The Basset's of Tehidy

Thurstan Basset- soldier, who fought with William at Hastings 1066 and subsequently came to Cornwall with Robert of Mortain and settled in Oxfordshire

Thomas Basset- married the daughter of the Dunstanville of Tehidy

Sir Ralph- attendant to Edward I during the Welsh wars 1227

1330- a Basset received the market grant for Redruth, along with a license to embattle Tehidy

The reign of Edward IV (1461-83) saw the Basset's holing the castle at Carn Brea

John Basset Kt. is recorded in the Military Survey of 1552 as ;

holding land valued in Ewnye (Redruth) parish at £3.0.0d.
holding land valued in Cambron (Camborne) parish £15.0.0d.
holding land valued in Berian (St. Buryan) parish £3.17.10d.
holding land valued in Paule parish £2.4.8d.
holding land valued in Sancrett (Sancreed) parish £0.8.0d.

Sir Francis Basset- bought St. Michael's Mount in 1640 and held the titles of Lord and Captain of the Mount, Sheriff of Cornwall, Vice-Admiral of the Northern Shore at the outbreak of the Civil War. A firm supporter of the King he played an active roll, on occasions at his own expense , of strengthening defences in Cornwall. He was at Boconnoc in 1644 where, after a successful campaign, the King knighted him saying 'Now, Mr. Sheriff, I leave Cornwall to you safe and sound'. Sir Francis died in September 1645.

Sir Thomas-( brother of Sir Francis ) royalist soldier who fought at Chagford in 1643. Major-General at the battle of Stamford Bridge. Commanded a third of the Royalist army at Bristol

James- bother of Sir Francis and Sir Thomas, royalist soldier killed at Polsloe Bridge in 1643.

Sir Arthur- (youngest bother of Francis, Thomas and James ) followed his brother, Sir Francis as Captain of Mount St. Michael and escorted the Prince of Wales in his flight to Scilly in 1646. He duly surrendered the Mount to the Commonwealth forces and was imprisoned. In 1647 he sold the Mount to John St. Aubyn.

John Pendarves Basset- (1714-39) started rebuilding Tehidy in 1734 but died of smallpox aged 25

Francis- (brother of John Pendarves Basset ) inherited Tehidy and became M.P. for Penryn 1766-9. To facilitate the export of ore from the family mines he began to create the port of Portreath.

Francis Basset-Bt. Lord de Dunstanville( son of Francis above) see his portrait above.
as a young man he made the Grand Tour, indulged in writing on politics and continued his father's work at Portreath. Francis was active in 'borough-mongering'. He reached an accommodation with Lord Falmouth that Basset's should have Tregony and Lord Falmouth, Truro. Similarly with the Duke of Leeds ( heir to the Godolphin estates ) where Basset had Penryn and Leeds the town of Helston. In this vein he fought a duel with Sir Christopher Hawkins over Parliamentary controls where shots were exchanged and they both retired satisfied Francis was made a baronet after leading his miners to Plymouth and erecting defensive earthworks and batteries when the combined French and Spanish fleets threatened the City in 1779. The following year saw him enter Parliament as Member for Penryn where he joined the party of Lord North. Defensive batteries were erected on either side of Portreath in 1782 on his orders and in this year he began the Cornish Metal Company. The company was an attempt, in conjunction with the William's family of Angelsy, to form a cartel to purchase all of the Cornish copper ( it lasted until 1792). In 1785 Sir Francis, a leading mine owner, deputized 50 special constables and arrested the leaders of the local 'food riots' at dawn ( At this time the miners were paid very low wages in tokens which could only be redeem for goods at the mine owners store at the value set by the owner. Some of those arrested were hung and others transported for life). In recognition of his actions, Prime Minister Pitt made him Lord de Dunstanville in 1796. The name of the title refers to the family that the Basset's married into, thus acquiring Tehidy and its estates containing the valuable mining lands and securing their financial future. He went on to become a patron of the Cornish painter John Opie and was a pall bearer at his funeral in 1807. One of the first iron railways in the world was laid by him, running from Portreath to Dolcoath mine. He died in 1835, buried at Illogan and the 90 foot granite monument at the summit of Carn Brea was erected by Cornwall County Council in his honour (see image above).

Francis Basset-Bt. Lord de Dunstanville

view of Carn Brae showing the memorial and castle