Famous Bascoms


Bishop Henry Bidleman Bascom  [1796-1850]  (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Jonathan - Jonathan II - Alpheus.)  Born in Hancock, NY on May 27, 1796; died in Louisville, KY September 8, 1850. The name Bidleman comes from the family of Henry’s maternal grandmother Rosanna Bidleman.  Henry married Eliza Van Antwerp March 7, 1839 in New York City.

Henry wrote, “It would seem from family records and tradition, that I am paternally descended from a French Huguenot family, which, driven from France by the revocation of the edict of Nantz, settled in one of the border counties near the Clyde.  It appears further, that three brothers, descendants of this family, during the civil disturbances and religious oppression which drove so many of the English Puritans from the land of their birth, emigrated to the then new and feeble colonies of North America.  Two of the brothers remained; the third, being dissatisfied, removed to one of the English West India islands.  The remaining two settled in Massachusetts.  Subsequently a division of the family removed to New York; of that branch of the family I am a descendant.”

Despite little education, Henry became a preacher by age eighteen. In one year alone he preached over 400 times. Dr. Bascom became the first president of Madison College, Uniontown, PA from 1827-28. He was also president of Transylvania University, KY in 1842. Henry was a compelling orator and writer. He was ordained bishop in 1850, shortly before his death.  Henry authored several books including, "Sermons from the Pulpit", Lectures on Infidelity", "Lectures on Moral and Mental Science", and "Methodism and Slavery".   See also:  "The Life of Henry Bidleman Bascom, D.D., LL.D., Late Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South", written by Rev. M. M. Henkle, D.D.  Published in 1854 by Morton & Griswold.

Rev. John Bascom  [1827-1911]  (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Samuel - Samuel II - Aaron - John.)  Born in Genoa, New York, 1 May 1827 and died in 1911. He married Emma Curtiss January 08, 1856.  
John tutored at Williams College from 1852-53, and again between 1855-74 after graduating there in 1849. He was president of the University of Wisconsin between 1874-87. Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin is named after John.  He was an accomplished writer and speaker and published over 12 books between 1859 and 1885.  His books include:  "Political Economy" (1859) ; "Esthetics" (1862) ; "Philosophy of Rhetoric" (1865); "Principles of Psychology" (1869); "Science, Philosophy, and Religion" (1871); Philosophy and English Literature (1874) ; "A Philosophy of Religion" (1876) ; "Comparative Psychology" (1878) ; " Ethics" (1879) ; "Natural Theology" (1880) ; "Science of Mind" (1881) ; "The Words of Christ" (1884); " Problems in Philosophy" (1885).

Florence Bascom [1862-1945]  (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Samuel - Samuel II - Aaron - John - John.)  Florence was born on July 14, 1862, in Williamstown, Massachusetts and died there in 1945.
The daughter of Rev. John Bascom, above,  and one of the first women geologists in the U.S. Florence has been nicknamed the Stone Lady.   Florence graduated from Wisconsin University with two bachelor's degrees (1882 and 1884) and a master's degree in geology in 1887. She received her doctorate in 1893, the first awarded to a woman by Johns Hopkins University and the first American woman to receive a PhD in geology.  She went on to found the geology department at Bryn Mawr College.

Read more about Florence on the Internet on Wikipedia.

Earl Wesley Bascom [1906-1995] (BASCOM lineage: Thomas - Thomas II - John - Daniel - John - Ezekiel - Joel - John - Earl)

Professional Rodeo Cowboy, Earl entered his first rodeo in 1916 at Welling, Alberta, Canada.  He traveled throughout the American and Canadian west competing in the rodeo events of saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, steer wrestling, and steer decorating.  He set a world record time in steer decorating in 1933, and placed third in the world rodeo standings.  He directed the first rodeos in Mississippi.  Earl later called on his vast experience with horses and other animals to create artwork with high detail and realism.  Earl became a world renowned artist of western sculpture.

Lieutenant George N. Bascom [1836-1862]   (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Jonathan - Jonathan II - Alpheus - Sylvanus.)  George's father Sylvanus Clark Bascom was the brother of Henry Bidleman Bascom above.  George was born in 1836 in Owingsville, KY, and died February 21, 1862 in Val Verde, NM.
As an inexperienced Army officer in Arizona, 1861, Lt. George Bascom, was responsible for the incident now known as "The Bascom Affair."  Cochise and the Apaches were wrongly blamed for a rade and abduction of a child at a white ranch settlement.  Bascom captured Cochise, who subsequently escaped.  Ultimately the event resulted in  the hanging of six Apaches and the ramifications that followed drove settlers to pull out of the area.

You can read more about the Bascom Affair on the Internet at the Military History online, and also here.

Ruth Henshaw Bascom [1772-1848]  Ruth Henshaw's second marriage in 1806 was to the Reverend Ezekiel Bascom (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Ezekiel - Moses.)  She was born December 15, 1772 in Leicester, MA, and died February 16, 1848 in Ashby, MA. They had no children of their own, but together raised two children from Ezekiel’s previous marriage. Ruth was unique in that she kept a daily diary for most of her life, in which she recorded every day events. Her entries give great insight into rural New England life in the early 1800s. Ruth was an artist and in her diary she records over 1400 portraits, mainly of family and friends. Her portraits were typically life-size, drawn in pencil and pastels.  The picture here is a self portrait.  Over 200 of her portraits exist today. Portraits can be seen at Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA and at the Fitzwilliam Historical Society, Fitzwilliam, NH. Her diary is archived at the American Antiquarian Society, Manuscripts Department, Worcester, Massachusetts.  

Visit the Ruth Henshaw Bascom home page at: http://northshore.shore.net/~dnoel/bascom.html
Willard Newell Bascom [1916-2000]  (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Ezekiel - Elias - Zeri - Ruel Plum - Newel Post - Charles Melvin .)  Born November 7, 1916 in Bronxville, NY, and died September 20, 2000 in La Jolla, CA.  He married Rhoda Nergaard, who died in 1988.  He then married Ruth C. Thwing, who died in 1984.  Willard Bascom followed many pursuits in his lifetime. Miner, Engineer, Diver, Oceanographer, Writer, Poet, Musician, Painter and Photographer are some of his more well known interests. He is best known for his career in ocean science. He worked at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, was a participant in the Capricorn Expedition, and was on the staff at the National Science Foundation. He founded Ocean Science and Engineering, Inc., and conducted undersea exploration for diamonds, lost artifacts, shipwrecks and plane crashes. He received the Explorer’s Club Medal in recognition for his work in deep-water archaeology and ocean geophysics in 1980.
Willard Bascom was the author of several books and scientific papers. Books include Waves and beaches, A hole in the bottom of the sea (1961), Great sea poetry, Deep sea archaeology, and The crest of the wave (1988).

Read Willard Bascom's online biography on the Internet at: http://www.sccwrp.org/about/bascom_bio.htm
Martin Bascom  [1826-1911]  (BASCOM lineage:  Thomas - Thomas II - Thomas III - Ezekiel - Elias - Reuben - Elisha.)  Martin was born August 13, 1826 in Newport, NH, and died April 18, 1911 in Acworth, NH.  He married Lovina C. Pike, September 1851.

The largest branch of Bascoms in New England today, almost 200, are descendents of Martin, and many families still live in the rural Acworth and Langdon, New Hampshire towns where Martin and his son James established their farm.  All descendents of Martin Bascom are through hist son James and three of his grandchildren, Glenn, Eric, and Merton.  Glenn established the Bascom Reunion Association, which holds reunions every three years.Bascom Maple Farms Company, in Acworth, NH, produces maple syrup from many of the same stands of trees that Martin tapped since 1853.


Four brothers left to right:  Glenn Bascom,  Rev. Eric Bascom,  Merton Bascom,  Cecil Bascom