Here is a brief summary of William Bassett: Later on the same November day as his will was probated, his widow married William Bassett and on February 6, 1649, William Bassett agreed in court to honor the will of William Ives (14). William Bassett’s arrival to New England is not documented and he first appears in the New Haven records on March 7, 1643 (15). After the 1648 marriage, the Bassett family continued to live in the house of William Ives at 72 – 160 Congress Street until William Bassett sold it in 1651/2 to the widow of Anthony Thompson (16).
William placed eleven pounds worth of cattle as security for John Ives’ portion of the property. Goodwife Bassett died some time after 1662 (17) and before William Bassett wrote his last will in January 1, 1679, where he provided bequeaths to only some of his living children and step children: daughters Bia Bassett and Hannah Parker, stepdaughter Phebe (Ives) Rose, and stepson Joseph Ives (18). Abraham Dickerman and John Cooper, the father and grandfather of Mary Dickerman, his new daughter-in-law, were named as overseers of his estate. William Bassett passed away five years later, and his estate was inventoried in September 1684 (19). (Continued)
14. Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven from 1638 to 1649, p. 431. William Bassett had declined a request to provide security for his, then future, step children when William Ives’ will was probated since his marriage had not yet occurred but was just under contract. Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven from 1638 to 1649, p. 410.
15. William Bassett first appears in the New Haven court records on March 7, 1643 when he was fined 6 pence along with several others for having a “foole gun.” Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven from 1638 to 1649, p. 125. The court of May 1, 1644 fined William Bassett and several others for coming late to the Lord’s day with their arms, p. 134. These fines were common and reflect the need to be prepared against possible attack by local Indians or the nearby Dutch, and do not reflect on William Bassett being different from most other early settlers, including William Ives who had similar fines. William Bassett continued to be an active member of the community (e.g., he won a legal case in October 2, 1666 and was awarded damages for beating given to his son, Samuel, New Haven Town Records 1662-1684, p. 188; he was seated at the general court of January 7, 1667, New Haven Town Records 1662-1684, p. 220, and received land in the December 1680 division of land - New Haven Town Records 1662-1684, p. 405. There is no reliable record of his immigration. There were two others named William Bassett whose early arrival in New England was recorded but they could not have been this William. One William Bassett came to Lynn, MA in 1635 at age 9, as part of the Burt family party and remained there, Anderson, Robert Charles, Sanborn, George F., & Sanborn, Melinde, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1634-35, Vol. 1, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999 – 2001) p. 190-195 and another came to Plymouth on the Fortune in 1621 and remained in Massachusetts as did his son William, Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vol. 1 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995) p. 127-130. Also, a John and Robert Bassett were part of the early New Haven community but they do not appear to be related to William Bassett of New Haven. Robert was the town drummer, Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven from 1638 to 1649, p. 410. Both Ives, see Ives, Arthur Coons, The Genealogy of the Ives Family, (Watertown NY: Hungerford-Holdbrook Company, 1932), p. 23, and Smith, see Smith, Tenney, Charles Smith and Rachel Amy Bryant: Their Ancestors and Descendents (Brattleboro: The Vermont Printing Company, 1938), p. 112, suggest the William Bassett had a first wife who died before he married the widow of William Ives since a “Sister Bassett” is listed as seating next to “Sister Ives” in the 1646 New Haven town meeting, Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven from 1638 to 1649, p 304, but there is no other evidence for the and they probably confuse her with the wife of John Bassett.
16. New Haven Town Records from 1649 to 1662, p. 109-110.
17. She last appeared before the New Haven court with William Bassett on August 5, 1662, New Haven Town Records 1662-1684, p. 1. She had also recently spoken to the court at the July 1, 1662 meeting, New Haven Town Records from 1649 to 1662, p. 527-528. There is no record of her death. She is listed as leaving the New Haven church after 1662, Historical Catalogue of the Members of the First Church of Christ in New Haven Connecticut A. D. 1639-1914, p. 10.
18. Alcorn, Mrs. Winfred S., Abstracts of the Early Probate Records of New Haven, Book 1, Part 1, 1647-1687, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 81, p. 121-122. It seems unusual that his son, Samuel, who married Mary Dickerman, is not named in this will since Samuel’s father-in-law is named as an overseer of the will. The marriage of Samuel Bassett and Mary Dickerman is recorded as June 21, 1677 in the Vital Records of New Haven 1649-1850, p. 43. He also left out of his will a number of his other living children and step children.
19. Abstracts of the Early Probate Records of New Haven, Book 1, Part 1, 1647-1687, p. 121-122. His death is recorded as August 29, 1684 in the Vital Records of New Haven 1649-1850 p. 49.
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