June & July Reflections & Intentions 2017

My Blogging Reflections for June 2017

June’s blog posts were focused on John Bassett of Madron, baptised 5 September 1790 in St Madern Church of England, Madron, Cornwall. I managed to cover the time period 1790 to 1839 from John’s own baptism to the baptism of his last child.  Before publishing, I doubled checked all the previous research data that I had.  This was a very time consuming but worthwhile process, and where possible I linked records to the appropriate images on Family Search. 

Articles on John Bassett in this June 2017 series were:- 

Article 1 -  Who is John Bassett?

Article 2 - Looking for the Parents of John Bassett.

Article 3 - Living in the wake of family disaster

Article 4 - Locating the family through their children's baptisms

Lessons Learnt

The purpose of my journal is to document my research process and reasons for coming to my conclusions, however I have come to realise after reviewing my articles that I have not included my reasons for arriving at the familial relationships between William Basset the Pauper and his children, nor have I included reasons why I know that the family that I tracked around Cornwall were indeed my target couple.  In some cases I haven’t even documented the reasons in my own research notes – this is definitely something that I need to work harder at.

For the last two months, I have set the topic for the month which has helped both motivate and focus my writing.  This month I am going to challenge myself further and announce the posts in advance.

Blog Posts updated during June 2017

One of the challenges of writing a blog is the fear of making mistakes or publishing too early before one has finished their research.  Such fear can be crippling so to overcome this I update old blog posts to correct errors or to add additional information that has been discovered that is relevant to the topic.

Article 3 - Living in the wake of family disaster 
Originally posted on the 19 June 2017; Updated and revised on 24 June 2017

My Blogging Intentions for July 2017

I will continue to focus on John Bassett of Madron, as I did in June.  This month I hope to track him through the English censuses until he comes out to Australia and the entire family’s migration out to Australia.

Article 5 - Locating John Bassett in the English Censuses.

Intended publication date – Monday 3 July 2017

Article 6 - Locating John Bassett’s adult children in the English Censuses.

Intended publication date - Monday 10 July 2017

Article 7 - When did John Bassett come out to Australia?

Intended publication date - Monday 17 July 2017

Article 8 - Bassett Family from Cornwall to Australia. 

Intended publication date - Monday 24 July 2017

Article 9 – John Bassett’s final resting place in Australia

Intended publication date - Monday 31 July 2017

Image Credits - Sophie Ollis, Untitled, May 31, 2016, digital image, accessed 3 June 2017 https://unsplash.com/photos/TyXS1fx9f3I,  (CC0 1.0), original image modified.

Locating the family through their children's baptisms

Article - 4 John Bassett of Madron (1790- 1868) 

Last week I examined John and Martha’s move away from their birth places as they followed the coastline to Perranuthnoe where the first born was baptised.  This week I will attempt to trace the couple’s whereabouts using available church records

Figure 1 (2017). Google.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2017, from https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.1433691,-5.4454541,11676m/data=!3m1!1e3

The first place that we can locate the couple is In Perranuthnoe where their first born John is baptised.

Figure 2 St. Piran's and St. Michael's church, Perranuthnoe cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Jonathan Billinger - geograph.org.uk/photo/748333

1.       John Bassett was baptised 13 November 1814 Perranuthnoe, Cornwall.  The family were living in Perran at the time.[i]  John was buried as an infant on 17 March 1815 in St Hilary, Cornwall, the family were living in "Rudgeon in this parish" (maybe it should be Rosudgeon)at the time.[ii]

They don't appear to have stayed long in Perranuthnoe as soon after their baby, John was born we find him being buried at the age of one, on 3 October 1816 in St Hilary, Cornwall.  This is the same parish that their second child was baptised.  St Hilary is a neighbouring inland parish to Perranuthnoe.  The family were living in a tenement called Roseudgeon for both events.   Roseudgeon is a mining village serving the nearby Halamanning and Croft Gothal mines. The couple were possibly there for John to find work in the mines. 

Figure 3 The Church of St Hilary at St Hilary, Cornwall, cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Peter Wood - geograph.org.uk/p/5384820

2.       William Bassett was baptised in a private ceremony on 3 October 1816 St Hilary, Cornwall, the family were living in Rosudgeon , St. Hilary.[iii]

Their third child was baptised in the Germoe Parish Church a parish that shares boundaries with St Hilary.  Their fourth child was baptised in the Breage Parish Church.  Breage which is on the eastern border of St Hilary which it shares with Germoe, however, it doesn’t appear that family have moved as they are still in Percolly.

Figure 4 St Germoe's Church cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Sheila Russell - geograph.org.uk/p/174293

3.       John Bassett was baptised 25 June 1820 Germoe, Cornwall, the family were living in ‘Park Holly’ [this could be Percolly, where the next child Francis was born].[iv]

Figure 5 Breage: St. Breaca's Church eastern aspect cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Michael Garlick - geograph.org.uk/p/4676629

4.       Francis Basset was baptised 8 October 1823 Breage, Cornwall, the family were living in Percolly [difficult to read].[v]  Francis was buried at the age of 15 on 2 October 1839 in Breage, Cornwall.  [At the time of his death he was living in “Trescown [difficult to read] Common” [Trescowe Common?] at the time of his death; however, he may not have been living with his parents as he was 15.[vi]]

By 1826 the family were living in Trethewey/ Trethaway, possibly in the parish of Germoe. 

5.  Anne Bassett was baptised 17 October 1826 Germoe, Cornwall, the family were living in Trewey[?] [Possibly a variant of Trethewey][vii]

       

        6.   Martha Basset was baptised 28 December 1828 Germoe, Cornwall, the family were living in Trethaway.[viii]  [note There are a number of places in Cornwall with this or similar spellings. There is/was one in Germoe.]

Then the family then move to Godolphin, between 1829 and 1833

7. James Bassett was baptised in a private ceremony on 7 May 1833 Breage, Cornwall, the family were living in Godolphin Downs. [ix] James was buried on 18 May 1833 in Breage, Cornwall, the family were still living at Godolphin at the time[x] [note that for burial  James' age is given as "1". Other burials by the same vicar give age as "infant", so James baptism may have been performed so soon after his birth]

8. James Bassett was baptised 5 October 1834 Breage, Cornwall, the family were living at Godolphin.[xi]

9. Samuel Bassett was baptised 25 December 1838 Germoe, Cornwall, the family were still living at Godolphin. [xii]  He died before 1841 possibly in 1839.[xiii]

The family were possibly living in Godolphin, Breage by then, near the St Hilary side, the children were christened in  St Hilary which is surrounded “on the east by Breage and Germoe, on the south by Perranuthnoe.”[xiv] 

In summary looking at where the children were christened, the family moved from place to place in the following order:-

• Rosudgeon, Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, at least from the birth of their first and second child after which they possibly moved to Percolly/'Park Holly'. As the second baptism was a private ceremony it may have been out of their town parish.
• Percolly/'Park Holly' for the next two children [note Park Holly could be the same as Percolly said quickly the syllables almost sound the same and depending on who was doing the recording]
• Trethewey/Trethaway for the next two
• Godolphin Downs/ Godolphin for the last 3 at least until 1838 when Samuel was born

Previous articles on John Bassett in this June 2017 series 

1.                   Article 1 -  Who is John Bassett?

2.                   Article 2 - Looking for the Parents of John Bassett.

3.                   Article 3 - Living in the wake of family disaster

Can you help?  Do you recognise these people or places? It would be so interesting to learn more about their lives.  

Next week I will take a look at the censuses for the family begining in 1841.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to

Heather Brown of BassettByLines who contributed her thoughts on my original transcriptions of Parish records.

Sources

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[i] FamilySearch, Baptism of John Bassett baptised 13 November 1814, Perranuthnoe Church Parish Register, Cornwall England, p.6  "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Perranuthnoe Cornwall, 1813-1837, Cornwall Records Office, Truro  [annotated by minister as Copy 1]; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DCP3-NBN?cc=1769414&wc=3CBC-DPG%3A138123201%2C140492201%2C138123203, Accessed 14 April 2015 (image 7 of 53).

[ii] FamilySearch, Burial of John Bassett buried  17 March 1815 St Hilary Church Parish Register, Cornwall England, p. 12  "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Burials St Hilary Cornwall 1813-1845, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XK5Q-L13?cc=1769414&wc=3CBH-BZ7%3A138123201%2C141471801%2C139429401. Accessed 14 April 2015), Image 9 of 105)

[iii] FamilySearch, Baptism of William Bassett baptised 3 October 1816 St Hilary Church Parish Register, Cornwall England, p.28   "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, St Hilary Cornwall Baptisms, 1813-1837 Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XK5Q-LTM?cc=1769414&wc=3CBH-BZQ%3A138123201%2C141471801%2C138123203.  Accessed  14 April 2015 (image 20 of 108)

[iv] FamilySearch, Baptism of John Bassett baptised 25 June 1820, Germoe Church Parish Register Cornwall England p.30. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Germoe Cornwall 1813-1831, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QZW-4VY?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-FMZ%3A138123201%2C138780501%2C138780502. Accessed 14 April 2015.  (Image 18 of 53)

[v] FamilySearch, Baptism of Francis Basset baptised 8 October 1823 Breage Church Parish Register, Cornwall England p.138. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Breage Cornwall 1813-1827, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-WLX?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-ZNL%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138287902. Accessed  14 April 2015 (image 78 of 110).

[vi] FamilySearch, Francis Bassett buried 2 October 1839 Breage Church Register Cornwall p.42. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Burials Breage Cornwall 1836-1861, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R79-9SMC?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-RM7%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138313201.  Accessed 14 April 2015. (image 23 of 159)

[vii] FamilySearch, Baptism of Anne Bassett baptised 17 October 1826 Germoe Church register, Cornwall p.68. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Germoe Cornwall 1813-1831, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QZ7-PYL?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-FMZ%3A138123201%2C138780501%2C138780502 Accessed  14 April 2015. (image 37 of 53).

[viii] FamilySearch, Baptism of Martha Basset baptised 28 December 1828 Germoe Church register, Cornwall, p.83. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Germoe Cornwall 1813-1831, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QZ7-TDY?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-FMZ%3A138123201%2C138780501%2C138780502. Accessed  14 April 2015. (image 44 of 53)

[ix] FamilySearch, Baptism of  James Bassett baptised in a private ceremony on 7 May 1833 Breage Church Register, Cornwall. P.116 "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Breage Cornwall 1827-1839, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-HS5?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-C6V%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138291501.  Accessed 14 April 2015. (image 60 of 140)

[x] FamilySearch, Burial of James Bassett  buried 18 May 1833, Breage Church parish register, Cornwall England, p.158. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Burials Breage Cornwall 1813-1836, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SR3-B2M?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-RMC%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138307101.  Accessed  14 April 2015 (image 84 of 210)

[xi] FamilySearch, Baptism of  James Bassett baptised 5 October 1834 Breage Church Register, Cornwall, p.149. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Breage Cornwall 1827-1839, Cornwall Records Office, Truro https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-MTF?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-C6V%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138291501.  Accessed 14 April 2015. (image 76 of 140)

[xii] FamilySearch, Baptism of Samuel Bassett baptised 25 December 1838 Germoe Church Register, Cornwall, p.171. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Germoe Cornwall 1831-1895, Cornwall Records Office, Truro https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QZW-451?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-FM4%3A138123201%2C138780501%2C138782301.   Accessed 14 April 2015. (image 37 of 145)

[xiii] Note a search was conducted on the FreeBDM for a Sammuel Bassett between Sep 1837 and Dec 1841 for the County of Cornwall, this was the only Sammuel to be found.  It is possible that this is our Sammuel as we think he died before the 1841 Census.  Will need to obtain the death certificate to verify.  A wider search for all of England did show up a few more Sammuels however none seemed to be as likely to be ours as this one.  "FreeBMD England and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1900" (The Trustees of FreeBMD [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2001.), Deaths; Quarter: Jun; Year: 1839; District: Helston; Vol: 9; Page: 74. 

[xiv] GENUKI: St Hilary, Cornwall. (2017). Genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2017, from http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CON/StHilary

Living in the wake of family disaster

Article - 3 John Bassett of Madron (1790- 1868) 

This week I am going to take a look at the ramifications of criminal charges that were brought against John’s brother, his father-in-law and brother-in-law.

The incident in question happened only eight months after the couple’s nuptials on 13th December 1812 just before Christmas. However, although a warrant had been issued for their arrest, they were not apprehended at the time as they had absconded to sea. [i]   

Times would have been very lean after the incident, as the extended family had lost 3 main breadwinners all at once.  This must have put enormous pressures on those who remained to keep the home fires burning.  This may have been why John & Martha did not have their first until almost 2 years after they got married.  

Author unknown, Map of the County Cornwall England, digital image,  Opc-cornwall.org. Accessed 19 June 2017. http://www.opc-cornwall.org/MAPS/parish_map.pdf  Edited to show the movements of John Bassett in the first few years of his marriage to Martha Carbis.

They were no longer living in either John’s home parish of Madron or Martha’s home parish of Paul, they had moved to Perranuthnoe where their first born, John was christened on 13 November 1814 in the local parish church. ^[ii] 

When John Bassett married Martha he was listed as a sojourner however on each of his children’s christenings he was listed as a miner which may be more indicative of his true profession.[iii]  Perranuthnoe is about 5 miles (as the crow flies) from Paul.

Artist Unknown, An engraving of Cornish miners from the St Ives area in 1866, French publication. digital image, accessed 19 June 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACornish_miners_-_1866.png

The couple may have moved to enable John to find work in various mines or perhaps they left their towns of birth to put distance between (them and) the embarrassing events of  their relatives.

What happened to the following relatives is not yet known:-

• John’s mother-in-law Anne Carbis nee Drew would have been aged approximately  53 years in 1812 and her son Richard Carbis only 15 years old at the time. It is likely that Anne did not remarry given her age and unless there was a benevolent relative somewhere would have most likely ended her days in the parish poor house.  Richard being a lot younger would have made his way in the world as best he could.  At present there are a few working theories as to Richard’s fate.  Theory one is that he worked as a miner and eventually came out to Australia and settled near Martha, the alternative theory is that he went onto become a shoe maker and never left Cornwall.

• John's sister-in-law Anne Drew Bassett nee Carbis (wife of Francis Bassett) had no children at the time.  It is thought that Anne may have married Robert Carne in 1820, however more research needs to be done to establish if this true especially as her convict husband would have still been alive albeit in the Australian Colony of New South Wales.

• John's sister-in-law Grace Carbis nee Martins who had young child at the time of the incident.

Life must have been very hard for everyone concerned.

Previous articles on John Bassett in this June 2017 series 

1. Article 1 -  Who is John Bassett?
2. Article 2 - Looking for the Parent's of John Bassett.

Edit History

Originally posted on the 19 June 2017
Updated and revised on 24 June 2017

Sources

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[i] West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser 7th April 1815 Pg. 1 & 4

[ii] FamilySearch, Baptism of John Bassett baptised 13 November 1814, Perranuthnoe Church Parish Register, Cornwall England, p.6  "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Baptisms Perranuthnoe Cornwall, 1813-1837, Cornwall Records Office, Truro  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DCP3-NBN?cc=1769414&wc=3CBC-DPG%3A138123201%2C140492201%2C138123203, Accessed 14 April 2015 (image 7 of 53).

[iii] FamilySearch, Marriage of John Basset & Martha Carbis, married 15 Mar 1812 Paul Church Register, Cornwall p. 273"England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Marriage banns, marriages, Paul, Carnwall 1754-1813, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D8M7-YCZ?cc=1769414&wc=3CBW-GPX%3A138123201%2C140206301%2C1582887602.  Accessed 14 April 2015 (Image 141 of 143) [annotated by minister as Copy 1]; FamilySearch, Marriage of John Basset & Martha Carbis, married 15 Mar 1812 Paul Church Register, Cornwall p. unpaginated  "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Marriage banns, marriages, Paul, Carnwall 1799-1813, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R77-9ZNQ?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-BZ7%3A138123201%2C140206301%2C1582899508.  Accessed 14 April 2015 (Image 38 of 40) 

Looking for the Parent's of John Bassett

Article - 2 John Bassett of Madron (1790- 1868) 

The internet is scattered with possible candidates for the parents of John Bassett, there has been much copying and pasting over the years Ancestry.com has John descended from various couples.  Before the advent of DNA there was little one could do to refute the claims of others.  My fourth cousin, Marsha and I spent many hours together hours together pulling together what we knew to break down this brick wall, below is the results of our efforts.

Marriages Listed in the parish records 1754-1800 for Madron

Groom	Bride	Date	Witness 1	Witness 2	Location in record	Notes
William Bassett (signed with a mark)	Eleanor Sampson (signed with a mark)	1761  23 Jun	Witness James Bassett who signed his name	Witness Margery Grenfell made a mark	Page 45 Reg#578[i]	W.Bassett makes his mark
Bassett signature #1
James Bassett who signed his name	Magery Grenfell (signed with a mark)	1761   2 May	Witness William Bassett who signed his name	Witness Arthur Rich who signed his name	Page 46 Reg#183[ii]	Witness W. Bassett Signature No 2 (very clear)
Bassett signature #2
William Bassett (signed with a mark)	Jane Mathews (signed with a mark)	Banns Pub July 27, Aug 3 & 10  1783 Marr 13 sep 1783	Witness Sibion Thoastes? who signed his name	Witness Mathew Hoken who signed his name	Page 212 Reg#844[iii]	SignatureNo 3 (child like writing)
Bassett signature #3

Three William Bassetts are found in the Marriage Register in Madron during this period.  All three appear to be different people for the following reasons-

Comparing the William Bassett signatures, at least three different  William Bassett names have been identified based on the following reasoning

1.      The first William Bassett in March 1761 makes a mark  and in May 1761 at James Bassett wedding a W.Bassett signs his name as a witness very clearly (Signature  #2)– this indicates that it is most likely not the same person because even if he had learnt to write in the last 3 months it would not have been so accomplished.

2.      The first Willm Bassett in March 1761 makes a mark (Signature  #1)  and in 1783 another William Bassett (Signature  #3)   makes a very poor signature however they are not the same otherwise the second William Bassett(Signature  #2)  would have been identified as a widower as this would have been his second marriage

3.      Comparing the second William Bassett signature with the third William Bassett – (Signature No 2) Clearly not the same due to the visual difference in the signatures

Of those William Bassetts identified in Madron, there are only 2 suitable marriages

1.       William Bassett (signed with a mark) & Eleanor Sampson (signed with a mark) married by banns on 23 June  1761, however, this marriage is 29 years before John is christened, so it is unlikely that William and Eleanor are his parents

2.      William Bassett & Jane Matthews on 13 September 1783, -  the marriage between William Bassett & Jane Matthews in Madron did look very promising, however, DNA test has revealed that although this couple is related to the family they are not direct ancestors. [Unfortunately, I have not been given a copy of DNA results however I trust the confidential source that shared her conclusions with me]

Further afield
William Bassett	Mary Symons	12 July 1787	William Williams	Mary Symons	Transcribed John  Evans

The marriage between William Bassett & Mary Symons in Newlyn did produce a child named John Bassett baptised in St Issy, however, he died in an asylum in England.

John Bassett [son of William Bassett (1761-1831) & Mary Symons (1767-1832)]Christened  27 Mar 1788 in St Izzy, Cornwall who died 7^th Oct 1851 in Fairwater House, Taunton Somerset.  John was a lunatic confined to Fairwater House Lunatic Asylum for many years admitted July 1828 having previously been a patient at a similar establishment near Taunton, Fivehead House since 25 Oct 1822.  This was a wholesale move and transfer of licence from the one to the other asylum by the same surgeon/owner.  Private patient.  Cause of death peritonitis and effusion in the chest (Somerset RO 1/5/87)

Conclusion

Although we have not been able to establish who the parents of John Bassett are; the links between the Carbis[Johns wife's family] and Bassett families are very strong.  You can read more about the connections here.

Next week we will take a look at the effect that John's father in-laws-arrest had on John Bassett and his newly wed wife Martha Carbis.

Previous articles on John Bassett in this June 2017 series 

1. Article 1 -  Who is John Bassett?

Sources

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[i] FamilySearch, Banns of Marriage for  William Bassett & Eleanor Sampson "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Marriage banns, marriages, 1754-1800, Penzance Madron Cornwall, Cornwall Records Office, Truro  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12877-90083-27?cc=1769414  : 14 April 2015,  image 27 of 198.)

[ii] FamilySearch, Banns of Marriage for  James Bassett & Margery Grenfell  "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Marriage banns, marriages, 1754-1800, Penzance Madron Cornwall, Cornwall Records Office, Truro  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12877-95385-36?cc=1769414  : 14 April 2015,  image 28 of 198.)

[iii] FamilySearch, Banns of Marriage for  William Bassett & Jane Matthews "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Marriage banns, marriages, 1754-1800, Penzance Madron Cornwall, Cornwall Records Office, Truro  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12877-92229-15?cc=1769414 : 14 April 2015,  image 112 of 198.)