15 Facts About Burwell Bassett

Burwell Bassett was their second of four sons, and fifth of the couple's eight children, and received a private education appropriate to his class, then attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg.

Burwell Bassett was the first cousin of President William Henry Harrison.

When his father died, Burwell Bassett inherited about 6,000 acres of land in New Kent County and more than 1000 acres in Hanover County.

Burwell Bassett operated these plantations using enslaved labor, mostly using overseers, especially after he moved to Williamsburg, where Basset lived from 1815 until 1837.

Burwell Bassett sold his James City County land in 1837, and may have sold enslaved people from his New Kent County plantations, or given them to relatives.

Burwell Bassett was then Lieutenant Colonel of the 68th Regiment of the Virginia Militia.

Burwell Bassett failed to win re-election in 1812, but was elected again in 1814, and re-elected, and so served from 1815 to 1819.

Burwell Bassett again announced his retirement early in 1828, then was convinced to run again, but lost to Richard Coke, who in the interim had received pledges of support from other politicians in that district.

Burwell Bassett lost his bid for reelection in 1828, although he would live for more than another decade.

Burwell Bassett promoted public schooling and was active in the Episcopal Church.

British educational reformer Joseph Lancaster stayed with Burwell Bassett while touring Virginia in 1819.

Burwell Bassett served as a delegate to several Virginia episcopal church conventions and in 1827 became a trustee of the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.

In 1837, Burwell Bassett sold his James City County land and returned to live his final years in New Kent County.

Burwell Bassett died on February 26,1841, in New Kent County, Virginia.

Burwell Bassett was probably interred at his Eltham Plantation, in Eltham, Virginia; the plantation house burned to the ground in 1875.