Bill Warnock's Genealogy Methodology and Harriette's Story

In the 1980’s, my Mom (Harriette) and Aunt Julia became interested in their family history. At the end of the decade, in 1989, after such efforts as writing off to the National Archives for family veteran’s records, they turned the project over to me saying, “Bill, you are good with computers, you do it.” I secretly suspect that finding out that their great-grandfather, Robert Healey, Sr., was mustered out of the Union Army during the Civil War because he had contracted Syphilis but then joined the Navy as a recruiter and died in Baltimore had something to do with it.

Since my great-uncle, Frank Bassett, was the compiler of the genealogies in Seymour, Past and Present, my approach was to enter all the names in his genealogies into my computer. My first application was The Family Edge but after I had entered about 15,000 people, complete with verbatim notes of my sources, the “Head Edger” quit his program. My next application was The Master Genealogist (TMG). I had no trouble converting the basic files from the old program to the new one except for my source notes. That took about 3 years. Then, at the end of 2015 after I had entered about 34,500 people, TMG went out of business. I still have that program running but it is useless in making the information available to others in the long run. Beside these issues, I learned that Family History projects are not set in stone but evolve as more facts are learned and the results, through careful research, become more accurate. But facts are facts and stories are stories. What happened cannot change but our knowledge of it evolves. Therefore, I try to present the best story available but change it when new facts are discovered. For example, I try to assign an approximate birthdate to everyone. If a date is not available, I say that the person was born (about the year) when their father was 30 and their mother was 25 but in all cases after their parents’ wedding date (which was sometimes not true). If the exact date is subsequently found, I gladly correct my initial estimate.

These days, I am putting everything in Ancestry (just over 16,000 people now) in the hope that it has the best chance for future use. I may explore using a new program from the New England Historical Genealogical Society (American Ancestors) as that organization has prospects for a longer life expectancy than a commercial enterprise. In any event, I have found that you cannot blindly enter old information. Erroneous information must be corrected, and new information needs to be added. My Mom started a manuscript by hand in 1983. It is her understanding of our family history. I transcribe it below because it bears on the issue of when the farmhouse was built (the old Bassett place at 58 Bungay Road).

Begin transcription: Samuel Botsford came up from Milford to a tract of land his father bought in 1726 and built his home on Bunga (early spelling of Bungay) Botsford owned land to the Naugatuck river east and west to Great Hill road from the now Botsford Road. The first Botsford blood was Sarah who married Samuel

Ebenezer Johnson and Samuel Riggs bought a large tract of land from Botsford Road to Rock Rimmon and west to Southbury – North by Middlebury and Waterbury – this is now (1983) part of Seymour and Oxford The first Riggs family on Bunga was Emzian (Ensign) Samuel who fathered Elizabeth (born 1668) who married Robert Bassett. The Bassett tract lay from Botsford Road North to Little River – west to Mt. Road – East to Cedar Street and south by Miles Upson. From Botsford North on Bunga Riggs built first a cider mill run by water power from the brook that came down from the west. Next came his distillery then his home (from a colored map of New Haven County)

Robert, son of Samuel Bassett fathered Samuel who built the present home of Robert Miner in 1729 on land his father gave him when he married Elizabeth Riggs in 1687 (this apparently broke up the Riggs dynasty) The Bassetts acquired all of the Riggs holdings to Little River north and west to Mt Road, east to Cedar Street – south to Riggs Line.

Samuel and Deborah Bennett had Abraham who married Mary Baldwin in 1780. He had two hitches in Revolutionary Army – May-Oct 1775 June to Dec 1776. His house was a Long Low one story with his cobbler shop built on the front. It is established he was an accomplished boot maker.

Samuel and Deborah had Glover who took over the homestead at marriage with Elizabeth Baldwin. He took off father’s cobbler shop and moved it to the back yard for a wagon shed, raised the roof making the old home a full two story as it is today. (ED BW: One correction: Glover Bassett’s parents were Abraham Bassett and Mary Baldwin not Samuel and Deborah—Abraham’s parents).

Glover and Mary owned all of what the Healey place held, plus Castle Rock and down to Bissell place on Cedar Street – Glove with his partner George Tomlinson built the globe chair and furniture store on Cedar Street Taking power from a dam built across a brook that came down through the meadows from the west, (1982) the brook still runs but the dam is gone (Condominiums are now on site of factory)

Glover’s first marriage brought forth five children. The first was Amos (Second marriage was to Nancy Gilyard with one child)

Amos married Hulda Rowe in 1843 and had six children born in the old homestead. Amos farmed the land until 1862 when he died. Hulda ran it until 1866 when daughter Alice married Robert Healey. Hulda died in 1873 after spending seven years with them.

Glover’s second marriage to Nancy Gilyard. They moved to old homestead where she then married George Rood (Glover died in 1847).

Frank G. Bassett married Hattie Storrs in 1878 and they had two children – first lived only a year – second Clara Belle Storrs Bassett married a Roach and they had one daughter. Roach was the hired man on the Frank Bassett farm an inheritance of his wife’s parent’s estate. This was east of North Street to Chestnut Street, North to Dolittle Hawley and Candee farms, west to Rimmon Brook.

The F. Bassett homestead lead off to the right from at top of hill, just before coming to North Main St. (This house has been separated and parts moved south on North Street to make single family homes) At his death it was sold to settle his then large estate and was bought by Anthony Fanotto. (His son and daughter live in the remaining section of the old homestead (1983).

Frank Bassett was an exceptional man – a great historian – author of Seymour, Past & Present.

Alice Bassett married Robert Healey in 1866 Robert Healy after serving a hitch in the Civil War came to Seymour and was employed at the Douglas Mfg Co. (Later Swans shop – now 1983 Klaridis Shopping Center) He boarded with Nancy Bassett Rood on Bunga – next door to Alice Bassett – They married in 1866.

Harry was born to Robert and Alice in 1869 & married Amelia Jennie Gressott (born in Salisbury Ct) Amelia’s family came from western part of Conn.

End of transcript.