(1) Welcome
(2) New Index of Bassett Topics from all newsletter to date
(3) John Henry Bassett Family Bible Entry for Richard Bassett of Georgia
(4) George W. Bassett and Bassett Limoges China
(5) Sale of W. H. Bassett Jr. property in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
(6) The Seth Albert Bassett Family by Walter Wesley Smith
(7) New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
(8) DNA project update
Section 1 - Welcome
My bassettgenealogy@hotmail.com account has been hijacked and I no longer have access to it. I have created a new email account with the name bassettgenealogy@gmail.com which I will exclusively for genealogy related matters. You can also use my work email address to reach me.
We have put together a new index showing the topics of all Bassett newsletters to date. Read more about this below.
Dozens of descendants of #13B Richard Bassett of Georgia receive this newsletter. Included this month is a bible entry from the bible of John Henry Bassett, great grandson of Richard Bassett. We are trying to find any other supporting information to support these bible notations.
A very popular item for sale on ebay is Bassett Limoges China. Read more about that line of Bassetts in this month's newsletter.
"Who Do You Think You Are? Live", the National History Show, takes place in London, England February 25-27, 2011. Family Tree DNA and ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogists) will have booths. I have supplied a Bassett brochure for any interested in the Bassett name for the ISOGG booth to give out to any new people researching the Bassett name. You can read more about the show at the link below.
Section 2 - Featured Bassett: Bassett Index to all newsletters
To help keep track of what I have written about and to allow others to easily search for a topic, we have created an index of all of the major stories included in the past eight years worth of newsletters. From the index, click on the Month/Year field of the newsletter you would like to display.
To access the new index, you can click on the "Splinters" Index as seen below from the Bassett website or click on the link provided below.
Section 3 - Featured Bassett: John Henry Bassett Bible Entry
DNA results for the family of #13B Richard William Bassett of Georgia ( a revolutionary war soldier with service in Maryland) show a match to the Bassett family of Dorchester County, Maryland, but we still do not have a known link between the two families.
Some people link Richard Bassett to the Bassetts of Eltham, featured in a previous newsletter article. So far the only evidence that I can find of this link is the following bible entry noted in the bible for the family of John Henry Bassett, born 1856. William Bassett of New Kent did have a son named William Bassett, and this William Bassett did have a son named Nathaniel Bassett (as recorded in the family bible of William Bassett). Nathaniel's birth in early Virginia records is show as 16 Jan 1718/19. There is no known record of Nathaniel's marriage or family.
If you further information on this family connection, please let me know and I can provide an update to everyone in a future newsletter.
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Section 4 - Featured Bassett: George Winslow Bassett and Bassett Limoges China
George Winslow Bassett descends from William Bassett of Plymouth as follows:
William Bassett and wife Elizabeth
Joseph Bassett (b. 1635) and wife Mary Lapham
WIlliam Bassett (b. 1667) and wife Sarah Sweetland
Nathan Bassett (b. 1702) and wife Hannah Washburn
Joseph Bassett Esquire (b.1747) and wife Hannah Lathrop
George Bassett (b. 1795) and wife Hannah Mitchell
George Winslow Bassett (b. 1820) and wife Francis Charlotte Robinson
634.691. George Winslow Basset, son of George Bassett
George Winslow Bassett, son of George and Hannah (Mitchell) Bassett, was born 24 Dec 1820 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He married Francis Charlotte Robinson.
He ran the George W. Bassett Co. in New York, an importer of crockery and china.
1860 Federal Census of Bridgewater, Plymouth County, MA (19 Jul 1860)
Geo. Bassett 46 M Massachusetts Merchant 10,000 4,500
Charlotte 34 F Massachusetts
Fanny C. 13 F Massachusetts
Geo. F. 8 M Massachusetts
Kate E. 6 F Massachusetts
1 Farm laborer & 2 servants
6346911. Charlotte F. Bassett - born 28 Sep 1846 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, married Benjamin W. Morrill and lived in East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.
6346912. George F. Bassett – born about 1852 in Massachusetts, married Fannie Doremus, daughter of Elias Osborne Doremus. He took over his father’s firm and changed the name to George F. Bassett Co.
6346913. Kate E. Bassett – born about 1854 in Massachusetts,
Bassett Limoges Logo
Drawing of the Geo. F. Bassett Building on Barclay Street in New York City
The Evening Post, New York, Friday, April 29, 1887
Death of George W. Bassett
George W. Bassett died at his home in Arlington Avenue, Orange, N.J., last evening, of Bright’s disease after a long a painful illness. Mr. Bassett was born in Bridgewater, Mass., in 1820, and came to New York in 1868, and went into the earthen and glass ware business with Oberlin A. Gager, at No. 49 Barclay Street, under the firm name of G.W. Bassett & Co. He retired from active business some years ago, and the firm name became Geo. F. Bassett & Co. Mr. Bassett was very well known in the trade. His funeral will take place tomorrow at one o’clock.
After the death of George F. Bassett, son of George Winslow Bassett, there was a battle over the proceeds of the company between his widow and his sisters. Read more about this court case below.
Conant et al. v. BASSETT et al.
(Court of Chancery of New Jersey, April 2, 1894)
Construction of Will – Vested Interest – Power to Devise
A testator gave property which he held by lease for years, to the executors of his will, in trust to manage the same and collect the income thereof, and, after making designated payments, to divide the net income semiannually, share and share alike, between his children, - his son, G., and his daughters, F. and K. – so long as either F. or K. should live. Held that G. took a vested right to one-third of the net income of the leasehold property until the survivor of his sisters should die, and that upon his death that right passed by his will.
(Syllabus by the Court.)
Bill by Ira M. Conant and Edward F. Anderson, trustees under the will of George W. Bassett, against Fannie D. Bassett and others, to construe the will.
George W. Bassett, of Orange, in this state, died on the 28th of April, 1887, leaving a will, in and by which, among other things, he did provide as follows: “Fifth. I give, devise, and bequeath unto Ira M. Conant, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, to my son, George F. Bassett, and to my son-in-law, Edward F. Anderson, and to the survivor of them, and to their successors, all my right, title, interest, and leasehold estate in and to four contiguous lots, pieces, or parcels of land, with the appurtenances thereto belonging, and the buildings thereon erected, situate, lying, and being in the city of New York, and known as ‘Numbers Fifty-Two and Fifty-Four Park Place and Forty-Seven and Forty-Nine Barclay Street,’ in said city, - being the same premises mentioned and described in certain leases made to me by the ‘trustees of Columbia College, in the city of New York,’ – together with all rights to renewals of said leases, and every right and interest connected therewith, in trust, nevertheless, to and for the following purposes: (1) That they take possession of said property, manage and control the same, collect and receive the rents and income therefrom, pay taxes, ground rents, premiums of insurance, and all other expenses connected with the management of the same; keeping the buildings thereon insured in solvent insurance companies, and rebuilding in case of the destruction of said buildings in whole or in part, using for that purposed any funds which may come to their hands, as trustees or otherwise, belonging to my estate; also keeping the said leases renewed, and doing whatever may be necessary in order to preserve and continue the term and rights granted to me by the said leases, and, generally, to use, manage, and control the said property according to their best judgement and discretion, for the interests of my estate, so long as my daughters hereinafter named, or either of them, shall live. (2) That the net income derived form said premises (after the payment of the mortgage thereon as hereinafter directed) be divided and distributed semi-annually, share and share alike, between my three children, namely, my son, George F. Bassett, and my daughters, Frances C. Morrill, wife of Benjamin W. Morrill, and Kate E. Anderson, wife of Edward F. Anderson, for and during the continuance of the lives of the said Frances C. Morrill and Kate E. Anderson, and so long as either of them shall be living; and it is my wish, and I will and direct, that my interest in said property be not sold or disposed of until after the death of both of my said daughters. (3) I direct my trustees, who are also hereinafter constituted my executors, to pay off and discharge, as soon as may be after my decease, the mortgage for forty thousand dollars ($40,000) upon my said leasehold property in Barclay street and Park place; and, for the purpose of paying said mortgage, they are to use any moneys which may be derived from my estate after setting apart and making due provision for the payment of the legacies hereby bequeathed, using for that purpose. If necessary, the net income which may be derived from the said premises. But the payment of the legacies herein bequeathed shall first be made, or the amounts thereof set apart for that purpose, before any incumbrance shall be paid off, and before any similar expenditure shall be made.” “Eighth. All the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate an property, both real and personal, of which I may die seised or possessed, I give, devise, and bequeath to my three children, Frances C. Morrill, George F. Bassett, and Kate E. Anderson, to be divided between them equally, share and share alike; and, in case of the previous death of either of them, the issue of my said children, or the descendant of any deceased issue, shall take the parent’s share; and if either or any of my said children shall not be living at my decease, and shall then have no lawful issue them surviving, then the share of such child shall go to my surviving child or children, and to the surviving children of any deceased child; the surviving children of any deceased child, in every case taking the share which would have gone to his, her, or their parent, if living.” “After the death of my said daughters, my said trustees, or their successors, may, in their discretion, sell the said leasehold premises above mentioned, and distribute the proceeds thereof as a part of my residuary estate, in the manner above directed.” At the testator’s death his three children were all living. Subsequently, on the 21st of May, 1891, the son, George F. Bassett, of East orange, died, without leaving issue; having made his last will, by which he devised and bequeathed his entire estate to his widow, Fannie Doremus Bassett, and constituted her the sole executrix thereof. The trustees now ask direction as to whom the share of the net income from the leasehold property designed for George F. Bassett, becoming payable after his death, shall be paid. By their respective answers, the defendants, Fannie Doremus Bassett, on the one side, and Kate E. Anderson and Frances C. Morrill, on the other side, claim it.
E.M. Colle, for complainants. Ferderic W. Ward, for defendant Fannie Doremus Bassett. Spencer Weart, for defendant Frances C. Morrill. Francis J. Swayze, for defendant Kate E. Anderson.
McGill, Ch. The leasehold interest from which the income in question springs is for years, and is deemed personal estate. 1 William, Ex’rs, 674. It is observed that the net income is not made payable to a class, generally, the testator’s children, so that upon the death of one the survivors will take (Crane V. Bolice, 49 N.J. Eq.373,384,24 Atl. 237), but to his three children, nominatim, to defined proportions, so as to clearly import distinctness of interest among the objects of the give (Hawk Wills, 112; Moason’s Ex’rs v. Trustees, 27 N.J. Eq. 47, 50; Post v. Rivers, 40 N.J. Eq. 21. The gift of the portions of the income is not made subject to a condition or precedent of any kind, and hence they are absolute and vested. Hawk Wills, 223. No provision is made for the disposition of any share in case of the death of its donee during the continuance of the trust. Hence, the quantum of the gift to each donee is one-third of the net income, continuing until the death of both the testator’s daughters. The gift of the income does not carry with it the whole or portions of the fund or corpus from which the income is to arise, because the time of enjoyment is not unlimited, but is expressly confined to the period of two lives in being. Parker’s Ex’rs v. Moore, 25 N.J. Eq. 228, 234; Hawk Wills, 123. Hence, it is neither expressly nor implicitly controlled by any provisions of the will which concern the ultimate disposition of the corpus. Upon this consideration, I am of opinion that, at the death of George F. Bassett, his right to one-third of the net income, payable periodically, as it should arise, so long as either of his sisters should live, was vested in him, and could be disposed of by him by will, and hence, that his widow, who is the executrix of his will and the sole legatee thereunder, will take it. The complainants will be so directed. The gift of the income, as I have, in substance, said, is not so interwoven with the disposition of the corpus, from which it springs, as to be at all dependent upon that disposition. Its bearing upon the disposition of the corpus may, however, be a matter for consideration at the proper time. Particular provision for transmission of the corpus is made in the eighth paragraph of the will. The construction of that paragraph has been argued by counsel; but as the present emergency does not require a solution of the questions suggested by that argument, and the bill does not ask such solution, and it is obvious, upon perusal of the eighth paragraph, that, when the time for the disposition of the corpus arrives, parties not now before the court, to be bound by its decision, will be necessary to a complete and beneficial adjudication, I refrain from any expression of opinion at this time with reference to rights in the corpus. Traphagen v. Levy, 45 N.J. Eq. 448, 451, 18 Atl. 222; Bonnell’s Ex’rs v. Bonnell, 47 N.J. Eq. 540,543, 20 Atl. 805.
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Section 5 - Featured Bassett: Sale of W.H. Bassett Jr. Property in Louisiana
W.H. Bassett Jr. is a son of #59B William H. Bassett of Louisiana.
From DNA testing, we know that this family shares a common male ancestor with President William Henry Harrison. It is interesting to note that President Harrison's mother was Elizabeth Bassett who belonged to the Bassetts of Eltham, Virginia family.
The following pertains to William H. Bassett Sr.
Washington, D.C., December 16th, 1843
To the Senate of the United States:
I nominate the following persons, who were appointed during the recess of the Senate, for the places respectively designated in connection with their names. Viz:
William H. Bassett as United States marshal for the district of West Louisiana, in the place of Gervais Fontenot, resigned.
John Tyler
The following pertains to a property formerly occupied by William H. Bassett Jr.
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Section 6 - Featured Bassett:The Seth Albert Bassett Family
Seth Albert Bassett descends from William Bassett of Plymouth as follows:
William Bassett and wife Elizabeth
Joseph Bassett (b. 1635) and wife Mary Lapham
WIlliam Bassett (b. 1667) and wife Sarah Sweetland
Nathan Bassett (b. 1702) and wife Hannah Washburn
Joseph Bassett Esquire (b.1747) and wife Hannah Lathrop
Joseph Bassett (b. 1791) and wife Hannah Williams
Joseph Milton Bassett (b. 1817) and Nancy A. Wood
Seth Albert Bassett (b. 1860)
Seth Albert Bassett and wife Ella
Picture provided by grandson Walter Wesley Smith
Walter Wesley Smith has written a short history about his grandfather Seth Albert Bassett. You can access this history by clicking on the link below.
Section 7 - New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter
The following family lines have been combined/eliminated since the last newsletter.
30B. John Eaton Bassett of Denbigh, Wales into the #223B Bassetts of Denbigh, Wales Family
164B. William H. Bassett of Waymart, PA combined into the 111B. Bassetts of Sussex County, New Jersey
The following family lines have been added since the last newsletter.
115B. William Bassett of Gravesend, Kent, England
164B. Rev. George W. Bassett of New York and Marshall County, Iowa (b.1813)
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Section 8 - DNA project Update
We are currently waiting for results of several kits that have been returned to the lab. Results for one should be back in time for the March newsletter, the others will be featured in April and May.
A kit for the #10B Richard Bassett of Mathews County, Virginia was returned to the lab today. This family includes noted historian John Spencer Bassett.
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.
