Ancestry of Benjamin Harrison; (Book Review) Wm. and Mary Qrtly.; Vol. 2, No. 3

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(in Book Reviews)

   The Ancestry of Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States: 1889-1893

   William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol. 2, No. 3
   (Jan., 1894), p. 216-218.

   THE ANCESTRY OF BENJAMIN HARRISON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 1889-1893 in chart
form, showing also the Descendants of William Henry Harrison, President of the United
States of America in 1841, and Notes of Families Related.  By Charles P. Keith, author of
"The Provincial Councillors of Pennsylvania, 1733-1766", etc., Philadelphia, 1893.

Page 217.

   The painstaking accuracy and industry with which Mr. Keith has compiled this work entitles
him to the highest praise.  The related families presented are Armistead, Bacon, Bassett,
Burwell, Cary, Harrison, Irwin, McDowell, Ramsey, Symmes and Tuthill.  The first six are
Virginia families, and for that reason, apart from the fact of their great distinction in
American history, are of more interest to us, as home-folks.  The father of William Armistead,
the immigrant, is shown by Mr. Keith to be Anthony Armistead, of Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire,
and Frances Thompson, his wife.  The old tradition that the Armisteads were from Hesse
D'Armstadt has no foundation in fact.  It is barely possible that the wife of William
Armistead, the immigrant, was an alien, and hence the name "Hesse", given by John Armistead,
the son to his residence at the mouth of the Pianketank.  The Dutch, in the early days of
the Colony, carried on a big trade with Virginia, and many of them settled here.  The
Bassetts are traced to William Bassett of "Newport in the Co. of Southampton, Yeoman".  In
the York Co. Va. books is a power of attorney dated April 2, 1683 from Ann Banister, the wife
of Moses Banister of Newport, in the Isle of Wight, Southampton Co., butcher, and Mary
Foster, spinster, of the same places, to Capt. Mathew Rider to collect legacies due to them
under the will of William Bassett, "late of the parish of Blissland in the County of New
Kent in Virginia".  By reference to Bassett's will he had two sisters, Annie and Mary Foster.
Joseph Foster, Capt. Bassett's nephew, resided in the adjoining parish of St. Peter's, and
became Captain, Colonel &c. In the parish register are the following entries:

   Joseph, son of Joseph Foster & Eliz. his wife, bapt. the 8th April, 1687.
   Eliz. dau. to Capt. Joseph Foster & Eliza. his wife, bapt, 27 Sept., and borne ye 1st,
1689.
   Luce, dau. of Joseph Foster Gent by Eliza., his wife, born 5 Oct. 169-.
   Joseph, s. of Joseph Foster & Eliz his wife, born Oct. 29, 169-.
   Easter, a mulatto, belonging to Coll. Jos. Foster, born 12 Aug., 1705.
   Jenny, a negro, belonging to Coll. Jos. Foster, born may, 1716.
   Madam Elizabeth Foster departed this life Jan 8th, 1718.
   John, son of Jno. Foster, Gent, by Jane his wife, b. 15 June, 17--.
   Mary, dau. of Jno. Foster, Gent, born January the 10th, 1716.
   Thomas, s. of Mr. Joseph Foster, born April 16th, 1716.
   William, son of Capt. Jno. Foster, departed this life 8br 28th, 1716.
   Thomas, son of Capt. Jno. Foster, departed this life the 20th of 7br, 1715.

Page 218.


   John, son of Jno. Foster, departed this life January 5, 1715.
   Jane, the wife of Mr. Jno. Foster, deceased April 21, 1721.
   [Entries of negroes belonging to Capt. John Foster, subsequently in 1738 called Major
John Foster.]

   In the same register Coll. John Scott, who died Oct. 23, 1729, figures prominently.  He
may have been one of the Scott family mentioned in the will of William Bassett.  In the
same register, also, are entered children of Thomas Bassett (he has a son William) doubtless
the son of William Bassett (under 18 in 1660), son of Thomas Bassett, whose widow Mary
married secondly, William Felgate, of Queen's Creek, York Co., in 1660, and thirdly, Capt.
John Underhill, Jr. formerly of the City of Worcester, England.  Mr. Keith fixes the Burwell
family definitely in England.  In making an abstract several years ago of an earliest record
book, of York Co., Va., 1645-1649, then without cover and thrown aside, the Editor took
down the deed of gift of Dorothy Wingate, widow of Roger Wingate, Esq., to her only son,
Lewis Burwell, as also certain references to Lewis Burwell and Robert Vaus as "brothers".
This information he communicated to the distinguished genealogist, W. G. Stanard, Esq.,
who informed Mr. Keith.  It is gratifying to see what the clew thus given has led to such
important results.