Profile - John BassettSource: North Irish Roots, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2010), p. 5Published by: North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25700274 .

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Profile - John Bassett

John Bassett of the Killyleagh Branch was President of the North of Ireland Family History Society from 1997to 2002

Since at least the early 1700s and probably the late 1600s the

Bassetts, who probably came to Ireland from Cornwall or

Devon, have been farming between Killyleagh and

Downpatrick. John's mother was a mine of information on the

interrelationships of the families of the district - there was much intermarriage with Parkinsons, McClurgs and Edgars for

example - and so was her mother, who could recite details of

six generations of the family. To ensure that all this information would not be lost, John wrote it down, thereby sparking a lifelong interest in family history. This led him to

join the Killyleagh Branch when, in 1982, it was the second Branch of the Society to be established; at one time Chairman of the Branch, he is still an enthusiastic member.

In the 1800s an enterprising great uncle saw the opportunities that arose as New Zealand began to be a popular destination for emigrants from Co. Down and elsewhere and he made a fortune

shipping farming equipment from the U.S.A. to New Zealand; now many of the Bassetts are to be found in that country and have remained in touch with the family back here. Around 1900 the

great uncle and his family took to cruising around the world and a daughter of the family kept a detailed daily diary, which has survived, and albums of photographs, which, sadly, were

subsequently tossed onto a bonfire. John's interest in family history has unsurprisingly led to an interest in local history and he is an authority on the parish of Inch, which is well served by the

extensive estate records, now in P.R.O.N.I., of the Maxwells of Finnebrogue.

Formerly Head of Science at Comber High School and at one time Chairman of the Governors of Down High, John Bassett is the author of various articles, particularly on the New Zealand

connection, in North Irish Roots and Familia and the Journal of the Lecale Historical Society and his latest venture into publishing is covered elsewhere in this issue - the book of The A/f/frath Letters, a collection of letters written by two brothers from New Zealand back to their

family in Killinchy, covering a period from 1860 to 1915.

Annual General Meeting

The Society's A.G.M. will be hosted by the Coleraine Branch on Saturday, 22nd May, from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be held at Dunluce Parish Centre Minor Hall, Bushmills, and will include a tour of Old Bushmills Distillery (including whiskey sampling). Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided. The cost of the tour and the lunch will be ?12 and must be booked in advance. Nominations for elections to the various posts should be sent to the General Secretary.

North of Ireland Family History Society North Irish Roots, 2010, Vol. 21, No. 1, Page 5

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