and then showed up in New England as a blacksmith. However, it does not seem likely. It is also possible that the William here was the son (or other relative) of the oft-married Leiden William, but there is no proof. [1][2]
As a passenger on the Fortune, William received two acres in the 1623 Plymouth land division. [1] William, Elizabeth, William, Jr. and Elizabeth, Jr. were in the sixth company of the 1627 Plymouth cattle division. [1]
William was on a 2 January 7 Charles [1631/2] tax list in Plymouth. [3, 1: 9–11] He was a freeman in Plymouth in 1633. [3, 1: 3–4] He was on a 24 March 1633/4 Plymouth tax list. [3, 1: 27–29]
William was told to mow the land at the end of his own land on 1 July 1633, 14 March 1635, and 20 March 1636/7. [3, 1: 14, 40, 56]
William was on a committee to approve those who wished to settle on the Duxbury side on 4 June 1638. [3, 1: 84] William and Jonathan Brewster were appointed to view and lay out land on 7 January 1638/9 and on 6 April 1640. He was appointed to lay out land on 4 March 1638/9. [3, 1: 108–9, 114–6, 144]
William was on a grand inquest jury on 5 June 1638 and on 6 June 1654. [3, 1: 86–87; 3: 49]
William Bassett of Duxbury was granted 100 acres of upland with meadow between Comfort Starr's land and the Beaver Ponds on 6 April 1640. [3, 1: 144]
William was a representative for Duxbury on 2 June 1640, 27 September 1642, 6 June 1643, 29 August 1643, 5 March 1643/4 and 7 June 1648. [3, 1: 154–6; 2: 46, 57, 60, 68, 123] He was a constable for Duxbury on 3 June 1652. [3, 3: 8] He was on a jury appointed on 20 June 1654 to lay out a highway from Plymouth to Sandwich. [3, 3: 61]
On 3 June 1652 William Bassett, Sr. of Duxbury gave his son-in-law Lieutenant Peregrine White 40 acres of upland and all the meadow ground between the end of the upland and the South River that was laid out to William. [4, 1:96][1] On 16 June 1656, William Basset, Sr. of Bridgewater gave his land in Marshfield to his two sons who were living there, Peregrine White and Nathaniel Bassett. [1]
William Bassett, Sr. of Duxbury was presented to the court on 4 October 1648 for not mending guns quickly enough and was fined five shillings on 6 March 1648/9. [3, 2: 137] He was presented on 9 June 1653 for neglecting an order not to take provisions out of the colony. [3, 3: 36]
In November 1666, William Bassett, Sr., blacksmith of Bridgewater, sold 80 acres and five acres of meadow to John Sprague of Duxbury for 40 pounds. William's wife Mary consented to the sale. [1]
William Bassett, Sr. made his nuncupative will on 3 April 1667. [1] He left his movables to his wife. He left his house and land to her for her lifetime. After her death, they were to go to William, Jr. He left his tools to his son Joseph. Inventory was taken on 12 May 1667 and amounted to £123-02-06. No land was included, but there were more than 20 books. Letters of administration were granted to William Bassett, Jr. of Sandwich, his son and heir, on 6 June 1667. On 2 June 1669 William confirmed to his youngest brother Joseph, land that had been granted to him Bridgewater by his father. [1]
Children of William Bassett and Elizabeth Unknown:
i. William Bassett was born about 1624 in Plymouth. [1] He married Mary, the daughter of Edward Rainsford. [1]
William Bassett, Jr. is listed with those desiring to become freemen on 8 June 1655. [3, 3: 78]
ii. Elizabeth Bassett was born about 1626 in Plymouth. She married Thomas Burgess on 8 November 1648 in Sandwich. [1] She was granted a divorce on 10 June 1661; it was the first divorce in Plymouth colony. [3, 3: 221][2]
Thomas Burgess committed an act of "uncleaness" with Lydia Gaunt and was sent to be severely whipped at the June 1661 court and whipped a second time in Sandwich. [3, 3: 221]
iii. Sarah Bassett was born say 1628 in Plymouth. She married Lieutenant Peregrine White, the son of William White. [1]
iv. Nathaniel Bassett was born say 1630 in Plymouth. He died in January 1709/10 in Yarmouth. He married Dorcas Joyce.
v. Joseph Bassett was born say 1632. He married first Mary ___. [1] He married second Martha Hobart on 16 October 1677 in Hingham. [1]
iii. Ruth Bassett was born say 1634. She married first John, the son of Francis Sprague. [1] She married second ___ Thomas, maybe John Thomas. [1]
Ruth Bassett and John Sprague were presented to the 8 June 1655 court for fornication before marriage. They paid a fine. [3, 3: 82]
References:
1. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally Published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 127–30.
2. Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620–1691 ( Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1986), 242–4.
3. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, vol. 1, 1633–1640, vol. 2, 1641–1651, vol. 3, 1651–1661, vol. 4, 1661–1668, vol. 5, 1668–1678, vol. 6, 1678–1691 (Boston: William White, 1855, 1866).
4. George Ernest Bowman, "Plymouth Colony Deeds," Mayflower Descendant 1 (199): 96.
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24-Dec-2022