Burwell Bassett
Encyclopedia
Burwell Bassett, Jr. was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from 1787 to 1789, and the Virginia Senate from 1794 to 1805.
to Burwell Bassett, Sr. and Anna Maria Dandridge, the sister of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington
, Bassett attended the College of William and Mary
. He was the nephew of George &
Martha Washington
and first cousin of President
William Henry Harrison
.
He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from 1787 to 1789, and the Virginia Senate from 1794 to 1805. He was unsuccessful in contesting the election of John Clopton
to the United States House of Representatives
in 1794, but was later elected in a Democratic-Republican
in 1804, serving from 1805 to 1813. There, Bassett served as chairman of the Committee on Claims
and of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business from 1811 to 1813. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1812, but was elected again in 1814, serving from 1815 to 1819. Bassett then returned to the House of Delegates, serving from 1819 to 1821, and returned to the United States House a third time, serving from 1821 to 1829 as a Democratic-Republican, Crawford Republican and Jacksonian
. He was unsuccessful for reelection, and died on February 26, 1841 in New Kent County, Virginia
. He was interred at the Eltham Plantation in New Kent County.
Bassett married twice, first to Elizabeth McCarty in 1788, and, after her death, to Philadelphia Ann Claiborne in 1800.
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
from 1787 to 1789, and the Virginia Senate from 1794 to 1805.
Biography
Born in Williamsburg, VirginiaWilliamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
to Burwell Bassett, Sr. and Anna Maria Dandridge, the sister of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
, Bassett attended the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
. He was the nephew of George &
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
Martha Washington
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
and first cousin of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
.
He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
from 1787 to 1789, and the Virginia Senate from 1794 to 1805. He was unsuccessful in contesting the election of John Clopton
John Clopton
John Clopton was a United States Representative from Virginia. Born in St. Peter's Parish , his father was William Clopton and his mother was Elizabeth Dorrell Ford , he graduated from the College of Philadelphia in 1776...
to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1794, but was later elected in a Democratic-Republican
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
in 1804, serving from 1805 to 1813. There, Bassett served as chairman of the Committee on Claims
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
and of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business from 1811 to 1813. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1812, but was elected again in 1814, serving from 1815 to 1819. Bassett then returned to the House of Delegates, serving from 1819 to 1821, and returned to the United States House a third time, serving from 1821 to 1829 as a Democratic-Republican, Crawford Republican and Jacksonian
Jacksonian democracy
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. The Democratic-Republican Party of...
. He was unsuccessful for reelection, and died on February 26, 1841 in New Kent County, Virginia
New Kent County, Virginia
At the 2000 census, there were 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile . There were 5,203 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
. He was interred at the Eltham Plantation in New Kent County.
Bassett married twice, first to Elizabeth McCarty in 1788, and, after her death, to Philadelphia Ann Claiborne in 1800.
External links
- Burwell Bassett at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- Burwell Bassett at The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...
- Burwell Bassett's family tree