Bassinger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Bassinger family

The surname Bassinger was first found in Hampshire at Basing or Old Basing as it is sometimes known. This village and parish is in the union and hundred of Basingstoke. The first listing of this Saxon place name was found in 871 when it was listed as Basengum. An Anglo-Saxon tribe was known as the Basingas and some believe that is the true source of the village name as literally the place name means "settlement of the followers of a man called Basa." 1

"This place is remarkable for having been the scene of the defeat of King Ethelred I by the Danes, in 871." 2 The Battle of Basing was on the 22nd of January in 871. "

At the period of the Norman survey, Hugh de Port held fifty-five lordships in the county, of which Basing was the head" 2 Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands who was recorded in the Domesday Book. Salomon de Basing was Lord Mayor of London in 1217 and years later, Adam de Basing was similarly Lord Mayor of London in 1251.

John Basing or Basingstoke (d. 1252), Archdeacon of Leicester, takes his name from the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire. "He seems to have been one of the earliest Englishmen who possessed a real knowledge of Greek, and was probably one of the first natives of our islands - if we except the doubtful instance of Johannes Scotus Erigena - who perfected himself in this language by a sojourn at Athens. " 3

Early History of the Bassinger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bassinger research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1306, 1510, 1558 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bassinger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassinger Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Bassinger has been recorded under many different variations, including Basing, Basings, Bainges and others.

Early Notables of the Bassinger family

More information is included under the topic Early Bassinger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassinger migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Bassingers were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Bassinger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mr. Bassinger, who arrived in Albany, NY in 1733 4

Bassinger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Friedrich Bassinger, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1854 4

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)