Difference between revisions of "Elizabeth, wife of William Bassett (mtDNA)"

Revision as of 22:09, 22 November 2022

Status summary

Completed as of May 6, 2021:

• Recruiting matrilineal (direct female-line) descendants of Elizabeth, wife of William Bassett for mtDNA testing - anyone interested in submitting their DNA for testing should contact MayflowerDNA1620@gmail.com

Biography

First Generation

As with most females, very little is known about Elizabeth,^[1] wife of William Bassett. It is believed the couple were married and arrived at New Plimouth together in 1621 aboard the Fortune.^[2] It is believed Elizabeth was the mother to all of William Bassett's children^[3] (born Plymouth): William (c1624), Elizabeth (c1626), Nathaniel (c1628), Sarah (c1628), Joseph (c1632) and Ruth (1633).

Second Generation

Elizabeth Bassett was born New Plimouth abt 1626.^[4] She married Sandwich 8 Nov 1648 Thomas Burgess. They were divorced^[5] 10 Jun 1661. The couple never had children. Some sources state Elizabeth married William Hatch and she died Swansea in 1670.

Sarah Bassett was born New Plimouth about 1628^[6] and died Marshfield 22 Jan 1711/2. "On 6 Mar 1648/9, Peregrine White, and Sara, his wife, both of Marshfield" were presented to the court for fornication before marriage or contract. They were cleared by paying a fine". ^[7] They had seven children: Daniel (c1648), infant son (Joseph?) (b1652), Jonathan (1658), Peregrine (c1661), Sarah (1663), Sylvanus (b 1667) and Mercy (c1670).

Ruth Bassett^[8] was born Plymouth abt 1634^[9] and died prob. Plymouth aft 22 Mar 1693. She had a son, John Sprague "Jr." born shortly after her first marriage to John Sprague "Sr." as they were fined on 6 Jun 1655 for having a child born too soon after marriage. However, Y-DNA testing documents this child (John "Jr.") was not fathered by John, but rather by a member of the Fuller family. Big Y-700 testing of a patrilineal descendant of John Sprague "Jr." documents where he descended from Capt/Dr Matthew Fuller.^[10] In addition to John, Ruth and John had six children (born Duxbury, likely now Bridgewater): Elizabeth (c1657), Ruth (1659/60), Samuel (1662), William (1664), Dorcas (c1666 m Joseph Hatch) and Desire (1668 m John Gifford [no ch.]).

Third Generation

Sarah White was born Marshfield Oct 1663 and died Scituate 9 Aug 1755. She married Scituate Jan 1689 to Thomas Young and they had nine children (born Scituate): George (1689), Joseph (1692), Sarah (1695-1699), Thomas (1698-1699), Thomas (1700), Isaac (1701), Ebenezer (1703), Joshua (1704) and Isaac (1706). Since their only daughter died young, there is no living mtDNA line from Sarah.

Mercy White was born Marshfield about 1670 and died there 12 Jun 1739. She married Marshfield 3 Feb 1697 William Sherman (IV) [1] [2] and they are said to have had six children^[11] including Thankful (1699), Sarah] (1701), Mary (twin 1711, never married) and Abigail (1711 twin, never married)

Elizabeth Sprague was born Duxbury in 1657 and died Plympton 27 May 1727. She married Plymouth (prob. now Plympton) in 1679 George Sampson and they had ten children (born Plymouth now Plympton): Joseph (1679), Abigail (1681), Judith/Judah (1683 m Jonathan Russell [II]), Ruth (1684 m Nehemiah Sturtevant), Benjamin (1686), Martha (1689 m Nathaniel Fuller^[12]), George (1690/1), Elizabeth (1692 m Allerton Cushman & Samuel Bryant), William (1695) and Seth (1697).

Ruth Sprague was born Duxbury bef 12 Feb 1659/60 and died there bef 1743. She married Dartmouth 12 Aug 1680 Eleazer Smith and they had seven children (born Dartmouth): John (1681), Eliphal (1683 m Edward Perry & Stephen Harper), Thomas (1685), Rebekah (1688 unk. if marr.), James (1689/90), Desire (1692 m Edward Wing) and Joseph (1696).

Desire Sprague was born Duxbury abt 1665. She married Sandwich 24 Nov 1696 John Gifford and they had three children: Weston (1697), Ruth (1699 m Justice Gifford) and Samuel (1705).

Fourth Generation

Thankful Sherman was born Marshfield 10 Apr 1699 and died there 28 Sep 1739. She married twice: first Marshfield 3 Jan 1722/3 Robert Atkins and second Marshfield 26 May 1726 John Polden. There are no known children by Thankful's first marriage. By second husband (Robert Atkins), Thankful had: Mary (1731) and John (1736/7)

Sarah Sherman[3] was born Marshfield 8 May 1701 and died there 7 Aug 1768. She married Marshfield 6 Jan 1725 to (Lieut.) Adam Hall[4]. They had nine children: William (1726), Thomas (1728), Adam (1729), Sarah (1731-1735), Joseph (1733), Sarah (1735 m. David Freeman), Jesse (1737), Mercy (1739 unk. if marr.) and Levi (1744).

Abigail Sampson was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 22 Jan 1680/1 and died Middleborough 15 Oct 1726. She married Plymouth 26 Aug 1703 Experience Bent and they had at least four children:

Fifth Generation

Mary Polden was born Marshfield 2 Jun 1731. She is believed to have married Plymouth 10 Oct 1757 John Goddard and died there 12 Dec 1800. Sarah and John had seven (but only one surviving) children: Mercy (died aged 6 years), two infants, Lydia (died aged 2 yrs, 3 mos.), Mary (died aged 2 yrs, 6 mos.), another infant, and John (only surviving child).

Sarah Hall was born Marshfield 18 Sep 1735. She may have been the Sarah Hall who married there 2 Dec 1752 David Freeman. Their further history is currently unknown.^[13]

Mercy Hall was born Marshfield 12 Sep 1739. No further record.^[14]

1. ↑ Some have suggested she was the Elizabeth Neal of Scrooby (where Elder William Brewster was from) who married at Leiden 27 Dec 1611 William Buckram.
2. ↑ It is said they originally were aboard the Mayflower or the Speedwell in 1620, but were among those left behind when the Speedwell proved unseaworthy.
3. ↑ Elizabeth was named in the 1627 Cattle Division. It is believed this was the only contemporary record of Elizabeth.
4. ↑ Named in the 1627 "Cattle Division" with older brother William. Neither accounted for in the 1623 land division.
5. ↑ First known divorce case in Plymouth Colony
6. ↑ Not named in the May 1627 Cattle Division. Her parents were enumerated, but not Sarah.
7. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet. Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England; printed by order of the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by New Plymouth Colony, Vol. 2 Court Orders 1641-1651 p. 138 Boston: Press of William White, 1968
8. ↑ Ruth was married second aft 1676 ____ Thomas, believed to be John Thomas of Marshfield. There were no children by this union.
9. ↑ WikiTree has born 13 Nov 1633 without any source.
10. ↑ It is currently unknown whether Matthew himself was the father of John Sprague "Jr." or whether Matthew's oldest son, (Lt.) Samuel Fuller (born 1630) was his father.
11. ↑ The will of William Sherman only included twins Mary and Abigail (neither married), Sarah, and heirs of daughter Thankful (deceased). Any other children must have died young.
12. ↑ Descended from Samuel Fuller and Francis Eaton
13. ↑ Not found in the fifth generation of the William White Silver Book.
14. ↑ ibid.

DNA results TBD

To date, we know of no matrilinear (all female line) descendants of Elizabeth, wife of William Bassett, who has taken a mtDNA test.

Lineage of testers

To date, two matrilineal descendants of Elizabeth are known to have mtDNA tested (and they match one another). The lineage of one of the testers is below:

 Elizabeth ______ m. William Bassett
   Ruth Bassett m. John Sprague
     Elizabeth Sprague m. George Sampson
       Martha Sprague m. Nathaniel Fuller
         Sarah Fuller m. Isaac Sturtevant
           Deborah Sturtevant m. Hezekiah Bierce
             Martha "Patty" Bierce m. Nathaniel Judd
               Sarah Judd m. Lemuel Herrick
                 Lucy Jane Herrick m. Barnabas Lake
                   Sarah Lucinda Lake m. Ransom Van Leuven
                     Nellie Van Leuven m. Jesse Clarence Kent
                       Beatrice Kent m. Lewis Rudolph Kidman
                         tester            
     Desire Sprague m. John Gifford
       Ruth Gifford m. Justice Gifford
         Catherine Gifford m. Arthur Perry
           Ruth Perry m. Jesse Gifford
             Elizabeth Gifford m. Ebenezer Adams
               Mary E. Adams m. James Kennedy
                 Elizabeth Jane Kennedy m. James Gordon Stewart
                   Sarah Stewart m. George Stewart
                     Edith Stewart m. Earl Tucker
                       tester

External References and links

• Sherman, Ruth W. and Robert M. Sherman, comp. Robert S. Wakefield, ed., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: vol. 13 White