BASSET, JEAN, priest; b. c. 1645 in France; d. 20 Nov. 1715 at Pointe-aux-Trembles (Neuville).

Although we have no detailed knowledge of Basset’s origins, we do know that when he arrived at Quebec in 1675, together with a contingent for the seminary composed of at least three other ecclesiastics, he came from the parish of Sainte-Croix, in the diocese of Lyons. He was ordained priest at the seminary on 21 December of the same year. Although his name appears on the list of members of the community of the seminary in 1692, he always devoted himself to ministering to a parish: at the cathedral (1675–78), on Île d’Orléans (1678–80), at Pointe-aux-Trembles (1680–81), at Repentigny and neighbouring places (1682–84), and again at Pointe-aux-Trembles (1684–1715), where he died on 20 Nov. 1715; he was buried in the church there the next day.

He had made a donation on 1 Aug. 1715 to the Congrégation de Notre-Dame of a piece of land and a farm. It was only after much negotiation that in 1685 he had succeeded in endowing his parish with a convent of these sisters. He had gone on a pilgrimage to Ancienne Lorette with Mother Bourgeoys* for this purpose. Philéas Gagnon has noted that for want of a notary in his region, Abbé Basset drafted a large number of acts for the settlers; these acts are deposited today in the registries of various notaries.

Honorius Provost