HISTORY OF BOWMANVILLE
Part 36
By Mr. J. B. Fairbairn, P. M.
THE LATE THOMAS BASSETT.
THE STATEMAN’S local historian who so recently passed to the better land- Mr. J. B. Fairbairn-had prepared a sketch of the life of Mr. Thomas Bassett and altho its place comes farther on in the narrative, we publish it this week, as Mr. Bassett died only a few hours after his historian’s burial. The closing words of the sketch seem so very appropriate and beautiful that we shall not add anything to them. Mr. Fairbairn wrote of Mr. Bassett as follows:
Mr. Thos. Bassett was largely associated with the building up of Bowmanville as he came here in the early fifties. I assume when he arrived he was one of quite a large flock and his environment would be of the usual kind. He received a good education and this he has fully utilized through his long life. Few among us are better read, his reading covering a wide range of the best authors. When he grew up to maturity he could not be satisfied with simply vegetating in the somewhat exhausted soil of his native Cornwall. With an eye on future development, he looked beyond the limits of England to that outlying dependency of the Crown where fresh soil would be found giving liberty for growth and expansion. The plant was all right – it only wanted proper nourishment to make it grow and spread and this was the island continent of Australia. The trip thee at that time was not light undertaking. I recollect when Canadians looked up Australia as almost beyond reach. There was no Suez Canal know
n to travellers and no ocean grey-hounds with every luxury on board to satisfy the inner man. Now, travellers have everything that heart can wish for with games of all kinds to while away the time. The voyage at present to the Antipodes is one of pleasure and is often taken for this purpose alone.
When Mr. Bassett was about twenty years of age his deliberation had reached a climax and he started out on the long trip to Australia. It would, I suppose, take at least four months to reach his destination, which he did in health and safety. One would have thought that this wonderful colony had everything his heart could wish, with gold galore, rich in flocks and herds and immense undeveloped resources, that all this would have induced him to permanently become an Australian. The human mind is a strange, instrument and sometimes strangely attuned and is often played upon by some unknown master magician who struck up the familiar notes of ‘Home Sweet Home", and "The girl I left behind me," and this made his heart long to see again he white cliffs of his native isle. He only remained two years and then retraced his steps back to Britain.
I am reminded here of our old friend and citizen, Doctor William Allison who at one time paid a visit to England and I think the Continent and Norway. After travelling a great deal, and seeing a great many places and people, when he again reached Yorkshire and the town of Bridlington where he made his headquarters, he wrote me a most interesting letter which he wound up by saying that there was no place that he had seen compared to Bowmanville and that he was longing to return to it.
Mr. Bassett did not remain long in Cornwall after his return, for I think, within two months he once more started off on another voyage of discovery. This time accompanied by a lady to whom he was now married. Crossing the Atlantic westward he finally came to Toronto. We soon find him with his coat off, sleeves rolled up, busy at work in that growing city. He was still restless, however, and propelled by some good influence he came to Bowmanville in the early fifties. He had learned the trade of a carpenter, and this he at once utilized and soon extended his knowledge of this into that of contractor and was successful in all that he undertook. Mr. Bassett was ambitious and was not to be limited in the exercise of his business talents. In this desire he was better endowed than most of them. His movements showed a keen incisive power of looking into any matters of that nature and coming to a quick conclusion. There is a Scotch word called "pawkey" which has no equivalent in the
English language. It means frugal but not stingy, shrewd but not cunning, and humorous but not sarcastic. This can be applied with all correctness to him.
Another distinguishing trait of Mr. Bassett’s character was his detestation of anything mean or tricky. He bought out the hardware business then controlled by Robert Young, a well-known personage at the time and he soon mastered the details of that line of business. It grew rapidly and he improved its prospects by moving into a more central position, renting the store now in the occupancy of Mayor Archie Tait. This he in turn disposed of to the late Robert S. Manning, coming out with sufficient means to enable him to virtually retire from the confinement and worry involved in close attention to the shop.
Mr. Bassett was tempted afterwards to join hands with the Brittain Brothers in the Marshaltown, Iowa, pork packing business. Again his lucky star was in the ascendant adnd he after a season of successful business quit for good. I was often struck with the cool way he took many things that greatly agitated the minds of others. Often when our local leaders of opinion would be wrangling over some question and almost ready to fight about it, if he happened to be near and was inclined to take part in the controversy it was really amusing to see the deliberate way he would fire a shot first into one camp and then into the other, so concealing his own views that it was only when it came to voting you could tell where he stood. Some people are never wrong, at least in their own estimation. He was not troubled with such supreme conceit. It was a great blessing when a person is given the faculty of enjoying the good things that a kind Providence throws in their way. If not better for themselve
s it is better for their fellow travellers who accompany them on the road. Mr. Bassett and two congenial spirits – the late Doctor Charles Bird and John Higginbotham, spent many a happy day and night on the shore of that wonderful lake Scugog which lies so far yet is so near. They fitted up a lodge at the once notorious Caesarea and joined by friends from time to time, they made it bad for the fish but very pleasant for themselves and others.
"Pleasures are like poppies spread.
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed "
It now seems like ancient history. The severe frost two winters ago froze the lake to the bottom and destroyed the fishing grounds. Will they ever be as replete as formerly with Maskinonge and Bass? Let us hope so for it was an important outing for many of our citizens who sought change and recreation on its pleasant waters.
The highway that all must traverse before the eternal shore is reached is not a dead level but deversified by valley and hill, and the bride who so recently left her Cornish home with her young husband to found the home in this kindly land fell a prey to a fatal disease was called to the home of many mansions leaving one daughter, Miss Bassett who is still taking a full share in the responsibilities that have fallen to her lot. She has been for years an active worker in the Presbyterian church of which she is a devoted member. Mr. Bassett’s second wife was a lady, in every sense of that term, who was long spared to them, shedding over the Bowmanville home the light of a loving Christian heart. Some two years ago she was called to lay down the duties of this earthly existence and go into the regions of eternal peace. They had one son, Edward. He very much resembled his father, both in appearance and mental equipment, but the White Plague got him in its grasp and while qu
ite a young man he too had to strike his colors and fly aloft to the spirit land.
Such are some of the terrible trials we have to undergo and from which there is no immunity. The little barque upon which Mr. Bassett set out has braved many a stormy sea and is now slowly reaching the shore. The sails are still spread, the vessel without a lead, the pennant at the mast head and as it gradually approaches the harbor where all must disembark, let us hope that some time may yet elapse before the Heavenly Pilot takes possession of it and that when he does so it will be a safe easy passage into the haven of unending joy. He can with well grounded confidence say:
"And so beside the silent sea,
I wait the muffled oar,
No harm from Him can come to me,
On ocean or on shore."
MR. BASSETT’S FUNERAL
One by one the older citizens of this town are passing away. Following closely the death of the late J. B. Fairbairn, we are called upon to record the death of Mr. Thomas Bassett, a close friend and another liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church, who passed to his eternal reward early Wednesday morning from heart trouble. Deceased was born at Lerryn, Cornwall, England, and since coming to Bowmanville has been closely identified with the interests of this town. A sketch of his life appears in the History of Bowmanville this week so we refrain from repeating. Deceased was twice married first to Miss Mary J. Crowie in England and later to Miss Naomi Makings of Rockwood, Ontario, who predeceased him a few years ago. By his first wife he had two children, Mr. Edward Bassett who died about fourteen years ago and Miss Bassett who has been her father’s faithful companion until the close of his life. The funeral took place Friday afternoon from the
family residence Temperance Street, and was largely attended. Service was conducted by his pastor, Rev. H. Jolliffe of the Methodist church. Among the relatives present were: Mrs. H. Lancashire and Mrs. Thomas Tapson, town, Mrs. Wm. Abbey, Port Dalhousie, sisters; Mr. Frank Bassett, Erie, Pa., brother Mr. Edward Bassett, Paris, grandson; Mrs. D. Anderson, Rockwood, sister-in-law; Miss Brown, Buffalo, Miss Spear and Miss Annie Spear and Mrs. Alex. Boyd, Toronto, nieces; Mr. Alex Boyd and Mr. Norman Laing, Toronto; Mrs. H. Campbell and son, Mr. Murray Campbell, Milton; Mr. and Mrs. David Keith; Oshawa.
Next - Bowmanville and Darlington History Part 37
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