Sir William Bassett was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1669 and 1693.
Background
Bassett was the son of William Bassett of Claverton and his second wife Elizabeth Killigrew, daughter of Sir Joseph Killigrew of Lothbury, London and Landrake, Cornwall. He succeeded to the estate of Claverton on the death of his father in 1656.
Career
He was baptised on 17 April 1628. He was knighted on 7 July 1660 and one of those recommended as Knight of the Royal Oak with an estate of £1,800 per annum. He was a commissioner for assessment for Somerset from August 1660 to 1680.
In 1661 he was made freeman of Bath and was also a captain of militia horse for Somerset.
He became Justice of the Peace for Somerset in 1662. He was commissioner for recusants for Somerset in 1675.
By 1679 he was a major in the militia, He was re-elected Member of Parliament for Bath in first election of 1679, but lost his seat in the second election that year. He was Deputy Lieutenant from 1680 to 1687.
In 1681 he was elected Member of Parliament for Bath again.
He was Justice of the Peace for Cornwall from 1683 to 1685 and for Bath from 1684 to October 1688. In 1685 he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Bath and again in 1689 From 1689 to 1690 he was commissioner for assessment for Somerste and became Deputy Lieutenant for Somerset in 1689. He was commissioner for assessment for Bath in 1690.
In 1690 he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Bath.
Bassett died at the age of about 65 and was buried at Claverton.
Membership
Cavalier Parliament. Habeas Corpus Parliament]
In 1669, Bassett was elected Member of Parliament for Bath in the Cavalier Parliament. He became a member of the Honourable Artillery Company in 1681.