Bassett Family Association - , Modern Founder (originally founded in 1897)
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Splinters From The Tree March 2012(1) Welcome Section 1 - Welcome * * * * * Section 2 - Featured Bassett: Orren Alonzo Bassett, Carpenter
Harlem Valley Times, Saturday, April 24, 1915 Orrin Bassett was born in Bristol 75 years ago in the house which used to stand on the river side just west of Pierce’s Bridge, was cabinet maker and for years made cases for the John Birge Clock Co. As Orrin grew up he learned his father’s trade also that of a pattern maker and machinist, and with Mr. Potter made melodeons in what is not the Saw Shop. He was quite a musician, and many are the interesting tales he told of taking a melodeon in a boat in the evening and carrying it so some place on the bank of the river and the young folks singing. When still a young man his father bought a farm and moved to North Egermont, Mass. After a few years on the farm, Orrin Bassett returned to Connecticut and settled in Plainville, where he had relatives, and followed the carpenter’s trade. About this time, he built the Talmage Place on West Broad street, then considered one of the finest in town, and number of the first cottages at Sachem’s Head. Soon after he built a shop on Whiting street and manufactured metal musical goods. About fifteen years ago he sold his business and removed to Amenia, N.Y., where, when he had the time, he still continued to do fine wood work and machine work in the shop he had on the farm. Here he made many beautiful pieces of furniture in later years. Mr. Bassett was twice married, his first wife was Jerusha Gordon of Sheffield, Mass. His second wife, who survives him was Mrs. Celia Parrish of Hillsdale, Mass. Besides his widow he leaves a son, Edward G. Bassett, and a daughter, Mrs. Wm. A Benton of Amenia, N.Y., and a half brother, Frank Bassett of Gt. Barrington. Mr. Bassett though of a quiet disposition, made many warm friends and was never happier than when talking over old times with some of the many friends who often found their way to his home or shop. His acquaintance was large and many will miss his face and greeting. * * * * * Section 3 - Featured Bassett: Samuel Walker Bassett of Omaha, Nebraska Omaha World Herald, October 23, 1923 The entire estate of the late Samuel W. Bassett for many years credit manager for the Cudahy Packing company, is left to his widow, Mrs. Mary N. Bassett, 1469 Spencer street, by the terms of his will, filed for probate yesterday.
* * * * * Section 4 - Featured Bassett: William Bassett of Cross Plains, Ripley County, Indiana
* * * * * Section 5 - Featured Bassett: Gilbert Bassett, World War I Gunner, Royal Flying Corps
Below are the first few paragraphs of the memoirs of Charles Bassett, MRST. MEMOIRS OF CHARLES BASSETT, MRST My Father who was a native of Ightham and born on 24 March 1840 was at the time of my birth classed as an `agricultural labourer` but now turned his attention to carpentry and by dint of hard study and perseverance in his work became a first-class carpenter and joiner working on Public Buildings and large gentlemen`s residences then being built in Sevenoaks and district up to the time of his death on 22 April 1890 and much of his work can be seen today and his name on the work has often been brought to light during the demolition or alterations to these large residences in recent years. My Mother was a native of Sussex, being born at West Grinstead on 28 October 1835 and died on 3 January 1933. Her home was at Twineham and she came to Oldbury Place, Ightham, then occupied by Mr & Mrs Horace Martin. It was here she met my Father and they were married at Twineham on 1 January 1861 and then came to reside at Fuller Street. After about three years they moved to Seal Chart. It was here I first went to school at the age of between five and six years at what was then known as Dame`s School which was held in the front room of a cottage in a row known as Batt`s Row. The teacher was a Miss Steer whose parents lived at Godden Green in the house adjoining what is now the Golf Club House and who afterwards emigrated with her parents to Australia. I had nearly a mile to walk from where we lived to the school. Part of the time we lived here my Father used to walk to Underriver and back night and morning working for a builder there named Stephen Hoath. In the year 1869 my parents moved to Seal Village.
EXTRACT FROM DIARY OF TRIP NO.2 – JUNE 11th TRIP NO.3 – JUNE 13th TRIP NO.4 – JUNE 14th We go into the Sergeants` Mess for tea and the pilot comes round, picks us up in the CC`s touring car and we start back again for Marques. I might mention here that Dunkirk must be a very unhealthy place to live in as the `drome from above looked like a large plum pudding with plenty of plum in as Jerry had been over there on the nights of June 6th and 7th and dropped 240 bombs on it so you may guess it made a mess of things. In fact the door of the Sergeants` Mess was riddled with shrapnel holes and hangars and machines were blown to pieces. Now they put all the machines on the sands and just bring them up to the `drome to load up with bombs and things and then go back to the sands again and wait for going out at night. Nobody sleeps on the `drome either now they all go out and the place is left only for the cats and dogs at night. We start off to Marques, 50 miles distant and after a somewhat fast run in which the dust flies pretty much we arrive there in 1 hour 20 minutes. In fact I feel a lot safer a few thousand feet in the air than in that car. We arrive at Marques covered with dust and the pilot gets another car to take him to Boulogne and he wants me to go as well but I knew very well that we should not be in there until late and it would mean a Rest Billet where you don`t rest, as you have to, as a rule, be catching things all night and it isn`t fishing either, so I get permission to stop at Marques and we have a comfortable bed on the stage again and we go down in the morning and have a few hours in Boulogne and also a `posh` luncheon served up in true French style and we catch the boat at 3 o`clock and land back at Lympne at 6 o`clock all safe and sound and am now waiting for another trip which can come as soon as it likes. A TRIP FROM LYMPNE TO COURBON VIA LE BOURGET IN A HANDLEY PAGE After coming back off leave on the 14th, I was detailed to a machine at once, and the pilot who was waiting and in a hurry started off before I got my flying gear on, so had to put that on when we were flying, this was at 2.30pm. Not having had time to ask the pilot where we were going, I naturally thought we were going to Marques, so settled down for a half hour`s comfortable ride, but instead of going there, he took off down the coast of France, so came to the conclusion he was going to Verton, but I was deceived again, as he still kept in the same direction as he did not take a course inland over Etaples (pronounced Etaps) to go to Le Bourget. I gave up surmising and let him get on with it; and after about two hours, he got to the mouth of the Seine and turned round and followed the river up to Paris; by this time a thick fog had come on and it was getting dark. The pilot shouted to me and asked if I could see the `drome and I asked him where he wanted to get to and he told he told me it was Le Bourget. By this time we were well over the city and making straight for the Eiffel Tower in the distance and I knew at once we were too far south. I took on directing him and he turned the old bus round to due north and we lowered our altitude to about 500ft and began circling round but could not see anything. As it was dark now we decided to land so down we came to 200ft and took pot luck on a field that looked smooth and so landed with a few bumps. We found that it had been freshly ploughed up, but everything was alright and nothing broken. We get out, light up the proverbial cigarette and congratulate ourselves. Leaving the mechanic in charge of the machine, the pilot and myself walk to the nearest telephone kiosk about a mile away and `phone the aerodrome and they come out in a tender with blankets and “Bully Beef” and biscuits. Meanwhile the pilot and I refresh ourselves in the “Estaminet” with Malage (which by the way is good) at his expense, until the tender picks us up and we go out to the machine. We get up and have some breakfast and a drink of wine and then we think about having a wash and shave. We have no water but the canvas that was slung over the top of the machine had sunk down in the middle and we both washed and shaved in that, while the French girls look on and laugh, and so do we. The tender arrived with the pilot shortly after and we start the engine up and fly back to the `drome, four and a half miles away, that we had missed the previous night – and the weather being bad we couldn`t set out on the remainder of the journey, so made ourselves comfy on the `drome. Wednesday being bad weather we did the same, except we went into Paris in the evening and had a look round. Arrived back in camp at 12.30 midnight. Thursday morning mist very thick but clears up at 10 o`clock. The weather report comes through from Courbon that it was alright that end so we start up the engines and take off, after having some lunch with a fresh pilot, Lt Kennedy, some lad too, a typical pilot. This is the first time that he has been to Courbon by air, so I have the maps and direct him. Everything goes alright until we get about halfway there, then he says we are on the wrong road but I contradict him and he follows my directions. He is still doubtful until we come to a landmark, a railway junction, which he cannot dispute and he acknowledges he was wrong by a loud “tres bon” in my ear. In two hours we are over Troyes where there is a mixture of road and railway junctions and we have to be careful or else we get on the wrong route and as it is coming on to rain it makes it more difficult. We have a discussion which of two railways we should take and as I proved right before he follows my lead, but not before he had circled round over Troyes twice and it was by this time pouring and hailing in torrents and we came down to about 400ft to clear the clouds. The pilot does all he can do to control the machine and I have to look out and keep him on the right path. The hail is awful it is stinging the bare parts of my face as though it was being whipped with a lot of small lashes. The pilot shouts to me and asks if he should land, but to cheer him up I told him to stick it as we had only to die once. The reason I told him to stick it was that in a storm like that we should probably have crashed on landing and also it was impossible to pick up a good landing ground and we were just as safe in the air. This kept on for about 20 minutes, but it seemed more like 20 hours. At last we came through it, then looked at each other and laughed, in the distance we could see the Courbon Aerodrome, which we reached at 4 o`clock all safe and sound but wet (outside). Being too late to catch a train back to Paris we stop the night and start off in a tender at 1 o`clock Friday and get to Bar-sur-Aube at 3 o`clock to take the 4 o`clock train to Paris for Boulogne and after travelling all night reach Boulogne at 8.30 in the morning. We get some breakfast and get the boat at 10.30 and arrive in Folkestone at 1 o`clock Saturday. We phone up for a tender from Lympne and arrive back in camp at 2.30 all safe and sound and ready for another trip to wherever they like to send me. Gunner/Observer G Bassett 60561, 62nd Squadron * * * * * Section 6 - Featured Bassett: Clement E. Bassett Breach of Promise Suit Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 3, 1894 Wheeling, Jan. 2 (Special). – A breach of promise suit has just been brought in the circuit court of Marshall county which promises to attract wide attention at the trial, which soon takes place. The plaintiff, Miss Jennie Anguish, asks for $10,000 damages from Clement E. Bassett because, as her petition alleges, he, after promising to marry her, failed to perform his agreement. The parties are wealthy, belonging to prominent families in the southern part of Marshall county. * * * * * Section 7 - Featured Bassett: Nathan Snow Bassett of Rhode Island Pawtucket Times, January 29, 1900 Nathan S. Bassett, and old respected resident of this city, died Saturday night at his home, 33 Hamilton street, after a somewhat lingering illness from diseases incident to old age. * * * * * Section 8 - New family lines combined or added since the last newsletter: 26B. William Bassett of California (b. 1867) * * * * * Section 9 - DNA project update:
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 | |
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