Show ContentsBasye History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Basye family

The surname Basye was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of St Columb Major who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Sebastian is a masculine given name that is derived from the Latin name Sebastianus meaning "from Sebastia" and is also a surname derived from Saint Sebastian (died c. 288), an early Christian saint and martyr.

Early History of the Basye family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basye research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1510, 1535 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Basye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Basye Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Basye were recorded, including Bastian, Basten, Bastin, Bastien, Bastion, Baston and many more.

Early Notables of the Basye family

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


United States Basye migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Basye arrived in North America very early:

Basye Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Basye, who arrived in Hartford, Connecticut in 1635 2
  • Michael Basye, who arrived in Maryland in 1653 2
  • Edmond Basye, who landed in Virginia in 1670 2
Basye Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Isaac Basye, who landed in Virginia in 1712 2
  • Elisha Basye, who arrived in Virginia in 1720 2


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. 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)


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