Elizabeth, wife of William Bassett (mtDNA)

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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 Raymond T. Wing (email: wing.genealogist AT gmail DOT 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 abt 1628[6] and died Marshfield 22 Jan 1711[/2]. She married bef. 6 Mar 1648/9 Peregrine White and they had seven children (born Marshfield): Daniel (c1649), infant son (c1651), Jonathan (1658), Peregrine (c1661), Sarah (c1663), Sylvanus (b1667) and Mercy (c1670)

Ruth Bassett[7] was born Plymouth abt 1634[8] 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. Rev. Samuel Fuller (II) was the only Fuller living near Duxbury in 1654, so is believed to be the genetic/biological father of John. 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 in Oct 1663 and died Scituate 9 Aug 1755. She married Scituate Jan 1689 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 abt 1670 and died there 12 Jun 1739. She married Marshfield 3 Feb 1697 William Sherman (III)[1] and they had four children (born Marshfield): Thankful (1699 m Robert Atkins [no ch.] & Thomas Polden), Sarah (1701 m Adam Hall), Abigail (twin, 1711 never marr.) and Mary (twin, 1711 never marr.)


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 m Experience Bent), Judith/Judah (1683 m Jonathan Russell [II]), Ruth (1684 m Nehemiah Sturtevant), Benjamin (1686), Martha (1689 m Nathaniel Fuller[9]), 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).


  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 also possible they both came unmarried, and were married in New Plimouth within a couple of years.
  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 1627 "Cattle Divison"
  7. Ruth was married second aft 1676 ____ Thomas, believed to be John Thomas of Marshfield. There were no children by this union.
  8. wikitree has born 13 Nov 1633 without any source.
  9. Descended from Samuel Fuller and Francis Eaton

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