Nathaniel Bassett

In 1651/2 Nathaniel and Joseph Prior were fined 20s. for "desturbing the church of Duxburrow on the Lords day"; the alternative was to be "bound vnto a post for the space of two houres ... with a paper on theire heades on which theire capital crime shalbe written" (PCR 3:4). By 1656 he was of Marshfield: a receipt of 9 May 1656 records payment of £5 10s "of Nathaniell Bassett, of Marshfeild, in a cow and yeerling" (PCR 8:212). That June his father William Bassett of Bridgewater deeded South River land to "my two sonnes there liveing viz Perigrine White and Nathaniell Bassett"; their division of 17 Apr 1656 is signed "P White N ; Bassett" (MD 10:25-27). Peregrine White, born aboard the Mayflower, was his brother-in-law. In 1657 he took the oath of fidelity at Duxbury (PCR 8:181).

King Philip's War. He was later of Yarmouth, and its constable from 1 June 1675 (PCR 5:167), so in the first year of the war his was probably the office that served the town's press warrants. In Yarmouth's rate "towards the charge of the late war," made on 29 Apr 1676, he was charged "Nathl. Bassett, 2. 9. 6"; the same rate charges Hosea Joyce, probably his wife's brother (Freeman, History of Cape Cod 2:194-195). He sat on the Yarmouth coroner's jury on George More in Oct 1677 (PCR 5:250).

In July 1683 he sued Edward Sturgis of Yarmouth for carrying away "a considerable quantitie of grasse or sedge" he had cut on his marsh near "the Prince Feild," bought of William Nickerson, and won the meadow and 15s (PCR 7:262-263). On review in March 1683/4 the Court gave the meadow to Sturgis, who had cut hay there "for the space of twenty yeer and vpward," because "hee who will oust a man of his posession must shew a better title for it then the posessor hath" (PCR 7:273-275).

He made his will at Yarmouth on 10 Jan 1709/10, with Thomas Mulford of Truro and his son Joseph as executors, and died six days later, on 16 Jan 1709/10, aged 82 (McLean, TAG 43:1-13). His estate was appraised at £228 11s (Barnstable Probate 3:144-148).