How far back is reasonable on this line?

 It's a dizzying height on the tree. We were at the 13 times greats grandparents.

Grandfather times 12 greats was John De Clerke, (1515-1545) who lived primarily in France.

His father, 13 times great grandfather was John Clerke d'Ford (1503-1559). His first son was John (1515-1545) with his first wife, Lucy d'Canterburg Moyle, Lady (1495-1530) who was born in France, and died in Wrotham, Kent, England. They married in 1519.

John Clerke d'Ford married a second time in 1530 to Lady Margaret Rose Ingold de Ingaldthorpe d'IngoldSweet. Don't you love how her names are massaged together? No way they really were all of these interesting variations. It's almost as hilarious as her many children that were born starting when she was 5 years old...totaling 20, including another John Clark II (1541-1598). But wait, there's another wife listed as well, and guess what Margaret Faile Clarke's son was named? You've guessed it, John Clarke (1544-1598).

So to say that the first John De Clerk was my grandfather is a bit strange, since he had 2 other brothers with the same father, also named John. They did change their last names' spellings though.

I don't have any parents for Lady Lucy, my great times13 grandmother. However her husband does have parents listed in Ancestry.

John Clerke d'Ford's father was Sir John Clerke I, Baron of the Exchequer, (11 Feb 1480 - 20 Sept 1554) born in North Weston, Oxfordshire, Eng. and died in Wrotham, Kent, Eng.

My 14 times great grandmother was his wife, Baroness Elizabeth de Ferrers (1480-1558).

But when looking at the three other Ancestry trees, I found Elizabeth de Ferrrers married Sir James Clerk...not Sir John Clerke.

So I'm confident that Lady Elizabeth de Ferrers was my great grandmother...but now I'm not sure of the grandfather. So since we're dealing with the gentry of England, I'm sure there's a historic document somewhere that will clarify which one was the grandfather.

And incidentally, Lady Elizabeth does have parents listed as well. But I'll not go any further for now.

Eleven and twelve times great grandparents

The French/Italian family had a lot of names on each individual, indicating some royal standing, I think.

Genevieve Jane Buschier de Clerke Lady Roan had been born in Roan sometime between 1540-1550. Her husband, Dominic, came from  Sicily. And I realize Sicilians are not quite the same as regular Italians. This 11 times great grandfather had been born in Minfi, Provincia di Agrigentio, Sicily. But  I don't think he was Italian after all.

When I look at the parents of this couple, I find yet more titles, in various languages.   Domic's father was listed as Sir John Thomas I Burcher/de Bourchier/Warine-fan Bath, Lord Fitz Warin/Warine, 2nd Earl Bourchier van Bath.

Domick's mother may have been Countess Lady Elizabeth Isabel Eleonore Manners Hungerford-Bath-Wentworth-Burcher/ Countesss of Bath.

I think whoever wrote those names on our ancestry was carried away by various spellings. But none of the three trees which list all of those names of Sir John Thomas and Lady Elizabeth of England mention a son named Dominic, nor a Sicilian connection.

So we're not going to name all the titles which may have been there, but not in Sicily I'd imagine. Rather we're going to let Dominic be the last of the line at 11 greats. And his parents may just be the Buschiers of Sicily.

Since he married a titled woman of Roan France, then settled in England, it is reasonable to think that they were immigrants who moved to survive. This was not clear in any of the documents I've found, and the countries were not at war at the time these ancestors were living, I don't think. But it's possible the religious conflicts may have affected these ancestors if they identified themselves as Huguenots. I don't have any documents to that affect either.

So Lady Roan, Genevieve Jane Buschier de Clerke was probably Marie Buschier Basse's mother. 

Genevieve's parents were probably:

John de Clerk (1515-1545)  and possibly Elizabeth someone. She was not Lady Elizabeth Ashton, who married someone else. I wonder who is putting this tree together! But John de Clerk was born and died in France. We don't know the name of his wife, though a guess at Elizabeth is just a guess.

His father was also named John de Clerk d'Ford (1503-3 May 1559) born in Wrotham, Tonbridge and Malling Borough, Kent, England, and died in Finningham, Mid-Suffolk District, Suffolk, England.

And again we find a knighthood has been bestowed on John de Clerk d'Ford...as well as having two wives listed, a Margaret and a Lucy. So while I unwind the tangled web of these 13 times great grandparents, I'll leave you to relax in knowing I had some French, probably Sicilian, and mainly English ancestors.

The French connection

Nathaniel Bass, (1589-1654) immigrant, entrepreneur. Also my nine times great grandfather.

His ships helped supply the goods needed by the colonials of the new Virginia Colony. He had a large family that he came from in England. 

His father, my ten times great grandfather, was Humphrey Benjamin Basse, Sr. (1563-4 June 1616) He was born in Walden, Essex, England, and died in London, being buried in St. Helen Bishopgate, London, England.

St. Helen Bishopgate, London, Eng.

Nathaniel's mother, my ten times great grandmother, was Mary/Marie Buschier Bass. (1568-22 June 1616) She was born in Roanne, Loire, Rhone-Alpes, France, and died in London England.

So I definitely had a French ancestor on this tree! However, I feel most sorry for this grandmother for having 20 children. Many of them didn't live very long though, and there were several who had a second brother named the same as the earlier sibling who'd died.

My grandfather Nathaniel was their third son, with the first two having been twins, one of whom died within his first year. He had another set of twin brothers born in 1613, one who died at birth, and the other who died in his first year. Nathaniel got married in 1613 to Mary Jordan.

And the further I look into Nathaniel's siblings, the more confusing it gets...so I think I will just focus on my direct line instead.

I want to look into my French grandparents. And the jokes on me, as they say...

Marie Buchier's parents were: Dominic Buschier, who was actually from Agrigento, Provincia di Arigento, Sicilia, Itlay born in 1521, moved to France, married Genevieve Jane de Clerke Lady Roan and died about in 1594, 

Genevieve de Clerke was born in France, but died in England in 1620. She married two other men after Dominic died.

I will have to look further into these grandparents who were my times 11 greats!

When the tree gets very shakey

 When the tree for ancestors seems to be shaking out names added to names...so that Cicely Jane Thickpenn/Phippen Reynolds Pierce was a 11 times great grandmother...that's when I stop.

It became even more convoluted (this tree of mine) when her father might have been James Church Thickpenn/Phippen, or maybe just plain James Church...who is listed on 3 other trees as married to Alyce Streetinge, but not the parents of Cicely. 

So I have to leave him there...sort of hanging between wherever someone at Ancestry knew that Thickpenn/Phippen had some connection to James Church. There was even a suggestion he was married, or perhaps his mother was Cicely Jordan. This is where I wish there were some original documents, but the one that does show up I can't read, and most of the "facts" don't have any documentation at all, but are just being passed between one Ancestry tree to another.

I also just keep getting a headache with this furthest branch of the family.

Cicely Jane married George Reynolds. We don't know his parents.

Cicely Jane Married Thomas Reynolds, Doctor, aka Christopher Thomas Reynolds, Rennolds, Reynell, doctor and surgeon. And then Cicely Jane married Capt. William Pierce.

No wonder a genealogist said there wasn't anything linking Cicely Reynolds who came to America and had the Baily child, then the  Jordans, then married Farrar at last. Incidentally, she may have also married Montague according to some trees. And someone said she was married 5 times, but I don't know who that fifth husband might have been.  Suffice it to say, this woman is one of the matriarchs of my family. I am going to stop there!

Next I'll look at some other people who might not have several identities.

Climbing further up the tree of the Jordans

 I've always been fascinated by the Virginia colonists. They dealt with harsh environments, Natives who sometimes were friendly, and sometimes weren't, especially with the way the English settlers treated them!

Today I'm looking at the possible parents of Mary Jordan Bass, who I talked about in my last post. One genealogist stated emphatically that Mary was probably not a Jordan, and there was nothing that said as much.

But even if she wasn't I've been enjoying learning about her "possible mother," Cicely Reynolds Bailey Jordan Farrer. 

Cicely came to America on the ship Swan in 1610. Cicely was identified as just 10 years old by one source, but as 24 by another. She must have had a guardian with her, but he is not named anywhere. 

My guess is that her parents had already come to Virginia and Cicely for some reason had to come later, with the unnamed guardian.  The new settlement of Jamestown was being built, but between starvation and disease, and even Indian raids, many of the early settlers died without any records being kept.

She married Thomas William Bailey, and they had at least one child, Temperance Bailey. When Mr. Bailey died in 1618, his heir and oldest daughter, Temperance inherited his property. 

The dates of the women's lives are quite confusing. Since her second daughter, Mary Jordan, grew up and gave birth to the first of her twins in 1615, she is assumed to have been born in 1600. That is rather impossible if her mother, Cicely was born also in 1600.

Mary Jordan Basse, who was my grandmother times nine greats, was the daughter of Capt. Samuel Silas Jordan. He came to America from France, on the "Sea Venture" in 1609, which wrecked in the Bermudas. John Rolfe was on the same ship, and the shipwrecked immigrants spent a year building a new ship from the parts of the old, and then sailed to Jamestown. His 3 sons had stayed in England. He was a member of the first assembly held in 1619. His plantation was named Jordan's Journey.  He was born in 1578 and he died in 1623. 

Cicely and Samuel Jordan had 2 daughters, Mary Jordan who grew up to marry Nathaniel Bass, and Margaret Jordan, who may have been born after her father's death in 1623. Cicely was being courted by the minister, who was certain she had given him promise of marriage, but she married William Farrar. There was a mention in a document that no one in the future could promise marriage to more than one person at a time.

Cicely married William Farrar in 1624, and they had seven children at Farrar Island. He died in 1637. It is likely Cicely lived until 1660 at least.

I just noticed that their son, William Farrar II was the ancestor of a movie star, Tommy Lee Jones. So he's a cousin, about 10 times removed!

Mary Jordan Bass

My nine time great grandmother! What a woman she was!

Mary Jordan Basse was born in 1621, or perhaps earlier, either in London, or probably at Jordon's Point, VA.  If the story that she was a Huguenot refugee is correct, she might have been named Ann Marie Jourdan. She died 17 Jan. 1629/30, possibly in London. There are some sources that say she died in America. But she died trying to give birth to a still-born child, her 13th child. She and Nathaniel Basse had 3 sets of twins in all those children. (This is my current information from Ancestry, it may change someplace or another.)

Mary was the daughter of Capt. Samuel Silas Jordan, (1578-1623) and Cicley Reynolds Bailey Jordan (who later married a Mr. Farrer as well.) There seems to be controversy that Cicley was a Reynolds. So she's not the first with questionable parentage that I have in my tree. Cicely died on 12 Sept. 1660 on Farrars Island, Virginia.

Mary Jordan married Capt. Nathaniel Basse on 21 May 1613 in London. Many reccords indicate he had been born in London as well. Both her father and husband were merchants who took many trips back and forth form England to the Virginia Colony. 

Her childhood was probably spent in London, She married Capt. Nathaniel in London, and their first set of twins were born on July 15, 1615, in London. Their next son, John, was born in London on Sept. 17, 1616.  He became my nine time great grandfather.

I've already shared the story of how he escaped the Indian attack which burned Basses Choice. Remember this was very early settements, so think of log cabins and pallisades to enclose the homestead's buildings. 

John's younger brothers were also born in London, but at least oder brother Humphrey was killed by the Indians in 1622. It must be noted that their leadership was no longer Powatan, father of Pocahontas. And there aren't any records indicating other children also perished, but Humphrey's twin was also assumed to have perished at the same time.

The story that the parents were away when the Indians burned their holdings on Good Friday, it also srtressed that they returned and set about rebuilding, so that Edward might be born in a shelter by May 8 of 1622. But the records say he was born in London. Perhaps records were only being kept there, as the colonials hadn't set up their first government yet, let alone had time to write down birthdates.

Edward married Mary Tucker, a Christianized Native American cousin of John's Native American wife, Elizabeth Kesiah Tucker.

Of all the 12 live births of Mary Jordan Bass, about 4 died before they were 6, (2 in the Indian attack) and then 2 of the brothers, John and Edward must have been part time with the settlers, and/or part time with their wives' Indian families.* At best. I have heard that most Native tribes have the husband move in with the wife's family. But since both of these ladies were baptized and became Christian, I'm not sure. It would have been really hard on them to join the English society. And shortly after their marriages, a law was passed forbidding marriages between English and Indians. But the church made effort to Christianize the natives, and that' probably how John learned to read and write, after he'd been saved from the fire by friendly Nansemond Indians.

Mary must have been on the seas a few times with her husband in his ships. Early on the ships were providing all the necessities for the settlers, tools, iron things for building, food, animals.

By all the best guesses as to her birthdates, I think she was around 30 years old when she died in childbirth. And I don't see any records that her husband remarried. He lived until 1654, while she died in 1629.  There must have been servants enough to care for all the children in his home, Bass's Choice.

* thinking more of how colonial Englishmen were, I now believe their wives and homes would have been modeled after other Colonial Early Americans, and the Native families would have remained in a background to the business of farming tobacco.

Nathaniel and Mary Basse - more documents about their lives

Repost about ancestors who were first immigrants to Virginia Colony.

 Mary Jourdan Basse 1592-1630, an immigrant to the American Colonies in 1622, my 9 times great grandmother. I found more articles on line, about both Nathaniel and Mary Basse...so am copying them here. The last photos are the primary documents, while much of the rest is cobbled together from possible documents and stories.

The following was posted about her HERE:

Mary Jourdan was born 1590/1595 in London, England and died 7 Jan 1630 [1] [2]

Married:

1. on 05-21-1613 in in London, England to Captain Nathaniel Basse (1589-1654)

Children of Mary Jourdon and Nathaniel Basse:

1. Humphrey Basse b. 07-15-1615 in London, England
2. Samuel Basse b. 07-15-1615 " " "
3. JOHN BASSE b. 09-07-1616 " " "
4. William Basse b. 12-25-1618 " " "
5. Anthony Basse b. 03-13-1620 " " "
6. Edward Basse b. 05-08-1622 " " "
7. Mary Basse b. 06-16-1623 at Basse's Choice, Va.
8. Genevieve Basse b. 10-09-1624 " " " "
9. Ann Basse b. 10-09-1624 " " "
10. Richard Basse b. 08-27-1625 " " " "
11. Gregory Basse b. 12-10-1628 " " " "
12. George Basse b. 12-11-1628 " " " "

Notes

• Capt. and Mrs. Basse were early Jamestown, Va. settlers. They owned Basse's Choice Plantation near Jamestown where the rest of their children were born. They returned to London, England before their deaths.
• Nathaniel died 03 July 1654, in London, Middlesex, England. His wife Mary died in childbirth with their twelfth son, 17 Jan 1630. 
• Parents: not known. Possibly a daughter of Samuel Jordan (1578-1623) & his unknown 1st wife, but there is no documentation to support this.

Another recent find (but published over 20 years ago) gives this information HERE:

BASSES PLAYED PROMINENT ROLE IN COLONY

VIRGINIA H. ROLLINGS ColumnistDAILY PRESSSept 19, 1992

In 1625, accounts of inhabitants, arms, and provisions at each plantation were required when assets of the Virginia Company were transferred to the king.

The muster at "Basse's Choice" on Pagan Creek in Wariscoyack, now Isle of Wight County, listed Capt. Nathaniel Basse, age 35, who arrived on the ship Furtherance in 1622; William Bernard, 21, who had come with Basse; Edward Wigge, 22, by the Abigail, 1621; Thomas Phillipes, 26, by the William & Thomas, 1618; Elizabeth Phillipes, 23, by the Seaflower, 1621; Thomas Bennett, 38, by the Neptune, 1618; Mary Bennett, 18, by the Southampton, 1622; Roger Heford, 22, by the Return, 1623; Benjamin Simes, 33, Richard Longe, 33, Alice Longe, 23, by the London Merchant, 1620; Robert Longe, born in Virginia.

Living at Basse's Choice after the 1622 Indian attack were: Capt. Nathaniel Basse (who had been in England); Samuel Basse; Benjamin Simes; Thomas Sherwood; Benjamin Handcleare; William Barnard; John Shelley; Nathaniel Moper; Nathaniel Gannon; Margaret Giles; Richard Longe and his wife and infant; Richard Evans; William Newman; John Army; Peter Langden; Henry ---; Andrew Rawley; and Peter ---.

One hundred colonists, many from Barbados, were brought to Isle of Wight by Capt. Basse, Sir Richard Worsley, John Hobson, and Christopher Lawne: "Basse's Choice" was probably awarded in connection with this colonization project.

A puzzling reference to Nathaniel Basse with information about the family of his father, Humphrey Basse, is the deposition recorded on Aug. 30, 1654, at Lord Mayors Court of London, recently published by Peter Wilson Coldham: "Major Edward Basse, citizen and merchant of London aged 60, and Dame Mary Poole (Pole) wife of Sir John Poole of Bromley, Middlesex, age 62, depose that Hester Hobson of Bromley, widow, Abigail Thorpe of Chelsea Hampton, Oxon, widow, and Sarah wife of Thomas Hastler, citizen and barber surgeon of London, are sisters and are daughters of Humphrey Basse of London, Merchant, and Mary his wife, both long since deceased.

The sisters are co-heirs of Luke Basse who died a bachelor and was brother of Nathaniel Basse lately deceased without issue in Virginia.

Thomas Hastler is appointed attorney."

John Basse (born Sept. 7, 1616, died 1699 in Virginia), who married the daughter of Chief Robin in 1638, was one of several sons of Capt. Nathaniel Basse and his wife, Mary Jordan Basse. On Aug. 14, 1638, John Basse married Keziah Tucker, "daughter of Robin the Elder of ye Nansemums kingdom, a baptized Christian ..."

The cherished manuscript labeled, "Booke of John Basse Norfolk County Virginia, 1675," is filled with dates of births, marriages, and deaths, beginning with Humphrey Basse and tracing to the present families in Nansemond (Suffolk) and Norfolk. Jesse Lindsey Bass, 1875-1960, was a chief of the Nansemonds.

His son, Earl L. Bass, for many years a shipyard employee, was chief at age 75, when the assistant chief, Oliver Perry of Virginia Beach, petitioned in 1984 for state recognition of the tribe.

The old farm in Chesapeake, about 65 acres, descended to Earl Bass from Indian ancestors who lived there before the Jamestown settlement.

One John Bass was a headright of Thomas Hampton, who patented 1,000 acres in 1637 on south side of the Nansemond River adjacent to Indian fields on Powells Creek. In 1640, Peter Knight, who had married Genevieve Basse, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary, received 150 acres at Basse's Choice.

Land records name a John Basse who owned land in Warwick County in a patent to Thomas Iken. The 1669 patent was for 135 acres in Mulberry Island Parish with a dwelling formerly owned by William Pierce "at the mouth of a creek which divides this from Baker's neck where the church formerly stood along James River and the great marsh dividing this from Mulberry Island near George Harwood, John Basse, to an old field near the cart path along Brewer's and Paulle's land up Warwick River."

Virginia land grants include numerous headrights (persons whose passage was paid by others) of the Basse name.

**********************************
Another source gives this information Here:

NATHANIEL BASS

Born	baptised 29 Dec 1589 at the Church of St. Gabriel, Fenchurch Street, London, Middlesex, England
Parents	Humphrey Bass and Mary Buschier
Married	21 May 1613, Mary Jordan, London, Middlesex, England
Died	03 July 1654 London, Middlesex, England
Children

1) Humphrey	b. 15 July 1615 d. 22 Mar 1622 Good Friday Indian Massacre at Basse's Choice
TWINS
2) Samuel	b. 15 July 1615 (not in Basse Record Book but in French Huguenot article
3) John	b. 7 Sep 1616 London, Middlesex, England m. 14 Aug 1638 (Keziah) Elizabeth, dau. of Great Petter, King of the Nansemond Indians ch. Nathaniel, Keziah, Elizabeth, Jordan, Samuel, William, Richard, John d. 2 Apr 1699, Norfolk-Nansemond Co., VA more on John Bass
4) William	b. 25 Dec 1618 London, Middlesex, England m. 20 Sep 1641 Sarah Batton d. Norfolk, VA
5) Anthony	b. 13 Mar 1620 London, Middlesex, England Was in Westmoreland Co., Va. 1654, sponsored by Giles Bren
6) Edward	b. 8 May 1622 London, Middlesex, England m. abt.1644 Mary Tucker, Norfolk-Nansemond Co., VA Mary was a Nansemond Indian d. abt.1696 Chowan Co., NC Edward traded with Showanee Indians in Carolinas
7) Anne	b. 9 Oct 1624 m. 11 Jun 1640 Thomas Burwell Jr.
TWINS
8) Genevieve	b. 9 Oct 1624, 10 minutes after Anne London, Middlesex, England m. 11 Jun 1640 Peter Knight
9) Richard	b. 27 Aug 1625 London, Middlesex, England
10) Gregory	b. 10 Dec 1628 London, Middlesex, England came to Virginia 1642, sponsored by Wm. Prior
TWINS
11) George	b. 11 Dec 1628 several hours after Gregory, London, Middlesex, England d. 1681 Norfolk-Nansemond, VA
12) Son	b. 17 Jan 1629/30 - stillborn (Mother Mary Jordan Basse dies)

The first English settlement in the area known by the Indians as Warrosquoake (Isle of Wight Co., Virginia) was made by Captain Christoper Lawne, Sir Richard Worsley, Knight & Baronet, and their associates NATHANIEL BASSE, Gentleman, John Hobson, Gentleman, Anthony Olevan, Richard Wiseman, Robert Newland, Robert Gyner and William Willis. They arrived at Jamestown with one hundred settlers on 27 April 1619 in a ship commanded by Captain Evans. They immediately settled on the south side of the Warrosquoake River (James River) and established the plantation "Warrosquoake", to be known as "Lawne's Creek". When their patent was confirmed it was to become known as the "County of Isle of Wight".

NATHANIEL BASSE and others undertook to establish another plantation in the same neighborhood, to the east, known as "Basse's Choice" situated on the Warrosquoake River (James River) and Pagan Creek. His patent was received 21 Nov 1621 for 300 acres plus 100 acres of marshland. 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). 26 at Isle of Wight were among those killed. The settlers made a valiant defense of themselves with guns, axes, spades and brick-bats. It is thought that Nathaniel and his wife, Mary, were in England at the time, and some of the children were at "Basse's Choice" with a nurse. The story is told that five-year old JOHN was one of the children that escaped and was rescued by some friendly Nansemond Indians! His older brother Humphrey died that day.

A census taken 16 Feb 1623/24 showed a total of 53 persons living at "Worwicke-Squeak" and "Basse's Choice". Nathaniel Basse and Samuell Basse among those listed.

Nathaniel was appointed to the House of Burgesses at the first Legislative Assembly representing Warrosquoake (Isle of Wight) for 1623/24. He was again a member of the House of Burgesses in Oct 1629 and 1631, appointed to Harvey's Council 1631/32 and a member of the Great Council 1631/32. On 6 Mar 1631/32 Nathaniel was commissioned to "trade between 34 and 40 N Latitude, England, Nova Scotia and West Indies to invite inhabitants hither". (If they were tired of cold and damp!) He was also commissioned to trade to the Dutch Plantation and Canada. He was given power of Justice of Peace.
(Virginia Council & General Court Records 1626-1634)

Basse's Choice originally called for 300 acres but it's acreage was closer to 400. Mr. Peter Knight, married to Nathaniel's daughter Genevieve, patented 150 acres of the same in 1640, and 255 acres in 1643. Peter Knight sold the tract to John Bland, an eminent London Merchant.

Nathaniel Basse was buried 3 July 1654 in the Church of St. Alphage, Cripplegate, London. Mary, his wife, had died 17 Jan 1630 with the birth of a stillborn son. After Nathaniel's death in 1654, the General Assembly of Virginia in 1659/60 ordered Mr. Wm. Drummond as agent of the Co-heirs of Nathaniel Basse to pay to Theodorick Bland of Westover, 2500 lbs tobacco in settlement of a suit affecting the land.

*****************************

And Find a Grave has this entry:

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).

********************************

There were photos attached to the Find A Grave article:

Remains of Church of St. Alphage, London, where Nathaniel Basse (and perhaps Mary Jourdan Basse) were buried.

Baptismal record of Nathaniel Base. 25 Dec 1589 Saint Gabriel Fenchurch, London England.

Buried in the church, not the churchyard, Nathaniel Basse July 3, 1655

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

Reposting from: Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Native connection

The Nansemonds have said that the book which is not considered accurate uses the surname Tucker to refer to the original Indians who married Western European settlers.  They seem to discount that name, and say any time Kesiah Tucker comes up as Elizabeth Bass's name, it stems from the book that isn't accurate.  But that had been her name as daughter of the Chief of the Powhatans.
  
If one book calls her that name, however, it seems to me that it is just like an alias, not to be discounted completely.  I see throughout the family tree, other women named Kesiah, which must be in honor of that matriarch.  So the book could not have been wrong about her having that other (Indian) name.  It probably would not have been acceptable if the family were strict Christians however.

And I haven't yet researched the religious affiliations of my ancestors...if any is known.  Early Virginians belonged to the Church of England, which became the Episcopal Church later in America.  It wasn't until near the Revolutionary War that Baptists petitioned for their own religious freedom. 

The 10,000 name petition (dated 16 October 1776) has been digitized at the Library of Congress website. It was signed by people from all over Virginia who wanted an end to persecution of Baptists by the Established Church. Baptists and Baptist sympathizers alike signed the petition. 

 And there were also Quakers in the Suffolk area as well. 

Incidentally, the wife would be in charge of the household meals, bedding, clothing and child rearing, but at some point the families probably moved out of the houses of the tribe and into cabins like the Europeans had.  I wonder when that happened.  Somehow I think it took several generations.

And especially important to remember about this family, and this tribe, is the persecution from the white culture.  No wonder some of my ancestors moved from VA to NC, GA, AL, and then TX.

Powhatan style home in Williamsburg,VA

http://cova-inc.org/resources/edu_ark_viintro.html
This link is for a resource kit.  Very well done archeological background of Virginia native peoples.

the best research link I’ve found is: 

 https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nansemond_County,_Virginia

site has lots of original document links.
More History From http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Nansemond_Tribe#start_entry 

Time Line

• December 1608 - Christopher Newport returns to England from Jamestown accompanied by the Indian Machumps. John Smith, meanwhile, attempts to trade for food with Indians from the Nansemonds to the Appamattucks, but on Powhatan's orders they refuse.
• Early September 1609 - John Smith sends Francis West and 120 men to the falls of the James River. George Percy and 60 men attempt to bargain with the Nansemond Indians for an island. Two messengers are killed and the English burn the Nansemonds' town and their crops.
• June 1611 - Sir Thomas Dale leads a hundred armored soldiers against the Nansemond Indians at the mouth of the James River, burning their towns. 
• August 14, 1638 - John Bass, who may be the son of Nathaniel Basse and Mary Jordan Basse, marries Elizabeth, a Nansemond woman who has converted to Christianity. 
• 1792 - The Nansemond tribe sells its last known reservation lands, 300 acres on the Nottoway River in Southampton County.
• 1850 - The Indiana United Methodist Church in Chesapeake is founded as a mission for the Nansemond Indians.
• March 20, 1924 - Virginia passes the Racial Integrity Act, a law aimed at protecting whiteness on the state level. It prohibits interracial marriage, the only exception being a marriage between a white person and a person with one-sixteenth or less Indian blood.
• 1930 - The General Assembly passes a law defining Virginia Indians as those possessing one-quarter or more of Indian blood and less than one-sixteenth of black blood. The law also stipulates that such people will be considered black unless they live on a segregated Indian reservation.
• February 20, 1985 - The Nansemond tribe is formally recognized by the [Virginia] General Assembly in House Joint Resolution 205.
• January, 2018, the legislation will grant federal recognition of the following six Virginia tribes: the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond.
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