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Bassett Family Association - , Modern Founder (originally founded in 1897)

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Splinters From The Tree October 2009


(1) Welcome
(2) Sale of the Bassett Tehidy Estates
(3) Richard Bassett of Bassett's Island, Michigan
(4) William Henry Bassett of Calstock, Cornwall and Wadworth, Ohio
(5) Children of Edward and Eva (Corkill) Bassett
(6) New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
(7) DNA project update

Section 1 - Welcome

I want to thank the many people who have sent in pictures or material to include in future newsletter articles. I ran short of time this month to get several of them included, but hope to feature them during the next several months.

We are still waiting for the return of several DNA kits. If you have an outstanding kit, please return to the lab as soon as possible or let me know that you are no longer going to participate in the project so that I can use the funds for a different participant.

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Section 2 - Featured Bassett: Sale of the Bassett Tehidy Estates

I found this interesting article about the sale of the Tehidy Estates in an Indianapolis, Indiana newspaper.

The Indianapolis Star, Saturday, November 13, 1915

        A sensation has been created in Cornwall by the announcement of the private sale of Tehidy estates, which have been owned by the Bassett family for 700 years. The Bassetts established themselves in Cornwall shortly after the Norman conquest. About a century later they obtained Tehidy by marriage with the heiress of the noted family of DeDunstanville. They were lucky in marrying a succession of heiresses in Devon and Cornwall after they had almost lost their fortune in the war of the roses. Francis Bassett was created a baronet in 1779, and in 1796 he was raised to the peerage by Mr. Pitt as Baron DeDunstanville. Like so many other peers, he followed the family tradition by marrying an heiress and left a daughter, who succeeded under a special remainder to the barony of Bassett, which had been created in 1797. On her death the estates passed to a collateral branch, and they have been owned for many years by A.F. Bassett.
        Tehidy Park, near Camborne, comprises about 900 acres. The place was greatly improved about half a century ago by F.A. Bassett, who rebuilt the house, which contains a gallery of fine pictures, old masters and portraits. In the grounds is a striking memorial to Susannah, first wife of Lord DeDunstanville, who died in 1823. The estates include valuable mineral rights, notably the famous Dolcoath mine. The mines for years produced about $85,000 a year for the owner, but the return now is much smaller. The sale has excited a feeling of consternation in the district, when most of the farmers on the estates at Michaelmas received notices to terminate their tenancies within twelve months.

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Section 3 - Featured Bassett: Richard Bassett of Bassett's Island near Traverse County, Michigan

I have not yet identified the following Richard Bassett.
Richard Bassett

Atchison, Kansas, Wednesday, March 4, 1891
Richard Bassett’s Island
Queer Consequences of Its not Being on Government Maps

        Richard Bassett is the modern Robinson Crusoe, for when at home he is monarch of all he surveys and can dispute his rights. He lives on a small island in Grand Traverse bay, not far from Traverse City, Mich. When he settled there a decade ago he tried to secure title to his acre of ground, but the Washington authorities couldn’t find it on their charts, and declared that as is hadn’t been surveyed it had no legal existence. As the island isn’t a part of the United States the Grand Traverse county authorities say Mr. Bassett can’t vote or exercise the rights of citizenship. On the other hand, however, he has no taxes to pay or jury duty to perform.
        When Bassett moved to his island it was covered with trees and underbrush. He cleared the ground, leaving only a few choice forest monarchs to afford him shade, built a comfortable house and surrounded it with flower and vegetable gardens. He lives alone and nothing is known of his early history, for about personal matters he is reticent. But when he comes in contact with his fellows, which is seldom, he proves a delightful companion. He is well educated, takes numerous papers and magazines and has an excellent library. He is supposed to be about fifty years of age.

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Section 4 - Featured Bassett: William Henry Bassett of Wadsworth, Ohio

William Henry Bassett
William Henry Bassett of Calstock, Cornwall and Wadsworth, Ohio
Picture provided by James Vallen

Can anyone identify this picture below? The picture says he was "Bassett of South Fork, Pennsylvania" and was in possession of the family of William Henry Bassett of Wadsworth, Ohio.

Bassett of South Fork PA
Picture labeled as Bassett of South Fork, Pennsylvania
Provided by James Vallen

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Section 5 - Featured Bassett: Children of Edward & Eva (Corkill) Bassett of New Zealand

Edward Bassett is descended from the #34B Bassetts of County Down, Ireland as follows:

John Bassett
John Bassett Jr. and wife Mary Casement
William Bassett (b. 1797) and wife Ann Jane Parkinson
Edward Bassett (b. 1826) and wife Ann Jane Leonard
Edward Bassett (b. 1865) and wife Eva Corkill

Left to Right: Jack Bassett, Evelyn Bassett, Edward (Ned) Bassett, Margaret Bassett, Alan Bassett
Left to Right: Jack Bassett, Evelyn Bassett, Edward (Ned) Bassett, Margaret Bassett, Alan Bassett.
(Picture provided by Michael Bassett, son of Edward (Ned) Bassett, of New Zealand)
Taken in 1915 in Auckland, New Zealand (click to enlarge)

        Cyclopedia of New Zealand
        Edward Bassett
Edward Bassett

        Bassett, Edward, Farmer. Fernside, Aratapu. Mr. Bassett was born in the North of Ireland in 1826 and brought up to farming. In 1862 he came to New Zealand by the ship "Indian Empire", and spent some time at the Thames. He afterwards took a place at Mangere and in 1874 removed to his present residence. Mr. Bassett was a member of the county council for nine years and has also been a prominent member of the school and licensing committees. He was married to Miss Leonard and has five daughters and four sons.

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Section 6 - New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter

        The following family lines have been combined/eliminated since the last newsletter.

142B.    Isaac Z. Bassett was combined into the #14B Jean Besset of Quebec, Canada family
160B..   Henry Bassett of Sandwich, Kent was combined into the #185B Henry Bassett of Margate, Kent Family
   
        The following family lines have been added since the last newsletter.

 142B. Herbert Charles Rochester Bassett of Western Australia
 160B. John L. Bassett of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales
 430B. John Bassett of Brooklyn, New York
 431B. Percy Bassett of Nottinghamshire, England

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Section 7 - DNA Project Update

We are still waiting for results for kits from the following two family lines.

#61    Joseph Bassett of Glastonbury, Somerset England and later Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York
#376 Thomas Bassett Lewis Bassett of Australia

Donations of any amount can be made to the Bassett DNA project by clicking on the link below. Any funds donated will be used to fund select Bassett DNA tests that will further our project as a whole and benefit all Bassetts worldwide.

http://www.familytreedna.com/group-general-fund-contribution.aspx?g=Bassett

This is just a reminder that the DNA portion of the Bassett Family Association can be found at:

http://www.bassettbranches.org/dna/

A current spreadsheet of results can be found at:

http://www.bassettbranches.org/dna/BassettDNA.xls

If you don't have Excel and can't open the spreadsheet above, you can now see the DNA test results at the following website.

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Bassett/

Jeffrey Bassett
520 Salceda Drive
Mundelein, IL 60060 USA
email address link in header above