The Rev. Bruce Bassett grew up in New Jersey and now lives on Cape Cod. Like many of us, he became interested in his ancestry. Ultimately, his search led him to Thomas Bassett of Rochester, Massachusetts.
Thomas was born here in Rochester on June 19, 1759. The Bassetts were known as a family of blacksmiths, but at one point in his life, Thomas took a different route and spent time in Wareham apprenticed to a lawyer (this was before Abraham Holmes had his own law firm and school).
During the Revolutionary war, service in the war effort was done much differently than today. There was no standing army and enlistees most often served for months rather than years. Most participants enlisted many times over the years of the war.
At 16 in 1775, Thomas Bassett enlisted for a 3-month term as a private in a militia company with Stephen Wing of Rochester as Captain. The company joined the army in Roxbury and eventually occupied Dorchester Heights until the British left Boston on March 17, 1776 – the real reason Boston has a holiday on St. Patrick’s Day. This was only the first of Bassett’s deployments.
By June,1776, he was once again in a Massachusetts company. This time he served on the Brigantine, “Rising Empire”, patrolling the coast between Cape Sables and New York prepared to “attack, subdue and take” any British vessels. This mission ended in August 1776 when the ship was ordered to return to Plymouth.
Bassett enlisted again for 3 months with a company headed to and serving in Bristol, Rhode Island beginning in December 1776. He earned 1 pound, 6 shillings, and 8 pence.
His longest enrollment was for 6 months beginning on July 3, 1780, with a company sent to reinforce the Continental Army. Like all enlistments, this meant marching to meet the army. This time his company marched to West Point, New York to join Gen. Nixon’s brigade. Here, Thomas was assigned to an Armorer company. When his 6 months was up, he returned home.
This appears to be the end of Bassett’s military career in January of 1781. He was definitely ready to return to civilian life, as he married Lydia Mendall on January 7, 1781. Over the years, the couple had nine children. Thomas Bassett died at the age of 73 on Febuary 24, 1833 and is buried along with other family members in our Rochester Center Cemetery.
The picture is of the Rev. Bruce Bassett at Thomas Bassett’s grave. He is hopeful that on October 26 when the SAR grave marking ceremony takes place at 11:00 am, he will have a chance to meet some of his Bassett and Mendall relatives.
This event will be conducted by the Cape Cod and Islands Chapter of the National Society for the Sons of the American Revolution in cooperation with the Rochester Historical Commission. Included in the event will be the Col. Henry Knox Color Guard, the Wareham Minutemen and Militia, members of Boy Scout Troop 31 and Rochester Memorial School 6th grader, Andrew Cody, playing Taps.
By Connie Eshbach