Bassett came to Plymouth on the ship Fortune in November 1621, possibly as a single man, according to author Charles Banks.
During his long life he was involved in many colony governmental activities and business ventures, being one of the original members of the "Purchaser" investment group of 1626.
At some point Bassett was a Leiden Separatist and was recorded there as a master mason from Sandwich, Kent.
[5] Although some historians disagree, most sources agree that William Bassett from Sandwich, Kent lived in Leiden in 1611 and was betrothed there to Mary Butler, and William Brewster, Roger Wilson, Anna Fuller, and Rose Lisle were to be witnesses, but Mary died before the marriage.
He was then betrothed on July 29, 1611, to Margaret Oldham, with Edward Southworth, Roger Wilson, Elizabeth Neal, and Wybra Pontus as witnesses, with their marriage being August 13, 1611.
[2][3][4] In Governor William Bradford's Letter Book,[7] Bassett is one of 27 names of those men who were creditors hoping to realize profit from the colony and who signed an agreement as "Purchasers" to allow privileges to the eight Undertakers (colony leaders Bradford, Standish, Isaac Allerton, Edward Winslow, William Brewster, John Howland, John Alden and Thomas Prence) in return for their assumption of the colony debt.