Talk:Fletcher S. Bassett

Dubious
There is not, and to my knowledge never has been, an Adams County, Kentucky. Someone needs to check on this and figure out where this error originates from. Acdixon (talk • contribs • count) 15:01, 2 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Thanks for noting that. I added a url for the citation (1898), which was "Mr. Bassett was born in Adams County, in the State of Kentucky, of the United States of America, on December 21st, 1847." I see several clues and possibilities. There is an Adams County, Ohio, across the Ohio river from Kentucky, and google offers pages on the small town of Adams, Kentucky. I'll try to find another bio. cygnis insignis 07:41, 3 March 2011 (UTC)


 * This looks like a good lead bassettbranches.org newsletter reprints:

"'I (Isaac Newton Bassett) was born in Lewis Co. Kentucky, September 8th 1825 in a country place two miles west of the little village of Quincy and one-half mile from the Ohio River. My father owned a little farm bordering on a little stream called Montgomery Creek. Kinnikonnick a much larger stream, was west a half mile and it ran in an easterly direction for nearly two miles, receiving the water of Montgomery Creek and emptying into the Ohio river. Its course was for the two miles reverse of the of the Ohio and the water was by reason thereof backed up for three miles in high water and at all times for a half of a mile.'"

Is it conceivable that Adams county included this region, and boundaries later redrawn, or is it a strange error (naming the next county)? I hesitate to change it because the person was an important contributor to the same source, as it explains cygnis insignis 18:17, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Lewis County was one of nineteen Kentucky counties formed from Mason County, Kentucky. Mason County was originally a county of Virginia and was ceded to Kentucky in 1792 when Kentucky became a state. According to this map, it looks like Virginia's claims never extended north of the Ohio River. Hence, I'd consider it unlikely that Adams County, Ohio was ever part of any Kentucky county or vice-versa. The community of Quincy, Kentucky (mentioned above) is less than 2,000 feet from the Ohio River, according to Google Maps. I wonder if the proximity just caused a mix-up with the author of the original source. I'm not sure how Isaac Newton Bassett is related to the subject of this article, but if you suspect he and Fletcher S. Bassett were born at the same place, I'd say Lewis County, Kentucky is the proper county of nativity. Acdixon (talk • contribs • count) 15:06, 7 March 2011 (UTC)


 * Isaac was Fletcher's father, and Fletcher was born in Lewis County, Kentucky, according to the Bassett family webpage. I would prefer a more solid ref, and expect one will emerge, but I'm okay with the article stating that for now. I still find it curious that "Ohio" is given in the prefatory sketch of the person compiling that work, right before his own address. cygnis insignis 18:06, 7 March 2011 (UTC)

Possible Personal Extension?
It seems Fletcher S. Bassett had a son, Wilbur Bassett, whose life followed a similar trajectory: U.S. Navy, and author of the 1917 Wander-Ships (five canonical stories about typical types of ships found in folklore, followed by pages of fairly dense summaries and citations, drawing on a library overlapping dad's; and just maybe worth citing in the Flying Dutchman article). A cursory online search shows that Wilbur enjoyed at least enough of a reputation to be asked to review a book about naval terminology in the 1940s. He may not rate an article of his own, but should this article mention him?

Jdickinson (talk) 07:48, 30 July 2021 (UTC)


 * The article lacks basic biographical information and just the fact that he had a son is fitting, but, in my opinion, the info on the son should be kept short. Countercheck (talk) 00:24, 17 April 2023 (UTC)

Possible External Link
Perhaps mostly a note to myself here. I could phrase it as a question, but really, is there any reason not to add an external link to an onine version of Bassett's Legends and Superstitions of the Sea and of Sailors in all Lands and at all Times (in case anyone dared to doubt his scope!)? There may be better options, but for example there's a scan available at https://books.google.com/books?id=N3QRAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false. (This one's missing a few pages of index, at least.)

Likewise Bassett's other book. I haven't yet looked for an online version of that, but if there is one....

Jdickinson (talk) 07:59, 30 July 2021 (UTC)


 * I think that would be a fine addition. Countercheck (talk) 00:21, 17 April 2023 (UTC)