Bassett (Y-DNA)

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Status summary

As of October 27, 2022:

  • Recruiting patrilineal (all male-line) descendants of William Bassett for NGS/WGS testing. Folks who believe they are matrilineal (all female line) descendants should Read me First

IMPORTANT: Read me First

Paper trail

For more information see Van Antwerp, Lee Douglas, revised by Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families through Five Generations vol. 9 Eaton General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA 1996

First Generation

A William Bassett was apparently a member of Rev. John Robinson's congregation in Leiden. According to Leiden records, he was first married (possibly in England) to Cecily Light, then was bethrothed at Leiden in Mar 1611 to Mary Butler (who died shortly thereafter) and was married Leiden 12 Aug 1611 to Margaret Oldham. It has been said William and Elizabeth were originally on either the Mayflower or Speedwell in 1620, but when it was determend the Speedwell was unfit to make to passage to the New World, the Bassetts were among those who were left behing. The couple did emigrate to the new colony in 1621 aboard the Fortune.

The William Bassett of Plymouth had a wife named Elizabeth. 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.

Robert Charles Anderson, in his The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 2004) pp. 48-52 casts doubt upon both identifications primarily due to the fact William and Elizabeth had no children recorded in the 1623 Plymouth Land Division. Given the high infant mortality of the time, it is not impossible for the couple to have no surviving children.

In any case, Elizabeth, wife of William Bassett of Duxburrow (now Duxbury) died and William married bef DEC 1664 Mary TILDEN Lapham (no children). William died Bridgewater between 3 Apr 1667 (Will) - 12 May 1667 (inventory). He and wife Elizabeth had the following children: William (c1624), Elizabeth (c1626), Sarah (c1628), Nathaniel (c1630), Joseph (c1632) and Ruth (c1635).

Second Generation

(Capt.) William Bassett (II) was born sometime shortly after the Plymouth 1623 land division and died Sandwich 1670.[1] He married Boston about 1652 Mary Rainsford and they are credited as having the following children: Mary (1654), William (1656), Thomas (c1659 unk. if marr.), Sarah (c1662), Richard (c1665 prob. unm.) and Nathan (1667).

Nathaniel Bassett was born Plymouth about 1630 and died Yarmouth 16 Jan 1709/10. He is said to have married twice, first Yarmouth about 1665 Dorcas Joyce and poss. Hannah ____. By his first wife he had Mary (c1666), Ruth (c1673), Samuel (c1676), Joseph & Nathaniel (twins 1677), Hannah (c1679), Sarah (c1682), Samuel (c1685 n.f.r.) and William (c1685).

Joseph Bassett was born Plymouth about 1632 and died Bridgewater 2 Oct 1712. He married twice, first Bridgewater 1658 Mary Lapham then Hingham 16 Oct 1677 Martha Hobart. By his first wife he had seven children: Mary (1659), Joseph (1664), William (c1667), Ruth (c1669), Lydia (1671), Elizabeth (1674) and Elnathan (c1676). By his second wife he had one more child: Jeremiah (c1678).

Third Generation

William Bassett (III) was born Sandwich about 1656 and died there 29 Sep 1721. He married Sandwich 9 Oct 1675 Rachel Williston and they had seven children (Sandwich): Mary (1676), William, Sarah (1679), John (1682-1683), Nathan (1685), Thankful (1687) and Jonathan (1690 m Mary Gale).

Nathan Bassett was born Sandwich 25 Sep 1667 and died Chilmark (Martha's Vineyard) 16 Nov 1743. He married Barnstable 2 Oct 1690 Mary Huckins and they had eleven children (Chilmark): Ruth (1690/1-1691), Samuel (16923), Cornelius (1695), Mary (1697), Elizabeth (1699), Nathan (1701/2), William (1702), Baraciah (1703/4), John (1706), Hope (1708) and Nathaniel (1715).


Samuel Bassett was born Yarmouth about 1676 and died East Greenwich, RI bef 23 Feb 1760. He married Elizabeth Jones and they had eight children: Samuel (1700), Joseph (1702), William (1704), Elizabeth (1708), Hannah (1710), Sarah (1712), Ruth (1715) and Dorcas (c1717).

Joseph Bassett was born Yarmouth 25 Sep 1677 and died there 6 Jan 1750. He married twice, first Yarmouth 27 Feb 1706/7 Susannah Howes then Yarmouth 3 Dec 1719 Thankful Hallett. By his first wife he had three children: Sarah (1707), Joseph (1709) and Susannah (1715). By his second wife he had: John (1720-1721), Ebenezer (1722-1723), Thankful (1723/4) and Nathan (1725).

Nathaniel Bassett (II) was born Yarmouth 25 Sep 1677 and died Chatham bef. 27 Feb 1745. He married thrice, first 10 Dec 1685 Windham, CT Joanna Borden next Chatham 7 May 1709 Mary Crow and finally Mansfield 30 Mar 1743 Elizabeth TWINING Merrick (no children). By his first wife he had six children: Joanna (1697), Ebenezer (1699), Dorcas (1702), Nathaniel (1704), Mary (1708) and Thankful (1712). By his second wife he had four more children: Dorcas (1709), Thomas (1710), Hannah (1712) and Nathaniel/Nathan (1715).

William Bassett was born Yarmouth about 1685 and died Barnstable after 1746. He married twice, first Yarmouth 23 Feb 1710 Martha Godfrey then Barnstable 30 Jan 1723 Sarah Jenkins. By his first wife he had: Isaac (1711), Moses (1713), Fear (1716) and William (c1718). By his second wife he had five more children: Samuel (1724), Experience (1727), Mary (1729), Hannah (1731) and Nathaniel (1732).


Joseph Bassett (II) born 1664 and died Jan 1736. He married Taunton 5 Nov 1691 Bethiah Eaton and they had three children (named in father's will): Bethia, Mehitable and Lydia.

William Bassett was born Bridgewater about 1667 and died 13 Apr 1734. He married thrice, first 14 Jan 1692/3 Sarah Sweetland, then Bridgewater 23 Jun 1703 Mary Bumpas and finally 19 Feb 1718 Mary Mahurin (no children). By his first wife he had: William (1693/4), Joseph (1696), Ruth (1700) and Nathan (1702). By his second wife he had: Sarah (1704), Elizabeth (1706), Thankful (1710), Benjamin (1712) and Seth (1715).

Elnathan Bassett was born about 1676 and died Bridgewater about 20 Apr 1750. He married Bridgewater 19 Jun 1702 Mary Hill and they had at least Mary (1703).

Jeremiah Bassett was born Bridgewater about 1678 and died Taunton 29 Jul 1768. He married Norton 3 Mar 1721 Mary Felch and they had: John (1725), Joseph (1726/7) and Rachel (1739).


  1. ↑ The exact date of death is in dispute. Some say 10 May 1670 while others state 10 Jun 1670 and still others have 1 Jul 1670. The inventory of his estate was dated 1 Aug 1670.

DNA Results R1b-FT72161

Previous testing

FTDNA's Bassett Family DNA y-chromosome Study Subgroup: Bassett of Plymouth have a number of individuals who have Y-DNA tested. Two of the individual have done Big Y testing with one falling under R-U106>>Z381>>Z9>>Z8>BY18846>BY18848>S20422>BY87384>FT72161 with the second one under a subclade of FT72161>BY147230.

NGS/WGS testing

NGS/WGS testing is needed to confirm the prediction (above) as well as potentially further refine the haplogroup.

References and External Resources

  • Van Antwerp, Lee Douglas, revised by Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families through Five Generations vol. 9 Eaton General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA 1996
  • Anderson, Robert Charles, The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633" (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 2004)


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