Name Charles Williams Died February 1, 1908 | Role Member of Parliament | |
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Charles Henry Williams (later known as Charles Henry Basset, from 1880) (16 November 1834 – 1 February 1908) of Pilton House and Westaway House, Pilton, near Barnstaple, and of Watermouth Castle all in North Devon, was a British naval and military officer, JP and Deputy Lieutenant for Devon, and was a Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Barnstaple, 1868–1874. He was master of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds between 1887 and 1893.
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Origins
He was born Charles Henry Williams, on 16 November 1834, being the fourth surviving son of Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet (1791–1870), MFH, of Tregullow, Cornwall, by his wife Caroline Eales, younger daughter of Richard Eales of Eastdon, Lieutenant RN.
In the 1850s his father had purchased the manor of Heanton Punchardon, near Barnstaple, and lived at Heanton Court. This manor had long been owned by the Basset family which had died out in the male line in 1802 on the death of Francis Basset Esq. The latter appointed as his heir his nephew Joseph Davie (1764–1846), of Orleigh Court, in Buckland Brewer parish near Bideford, the son of his sister Eleanora Basset and her husband John Davie. As a condition of his inheritance Joseph Davie adopted the name and arms of Basset. He sold Orleigh in 1807 to Charles Luxmore and moved to Berrynarbor where he built Watermouth Castle. He married Mary Irwin (1777 - 21 April 1862) of Barnstaple. A mural monument to the couple exists in Berrynarbor Church. His eldest son and heir was Arthur Davie Bassett (1801 - 8 December 1870), who died in a horse-riding accident. He married Harriet Sarah Crawfurth, daughter of Thomas Smith Crawfurth of Dulverton, by whom he had his eldest surviving son Re. Arthur Crawfurth Davie Bassett (1830–1880), who was unmarried and died at Watermouth. His heir was his sister Harriet Mary Bassett, who became on 7 January 1858 the wife of Charles Henry Williams. The Williams family is memorialised by the Williams Arms public house in the parish of Heanton Punchardon.
Charles Williams himself, following his marriage to the sole heiress of the Davie-Basset family, in accordance with the terms of the inheritance, adopted by royal licence the surname Basset following his wife's inheritance of the Davie-Basset estates from her brother in 1880.
Career
Aged 13 he entered the Navy as cadet on HMS Southampton. He rose to lieutenant and served during the Crimean War in the Black Sea, and Sea of Azof. He was a major in the Royal North Devon Yeomanry. He was master of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds between 1887 and 1893.
Change of name
As a condition of his wife's inheritance in 1880, he assumed for himself, his wife and their progeny by Royal License dated 11 October 1880, the surname of Basset in lieu of his patronymic, with the arms of Basset:
"London Gazette, 15 October 1880; Whitehall October 11, 1880
Armorial bearings: Barry wavy of six or and gules in the centre chief point a cross crosslet of the last Crest: on a wreath of the colours, a unicorn's head couped argent,the mane, beard, and horn or, on the neck two bars indented gules, and charged for distinction with a cross crosslet also gules. Motto: Bene agere ac Laetari. His estates were at Pilton House, Barnstaple; Umberleigh House, Atherington; Watermouth Castle, Berrynarbor, all in Devon.
Marriage & progeny
He married on 7 January 1878, Harriet Mary Basset, only daughter of Arthur Davie Basset, Esq., of Watermouth Castle, in the parish of Berrynarbor and of Umberleigh House in the parish of Atherington. Harriet was the sister and co-heiress of Reverend Arthur Crawfurth Davie Basset, (1830–1880) JP and MA, of Watermouth Castle. They had the following progeny: