Bassett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Bassett is part of the ancient legacy of the early Norman inhabitants that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Bassett was a Norman name used for a person of small stature having derived from the Old English word bas, meaning of low stature. 1

Early Origins of the Bassett family

The surname Bassett was first found in Staffordshire where the family traces back to Thurston, a Norman who held six hides of land in Drayton (known today as Dayton Bassett.) Thurston was the "paternal ancestor of several families of Basset, which rose to power and distinction very shortly after the Conquest. Ralph Basset [(died 1265)], the illustrious founder of their greatness, is said to have been raised by Henry I, from a lowly condition, and to have been 'exalted above earls and other eminent men.' True it is he was constituted Justice of England, and invested with the power of sitting in whatever court he pleased." 2

"Thurstan Basset appears in the Roll of Battle Abbey." 3

One source claims that the family may have branched to Withcote in Leicestershire in ancient times. "At the south-western extremity of the parish [of Withcote] may be traced the foundations and embankments of Solay or Sawley Castle, a place of great importance in the baronial wars, supposed to have been built by the Bassett family." 4

The aforementioned Ralph Basset was father of Ralph Basset, 1st Lord Basset of Drayton and Maud (c. 1265-1299.) He rose to become Governor of Edinburgh Castle (1291-1296.) His son Ralph Basset III was killed at the Battle of Evesham one year after his appointment. Wooton-Bassett, a market-town and parish, and formerly a representative borough, in the union of Cricklade and Wootton-Bassett, hundred of Kingsbridge in Wiltshire was an ancient family seat.

"This place, which appears to have been originally of greater importance than it is at present, was, at the time of the Norman Conquest, called Wodeton, from wode, a wood, and tun, a town. About a century after that period, it became the property of the noble family of Bassett, from whom it derived the adjunct to its name." 4

"At the upper end of the north aisle [of the church at Blore, Staffordshire], within a kind of chantry chapel, is a noble altar-tomb of statuary marble, supposed to be to the memory of William, the last male heir of the Bassetts, who was living in 1588; there is also a brass, dated 1400, in the aisle." 4

Early History of the Bassett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bassett research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1093, 1198, 1330, 1597, 1602, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1640, 1641, 1644, 1656, 1669, 1673, 1674, 1679, 1681, 1687, 1688, 1693, 1695, 1720, 1721 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bassett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassett Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Bassett, Basset, Bassit, Basett and others.

Early Notables of the Bassett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William Bassett (c. 1602-1656), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Bath (1640-1644), supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War
Sir William Bassett (1628-1693), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Bath (1669-1679) and (1681-1693)
Joshua Bassett or Basset (c. 1641-c.1720), an English academic, Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (1687-1688)

Bassett World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bassett is the 1,552^nd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Bassett is ranked the 920^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,286 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Bassett is the 843^rd popular surname with an estimated 865 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Bassett family to Ireland

Some of the Bassett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassett migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Bassett name or one of its variants:

Bassett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Bassett, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1621 8
Williamn Bassett (c. 1600 d. 1667), English master mason from Sandwich, Kent who arrived in Plymouth in November 1621 aboard the ship Fortune 8
Thomas Bassett, aged 37, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "The Christian" 8
William Bassett, aged 9, British settler who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Abigail" 8
Georg Bassett, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bassett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Bassett, who landed in New England in 1715 8
Cornelius Bassett, who landed in Newport, Rhode Island in 1780 8

Bassett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederick Bassett, who landed in New York in 1826 8
Alexander Bassett, who arrived in New York, NY in 1834 8
George Bassett, who landed in New York in 1844 8
Mr. Bassett, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
R G Bassett, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bassett Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Thomas Bassett, (b. 1875), aged 28, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Teutonic" arriving in Hancock, Michigan, USA on 9th April 1903 9
Mrs. Sarah Jane Bassett, (b. 1868), aged 35, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, USA on 7th September 1903 9
Miss Bessie Bassett, (b. 1878), aged 25, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Saint Paul" arriving in Hancock, Michigan, USA on 19th July 1903 9
Miss Bessie Bassett, (b. 1865), aged 38, Cornish teacher travelling aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving in New Jersey, USA on 26th July 1903 9
Miss Grace Harry Bassett, (b. 1899), aged 4, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, USA on 5th September 1903 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bassett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bassett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Isaac Bassett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Judith Bassett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Robert Bassett, who landed in Quebec in 1784

Bassett Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Bassett settled at Pouch Cove, Newfoundland in 1871 10

Bassett Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Mr. William Bassett, (b. 1862), aged 42, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Saint Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th May 1904 en route to Rossland, British Columbia, Canada 9
Mr. William George Bassett, (b. 1887), aged 17, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Germanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 12th September 1904 en route to Rossland, British Columbia, Canada 9

Bassett migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bassett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Bassett, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Francis Bassett, (b. 1785), aged 30, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 27th March 1815, sentenced for life for stealing 3 ewe sheep from Ann Borlase, transported aboard the ship "Ocean" in August 1815 to New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. William Bassett, (b. 1799), aged 20, English farm labourer who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1820 13
Mr. John Bassett, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. Christopher Bassett, British convict who was convicted in Gibraltar for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bassett migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bassett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Bassett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Duke of Roxburgh 16
William Bassett, aged 28, a shoemaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
Emma Rooke Bassett, aged 11 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
William Bassett, who landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship "Amelia Thompson"
Mrs. Harriett Maria Bassett née Sutton, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 19th December 1856 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bassett migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Bassett Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Oliver Bassett who settled in Barbados in 1635
Jo Bassett, aged 19, who landed in Barbados in 1635 aboard the ship "Falcon" 8
Mr. Olliver Bassett, (b. 1621), aged 14, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 19
Tobias Bassett, who landed in Barbados in 1663 8
Katherine Bassett, who arrived in Jamaica in 1686 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Bassett (post 1700) +

Angela Evelyn Bassett Vance (b. 1958), born Angela Evelyn Bassett, an American Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe Award winning, Primetime Emmy Award nominated actor and film director. Best known for her roles in Olympus Has Fallen (2013), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Glenn Noble Bassett (1927-2020), American tennis player and college tennis coach, the only person in NCAA history to win an NCAA tennis title as a player, assistant coach and head coach
Ebenezer D. Bassett (1833-1908), the first African American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Haiti in 1869
Edgar R. Bassett (1914-1942), United States Navy officer who received the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II
James E. Bassett Jr. (1912-1978), American newspaper editor and author, best known of his best-selling novel Harm's Way which later became a movie with the same name
Dave Bassett, American songwriter and record producer
Charles E. "Charlie" Bassett (1847-1896), American lawman and saloon owner in the early days of Dodge City, his deputies included Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson
Leslie Bassett (b. 1923), American composer, awarded the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his Variations for Orchestra
Captain Charles Arthur "Art" Bassett II (1931-1966), American electrical engineer and United States Air Force test pilot, selected as a NASA astronaut in 1963, but died in an airplane crash during training for his first spaceflight 20
Richard Bassett (1745-1815), American lawyer and politician, delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bassett family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Charles G Bassett (b. 1920), English Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Birmingham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 21

HMS Repulse

Mr. Richard Bassett, British Corporal, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 22

The Bassett Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pro rege et populo
Motto Translation: For King and people.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Charles Bassett. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bassett-ca.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html