Being with family

I went to a wedding.  I haven't been doing much genealogy for the last week.  I've been with my live family instead of those who have gone before us!

Another written record about John Basse (1616-1699)

SOURCE:

https://southernrootsandbranches.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/john-basse-a-story-of-the-new-world/

A cousin who blogged in 2013 about his connection to the Bass Family...very nicely written, so I went back to the original to get the pictures to add here as well! Thanks Billy Pittard. I have no recent posts by him, so perhaps he's moved on to other interests since his last blog in July 2018.

John Basse, a Story of the New World

Posted in Bass, Batey, Henderson on August 3, 2013| 96 Comments »

John’s grandfather, Humphrey Basse and his brothers, William and Thomas were French Huguenots who immigrated to London during the reign of Elizabeth I seeking religious freedom. Humphrey married Mary Bouchier, daughter of Dominick and Genevieve Bouchier, also French Huguenots. Humphrey was an entrepreneurial man, first as a merchant haberdasher, and then as an investor and stockholder in the Virginia Company which financed settlements in Jamestowne, Virginia. Humphrey invested in the Third Charter of the Virginia Company signing as a founder on March 12, 1612.

Arriving in Virginia

In 1619 when John was three years old, his father, thirty-year-old Nathaniel Basse made his first trip to the new colony. On April 27, 1619 Nathaniel arrived at Jamestown on Captain Christopher Lawne’s ship. They brought workmen, supplies and one hundred settlers. Their camp was at the mouth of a creek near Jamestown, still named, Lawne’s Creek, from which they built the first settlement in Isle of Wight County, Virginia.

By mid-summer 1619, there were about a thousand English living in Virginia. In early August, the first legislative assembly in America met in the church at Jamestowne. This meeting established the principle of elected self-rule in America and became a foundation of our Republic. Five months later, the Virginia Company dissolved its subsidiary company which had been formed to exclusively supply the colony. Thereafter, free trade prevailed in the colony and laid the foundation for free enterprise as the form of the American economy.

Nathaniel made frequent trips between Virginia and London over the next few years. On November 21, 1621 he made his move to establish a home in the New World and patented 400 acres on the James River at Pagan Creek in Isle of Wight County. Here he founded Basse’s Choyce Plantation and built a home for himself and his young family.

John’s maternal grandfather, Silas Samuel Jordan was also an early Virginia Adventurer. In 1620 he received a grant of land on the James River at Bailey’s Creek near the present Hopewell, Virginia. Here, at what is still called Jordan’s Point, he and established a home for his family in the New World.

Indians kept a close watch on the English settlers.

Throughout this period, relations with the Indians had been volatile. Early encounters had been hostile, and then the “Peace of Pocahontas” gave the settlers a sense that conditions would remain amenable.

Having established Basse’s Choyce Plantation, John’s father began to move his family to Virginia. In early 1622, six-year-old John Basse along with at least one of his brothers were at Basse’s Choyce when their parents made a return trip to England.

And then disaster struck. Emperor Powhatan (father of Pocahontas) had died four years earlier and had been succeeded by his brother, Opechancanough. He wanted no part of the white men and he patiently organized a surprise attack that was carried out by almost every tribe in the area. On the same day, at the same time, and anywhere there was a white man, he was to be killed.

At midday on Good Friday, March 22, 1622, there were twelve hundred forty English inhabitants in the Colony of Virginia. Of these nearly four hundred were killed by Indians. At the house of Captain John Basse, only six-year-old John Basse survived. John’s oldest brother seven-year-old Humphrey and possibly other siblings were killed in the attack.

Virginia Indians attack the colony, March 22, 1622

John’s parents, Nathaniel and Mary arrived back in Virginia on the ship Furtherance within the next couple of weeks only to find their oldest son (and possibly others) killed in the massacre, and six-year-old John was missing without a trace. They found the woods around the English settlements patrolled by hostile Indians.

Nathaniel and Mary had little time to mourn because Basse’s Choyce had to be immediately repaired for the birth of another child. On May 8, 1622 their sixth child, Edward, arrived. To make matters even more dire, in December an epidemic arrived with the ship Abigail, and killed twice as many people as the Indian attacks. The colony also had a poor harvest that year and experienced another “starving time” throughout the winter of 1622-23. Less than 500 survived to see the spring of 1623.

Amid the carnage that happened that fateful Good Friday, young John Basse managed to slip away from the attackers and into the forest. Fortune smiled on the boy as he was found and taken in by friendly Nansemond Indians who were fleeing from the hostilities. His rescuers managed to reach the Nansemond River with John before their enemies had organized patrols in the woods.

John’s rescuers took him into their tribe and gave him advantages and standing. He absorbed the Nansemond culture. In spite of the danger, missionaries continued to teach the Nansemonds – including young John Basse – and he matured to become literate and a Christian.

By the time he was twenty-two John had fallen in love with a Nansemond girl whom he knew as Keziah Elizabeth Tucker, daughter of Chief Robin the Elder, but to the English she was the Princess Keziah Elizabeth, daughter of the King of the Nansemond Kingdom. On August 14, 1638 John and Keziah Elizabeth, age 14, were married. She was born about 1624 at Kecoughton, an Indian village in Virginia (now part of the city of Newport News). “Keziah” is an old testament name that can mean faithful or female equality.

Writing on the cover of the “Book of John Basse”

At some point during his remarkable lifetime, John acquired an English prayer book which served as his family Bible. In this book he recorded many important facts and events. This book exists today and is in the possession of his Nansemond tribe descendants.

John Bass’ prayer book is a manuscript religious book of about 100 pages. It measures 4 5/8″ by 7 1/4″. The author’s name not known. The earliest date of a sermon entry is March 4, 1660. In ink on the cover is written “Book of John Basse Norfolk Co., Vir. A. D. 1675.”

John recorded the following passage in his prayer book:

“John Basse was born ye 7 day of September in ye year of our Lord 1616 ye son of Nathll Basse and Mary his wife… he married Elizabeth dafter of Robin the Elder, King of ye Nansimuns kingdom, a Baptized xtian, in Holy Matrimonie accdg to ye Canons of ye Church of England, ye 14th day of August in the Year of our Blessed Lord 1638.”

At some point it is believed John reconnected with his birth family because his brother Edward (born immediately after the massacre of 1622) married Keziah Elizabeth Tucker’s cousin.

John and Keziah were living in Nansemond territory when it became Upper Norfolk and then Nansemond County, Virginia. John passed away in 1699 at the age of 82 in Norfolk, Virginia. Keziah Elizabeth passed away in 1676 at the age of 52.

John and Keziah Elizabeth had eight children and today have countless descendants.

My (Billy Pittard) Ancestry from John and Keziah Elizabeth Basse is as follows:

John Basse (1616-1699) + Keziah Elizabeth Tucker (1624-1676)
William Bass (1654-1741) + Catherine Lanier (1650-1692)
John Bass (1673-1732) + Love Harris (ca. 1677-1732)
John Bass (1715-1777) + Elizabeth Winborne
Jacob Bass (1740-1792) + Ann Fuller (1733-1791)
Theophilus Bass (1753-1826) + Rachel Vinson (1755-1824)
Etheldred Bass (1785-1875) + Nancy Brien (b. ca. 1790)
John B. Bass (b. 1813) + Susan Barbee (b. ca. 1819)
Sarah Jane Bass (1840-1876) + John Bond Henderson (1834-1898)

Sarah Jane Bass, first wife of John Bond Henderson

See my post on the Henderson Family of Middle Tennessee for the continuation of this part of my ancestry which comes forward through my mother and maternal grandmother.

In the above ancestry, Theophilus Bass forward were residents of Wilson County, Tennessee, particularly around Watertown.

Interestingly, I also have a connection to John and Keziah Elizabeth Basse through my maternal grandfather, Frank Blackburn Batey as well, but in that case it is a through marriage rather than blood. My ancestor, Captain William Batey, the progenitor of the Batey family of Middle Tennessee married a second time after his first wife, my ancestor died. His second wife, Ann Bass was the great granddaughter of John and Keziah Elizabeth Bass.

It’s safe to say that a great many locals from Middle Tennessee are descended from John and Keziah Elizabeth Bass.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansemondhttp://chowanoke.webs.com/bassegenealogy.htm
http://www.geocities.ws/eldavis.geo/jbassebi.html

A special thanks goes to my distant cousin Mary Frances Andrews Meek of Knoxville, Tennessee who shared this story and much more with me many years ago. Her research was thorough and diligent.

--------------------The above blog was published in 2013 -------

Grandmother Elizabeth Keziah Bass

My 8 times great grandmother was a Nansemond Indian.  She converted to Chrisitianity, and married John Basse.  I've given background of their lives in the last 2 posts.

At the bottom of the bill to gain federal recognition of the Nansemond tribe, I've posted a copy of the document which states how she was baptized and married to John Basse, and it even states her parentage as a Native American.

This tribe has waited a long time to be recognized, and perhaps to obtain some benefits.  But I notice that the bill does not allow them to set up gambling (a great revenue resource for some tribes). I wonder if the tribe in Suffolk will be able to keep the land that they were planning to make into a historic village, similar to Jamestown.

I admit to not keeping up with all the doings in Virginia.

But I recently listened to a podcast about Bacon's Rebellion.  And it is apparently being taught differently in schools now. So I'm interested in the second episode.  It's on "All the things you missed in History Class."  Not that Bacon's Rebllion had anything to do with the Nansemond Tribe, but it does give some back story as to how endentured people (European, African, Indian) were needed for the tobacco industry of early colonial America.

My native ancestors

H.R. 984: Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr984/text

One Hundred Fifteenth Congress of the United States of America

At the Second Session

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen

H. R. 984

AN ACT

To extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe—Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe.

1.

Short title; table of contents

(a)

Short Title

This Act may be cited as the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017.

(b)

Table of Contents

The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Title VI—Nansemond Indian Tribe

Sec. 601. Findings.

Sec. 602. Definitions.

Sec. 603. Federal recognition.

Sec. 604. Membership; governing documents.

Sec. 605. Governing body.

Sec. 606. Reservation of the Tribe.

Sec. 607. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

VI

Nansemond Indian Tribe

601.

Findings

Congress finds that—

(1)

from 1607 until 1646, Nansemond Indians—

(A)

lived approximately 30 miles from Jamestown; and

(B)

were significantly involved in English-Indian affairs;

(2)

after 1646, there were two sections of Nansemonds in communication with each other, the Christianized Nansemonds in Norfolk County, who lived as citizens, and the traditionalist Nansemonds, who lived further west;

(3)

in 1638, according to an entry in a 17th century sermon book still owned by the Chief’s family, a Norfolk County Englishman married a Nan­se­mond woman;

(4)

that man and woman are lineal ancestors of all of members of the Nansemond Indian tribe alive as of the date of enactment of this Act, as are some of the traditionalist Nansemonds;

(5)

in 1669, the two Nansemond sections appeared in Virginia Colony’s census of Indian bow­men;

(6)

in 1677, Nansemond Indians were signatories to the Treaty of 1677 with the King of England;

(7)

in 1700 and 1704, the Nansemonds and other Virginia Indian tribes were prevented by Virginia Colony from making a separate peace with the Iroquois;

(8)

Virginia represented those Indian tribes in the final Treaty of Albany, 1722;

(9)

in 1711, a Nansemond boy attended the Indian School at the College of William and Mary;

(10)

in 1727, Norfolk County granted William Bass and his kinsmen the Indian privileges of clearing swamp land and bearing arms (which privileges were forbidden to other non-Whites) because of their Nansemond ancestry, which meant that Bass and his kinsmen were original inhabitants of that land;

(11)

in 1742, Norfolk County issued a certificate of Nansemond descent to William Bass;

(12)

from the 1740s to the 1790s, the traditionalist section of the Nansemond tribe, 40 miles west of the Christianized Nansemonds, was dealing with reservation land;

(13)

the last surviving members of that section sold out in 1792 with the permission of the Commonwealth of Virginia;

(14)

in 1797, Norfolk County issued a certificate stating that William Bass was of Indian and English descent, and that his Indian line of ancestry ran directly back to the early 18th century elder in a traditionalist section of Nansemonds on the reservation;

(15)

in 1833, Virginia enacted a law enabling people of European and Indian descent to obtain a special certificate of ancestry;

(16)

the law originated from the county in which Nansemonds lived, and mostly Nansemonds, with a few people from other counties, took advantage of the new law;

(17)

a Methodist mission established around 1850 for Nansemonds is currently a standard Methodist congregation with Nansemond members;

(18)

in 1901, Smithsonian anthropologist James Mooney—

(A)

visited the Nansemonds; and

(B)

completed a tribal census that counted 61 households and was later published;

(19)

in 1922, Nansemonds were given a special Indian school in the segregated school system of Norfolk County;

(20)

the school survived only a few years;

(21)

in 1928, University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Frank Speck published a book on modern Virginia Indians that included a section on the Nansemonds; and

(22)

the Nansemonds were organized formally, with elected officers, in 1984, and later applied for and received State recognition.

602.

Definitions

In this title:

(1)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(2)

Tribal member

The term tribal member means—

(A)

an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the date of enactment of this Act; and

(B)

an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.

(3)

Tribe

The term Tribe means the Nansemond Indian Tribe.

603.

Federal recognition

(a)

Federal Recognition

(1)

In general

Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.

(2)

Applicability of laws

All laws (including regulations) of the United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.

(b)

Federal Services and Benefits

(1)

In general

On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian tribes without regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe.

(2)

Service area

For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered to be the area comprised of the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

604.

Membership; governing documents

The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

605.

Governing body

The governing body of the Tribe shall be—

(1)

the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment of this Act; or

(2)

any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.

606.

Reservation of the Tribe

(a)

In general

Upon the request of the Tribe, the Secretary of the Interior—

(1)

shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located within the boundaries of the city of Suffolk, the city of Chesapeake, or Isle of Wight County, Virginia; and

(2)

may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located within the boundaries of the city of Suffolk, the city of Chesapeake, or Isle of Wight County, Virginia.

(b)

Deadline for determination

The Secretary shall make a final written determination not later than 3 years of the date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.

(c)

Reservation status

Any land taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation of the Tribe.

(d)

Gaming

The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming Commission.

607.

Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights

Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe and members of the Tribe.

VII

Eminent domain

701.

Limitation

Eminent domain may not be used to acquire lands in fee or in trust for an Indian tribe recognized under this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.

----------------------------------------

Let's look at Jamestown, Virginia - Nathaniel Basse

This is a nice story about my 6 times great grandfather, Nathaniel Basse.  It comes from a site called "Find a Grave." And sometimes the information isn't totally accurate.   But I'l include the whole quote here today.

Birth: Dec., 1589, England  Death: Jun., 1654, England
Nathaniel Basse was born in December 1589, in London, England, the son of Humphrey Basse and Mary (Buschier) Basse.

He was the brother of: Richard, Humphrey (died young), William, Mary, Hester, Humphrey, Thomas, Samuel, Barnaby, John, Lydia, Abigail, Luke, and Sarah.

Nathaniel married Mary Jordan in 1613, in England. His first trip to the new world was in 1619, arriving at Jamestown. Captain Basse and others established a plantation east of "Lawne's Creek" on the Warrosquoacke River (now known as the James River) and Pagan's Creek, and named it Basse's Choice. "Basse's Choice" is located in Smithfield Virginia.

The houses on Captain Basse's plantation were being built when at midday on Good Friday, 22 Mar 1622, the Indians attacked the settlers killing 347 of the 1240 English inhabitants in the 80 settlements on the north and south sides of the river (James). 

Nathaniel and his wife, Mary, were in England at the time, and some of the children were at "Basse's Choice" with a nurse. Five-year old John was one of the children that escaped and was rescued by some friendly Nansemond Indians. (He eventually married the chief's daughter). His older brother Humphrey (aged 6 years) died that day. 

Nathaniel was commissioned to trade between England and other countries, and to try to "invite inhabitants" to the new world. He served in the House of Burgesses at Jamestown at least twice.

Nathaniel and Mary's children were: Humphrey (1615-1622), Samuel (twin of Humphrey), John (1616-1699), William (1618-1641), Anthony (b1620), Edward (1622-1696), Mary, Genevieve (b1624), Anne (twin to Genevieve), Richard (b1625), Gregory (b1628), George (twin of Gregory). 

While giving birth to a stillborn son in 1630, Mary died, and is buried somewhere in Virginia.

On one of his many trips back to England, Nathaniel died (in 1654), and was buried in the Church of St Alphage, Cripplegate, London. (The Church and surrounding area were almost totally destroyed during WWII).

Burial:
Body lost or destroyed
Specifically: St Alphage, Cripplegate, London, the Church and cemetery were destroyed during WWII
Created by: A DePrisco Bishop
Record added: Dec 28, 2006
Find A Grave Memorial# 17190529

In case you didn't notice, Mary Basse had 3 sets of twins! Oh my goodness!

Nothing to report

I've been inundated by census reports and need to look at them closey before reporting what they might mean about my ancestors.

Hannah Conn Booth 1819-1884

I mentioned Hannah Conn Booth a few days ago (here) when talking about my correction of her parents from John Thomas to James A. Conn of Kentucky.

She was my great great great grandmother. Her husband William Lewis Booth, was an attorney and lived a long life in Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas. Their son Richard also became an attorney, but unfortunately died young, and little is known about him.

I've written before about Grannie Hannah. So I'll just clip a bit to share with you.

How she traveled around - posted originally on April 13, 2014

Since posting this 4 years ago, I have discovered that Hannah Conn's parents were not the ones I thought they were, so I've recently posted about her real father  and amended this post.

How she traveled... I figure she traveled on horseback or in wagons...though possibly she did walk much of her travels through the frontier of the early 19th century.  From Kentucky to Indiana, Illinois and finally Texas, this was a hardy pioneer woman.

Conestoga Wagon

13 APR 1819 , Hannah Conn Booth was born in Henry County, Kentucky. She was my 3x great grandmother.   

Notice the man on the lazy board, Conestoga Wagons didn't have seats in the front of the wagon as usually thought. The lazy board was where the driver would sit if he didn't want to ride one of the horses or walk.

Hannah somehow met William Lewis Booth, an attorney and a widower with 2 small children. They married in Jackson County, Indiana when she was 25, in 1843.  This is a hand written record which even includes the minister's name (available at Ancestry DOT com.)

Not the Booth wedding, but another one in 1850

So we can follow some of her travels with the Booth brothers from there on out.
  
William Booth and his brother Charles M. migrated first from western New York state (Farmington, Ontario County) to Indiana and (then in 1849) to Genesee Township, Whiteside, Illinois, then to Hempstead, Waller County, Texas, and Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas.  

Present day photos of farm now on Booth homestead, 
"2nd farmhouse north of SW corner of section 22
 on Coleta Rd," Genesee Twp, Whiteside, Illinois

By 1855 William Booth, an attorney, had purchased the land for his home and was living in Hillsboro,Texas. At one point or another he served as a county Judge, and has that title on some of the records.  His obituary actually gives him the title of Colonel, probably an honorific as he was too old to have active duty during the Civil War.

The Booth Family Home, 208 Waco Street, Hillsboro, TX in the 1970s

Hannah and William had 6 children, 4 of whom lived to adulthood.  William and his first wife had had 3 children, 2 of whom lived to adulthood.

Not the Booth family, but one in 1860

Hannah's son, Richard R. Booth was born 23 Sept 1846, in Jackson, Indiana. (He was my great x3 grandfather.  I talk about him HERE.)  

Her second child, Frank, was born in 1848 in Illinois, and died at 19 in Texas.  

The third child, Elizabeth was born in 1850 in Illinois, and died at 15 in Texas.  

Lucinda, "Cinnie" Booth was born in 1854 in Groesbeck, Limestone County, TX and lived to 1920.  

Connie Booth was born next, 1856 in Hillsboro TX, and died there at age 7.  

Annie Booth was born in in the home that still stands in Hillsboro TX, in 1859 and lived until 1948.

Many of the family members seemed to die in January, including Hannah herself, and Frank and Connie. This was before the days of penicillin.

I think William's family was living in Hempstead, Texas prior to 1880, though he had returned to Hillsboro when he died in 1893. 

Hannah Conn Booth lived until age 64 and died on January 26, 1884 in Hillsboro, TX.

Not Hannah Booth, but an old woman in the 1880s