Gerald Brodie Bassingthwaighte

Foreword
To Bassingthwaighte by Gerald Brodie Bassingthwaighte (December 1977)

Although I was seriously thinking about a search of the Bassingthwaighte family, it was not until I received a letter written by Edward King Bassingthwaighte, from England in 1954, that I really started what has proved to be a very large project. The letter, which was forwarded to me, was written to my cousin, Noel Bassingthwaighte, Queensland, Australia, after Edward had seen his name signed in the visitors' book at the old church, on the banks of Lake Bassenthwaite.

This inspired me to trace our family back to England, and our earliest beginnings and believe me, if I had known then, the work entailed, this whole thing would never have been started! I would like to thank Edward King Bassingthwaighte (now deceased) for giving me that push and for sending me the family records he had researched to that date.

After Edward's death, Ian Bassinqthwaighte of Colchester, Essex, followed on with that work in England.

When one finds that it did not become legal for births, deaths and marriages to be registered in England until 1832, a comparatively short time ago, one realizes the vast amount of work that has to be done in searching through county and church records beyond that date.

Miss Merle F. Bassingthwaighte of Ontario, Canada, for sending me her father's (James) early family records.

Michael Applegate Horan, New Jersey, U.S.A., for the monumental task of tracing about twelve hundred Canadian members, when he began with under two hundred names! He was greatly assisted by Miss Pearl Bassingthwaighte of Kelowna, British Columbia, who provided endless information and addresses to whom he could write. Michael also did a wonderfully complete job of recording his own family line of Hunworth Hall.

Stephen Bassingthwaighte of South West Africa, was my first contact with the family there. Whilst visiting Sydney, Australia, he telephoned a Miss Stella Bassingthwaighte, no doubt hoping to find someone about his own age ... of twenty-three but found a lady of much more mature years!!! However, he left his address with her and I, in turn, wrote to him and through Stephen, his uncle, Frank Bassingthwaighte and wife Tucki, now of Cape Town, South Africa, entered the search and brought in the members of the South West African family, together with their many interesting stories about a family who were descended from one of the first permanent white settlers in South West Africa.

Finally, my thanks to all those who helped me in Australia and my typists. (daughters Berry, Fiona and Rosalen and cousin Valerie Bassingthwaighte - E109).

As you can see by the index, I have started off in the Lakes District, although, as yet, we have no direct line to that area, continuing with names and places of interest there and in Norfolk.

From the initial family tree I have branched off in sections in this order, Hunworth Hall, Canada, who migrated there in 1832, Australia, my branch in 1834 and the South West African line in 1842.

Any additional information, photographs, etc., can be inserted on an extra page A, B, etc., e.g. between page 15 and 16 would then be 15A and 15B.

There will be a copy of this book on record at the Genealogical Society in London, England, and at the C.B.C. of Sydney Limited, Dalby, Queensland, Australia.

"Diamondy", Jandowae, Queensland, Australia. December, 1977.