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Basher History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Basher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Basher family

The surname Basher was first found in Hertfordshire at Stanstead Abbots, a parish, in the union of Ware, hundred of Braughin. The first record that we could find was of Edward Bashe, the son of a Worcester tradesman who served in the naval victualling department for 40 years, and obtained a grant of Stanstead Abbots in 1559. His son Ralph Baesh built the church "situated on an eminence one mile south-east from the village in 1578." 1 And his son, Sir Edward Baesh founded almshouses for six widows in 1636, and a free grammar school. A few years later in the same parish, Rye House was home to the plot laid in 1683 against the lives of Charles II., and James, Duke of York.

Early History of the Basher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basher research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1600, 1616, 1661 and 1671 are included under the topic Early Basher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Basher 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 Bashe, Bash, Bashy, Baesh and others.

Early Notables of the Basher family

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

Basher 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 Basher name or one of its variants:

Basher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jacob Basher, who landed in New York in 1670 2

Basher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Farbunet Basher, aged 59, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1822 2
F Basher, who arrived in North America in 1832 2
John Basher, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Southampton, in 1897

Basher Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Basher, aged 30, who landed in America from Pemyn, Cornwall, in 1905
Mr. Charles Basher, (b. 1875), aged 30, Cornish mason travelling aboard the ship "Saint Paul" arriving in Butte, Montana, USA in 1905 3
Mrs. Olive Basher, (b. 1878), aged 27, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Saint Paul" arriving in Butte, Montana, USA on 1905 3
John Basher, aged 24, who landed in America from E. Russon, England, in 1907
Ida Lilian Basher, aged 23, who immigrated to America from Truro, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Basher migration to Australia +

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

Basher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Bessie Basher, (b. 1870), aged 21, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Jelunga" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 29th March 1891 4
Mr. Joseph J Basher, (b. 1866), aged 25, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Jelunga" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 29th March 1891 4
Miss Mary Basher, (b. 1858), aged 33, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Jelunga" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 29th March 1891 4

Basher 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:

Basher Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Cassandra Basher, (b.1848), aged 26, Cornish housemaid departing on 27th October 1874 aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 25th January 1875 5
Ms. Harriet Basher, (b.1852), aged 22, Cornish settler departing on 27th October 1874 aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 25th January 1875 5
Mr. Peter Basher, (b.1851), aged 23, Cornish farm labourer departing on 27th October 1874 aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 25th January 1875 5
Mr. Peter Basher, (b. 1852), aged 23, Cornish farm labourer from Cornwall travelling from London aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1875 6
Mrs. Harriet Basher, (b. 1853), aged 22, Cornish settler from Cornwall travelling from London aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1875 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Basher 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. 7

Basher Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. John Basher, aged 20, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 2

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
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