Person:Major Bastin (1)

Major Brockman Bastin was the son of Thomas Bastin and Mary Atwell. Major married Sarah Jane Pointer in December of 1838, in Hart County, Kentucky. They had ten children: James Anderson; Elizabeth Jane; Mary Francis; Martha Adaline; Cyrene Arabell; William Lewis; John Thomas; Edmund Cass; Emmet Brockman; and Emily Alice Bastin.

Physical Description

Major Brockman Bastin was described as a pretty-good sized man.

Oral Traditions

From Gary Bastin: I have thought that this story, which I heard about 1968 or 1969 on a Saturday morning while sitting in Garnett's house on a "family tree" visit with my grandfather, was about Thomas Bastin Jr and his brother John. But, it could be about the next generation, involving the sons of Thomas Bastin Jr! Anyway, my grandfather and Garnett embellished the story with talk of hunting dogs, black powder rifles, one cow, one wagon, and an assortment of pots and pans in the wagon :-) It appears that a single large caliber rifle was the only weapon. For large game, you aimed at the animal. But, for squirrel hunting, the technique was called 'barking'. You aimed at the tree near the squirrel, and the flying bark from the tree acted as shrapnel that killed the squirrel while leaving the meat largely unaffected by the large caliber bullet :-) They clearly didn't have the luxury of stopping at a McDonalds for a quick meal while traveling from NC to KY :-) Likewise, rifles were expensive, and you had to make do with the one!

The oral tradition they passed on agrees with the 1934 letter in which a date of December 24, 1830 is given as the date when Thomas Bastin Jr and his family 'landed in Kentucky', in which they traveled with 'but a single wagon'.

It has been told to Vera Bastin by Bernice Todd (Emily Alice Bastin McKee's daughter), that the Bastin family moved from Hart County Kentucky to keep the boys from going to war during the Civil War. Edith Greenside thinks the family may have left Kentucky at the end of the Civil war due to economic hardship, and possibly the loss of their slaves.

Elizabeth Jane's husband, Benjamin Carter, was in the Confederate Army. Major Brockman Bastin was described as a pretty-good sized man. He lived twenty miles from Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, but they never went there as they did not have much money to spend.

In Kentucky, water had to be carried 1/4 to 1/2 mile. The women carried the water on their heads. Aunt Lizzie had a flat head on top from carrying water. The men folk never carried water. The women took clothes to the creek to wash. They would pound clothes on the rocks to get them clean. They made their own soap. They grew their own cotton, spun the thread, and wove the cloth. The material was light colored, if they didn't have to dye it. They didn't dye very often - they would have had to find herbs, etc. to dye with. They made the men's clothes. Bernice was thinking how these light-colored clothes must have been for the men in the fields. The men worked in the cotton fields.

When the men took corn to the mill to grind it they would ride a horse. But instead of putting the sack of corn across the horse's shoulders, they carried it on their own shoulders. Of course, they rode the horse while doing this! Bernice thinks they rented acreage in Kentucky, but she is not sure. They raised cotton and tobacco.

When they left Kentucky they went by covered wagon and horseback. The women rode in the covered wagon, and the men either rode the horses or walked. At night, the boys would sleep in the forest.

It is stated in Elizabeth's obituary that she moved with her family to Missouri at the close of the Civil War. There was a period of residency in Cass County, Missouri, and then the family moved to Kansas in 1871. They settled in the Hillsdale, Miami County area.

When Major Brockman Bastin got to eastern Kansas he settled the family where there was a spring close to the house, disregarding the fact that it was poor land for farming. Bernice imagined that the women folk appreciated that!

Census Data

1870 United States Federal Census

About M.B. Bastin

Household Members:

Obituary

Died: At his home near Hillsdale, August 15, 1889, Mr. M.B. Bastin, aged 76 years. Mr. Bastin was an earnest Christian having been a member of the Baptist Church for fifty years. He was universally loved and respected by all who knew him on account of his many excellent qualities and Christian sentiments. Throughout his sickness, which was of eleven days duration, he manifested such a loving, trusting disposition, saying his whole trust was in Christ, and he had been waiting the Lord's call ever since his wife died four years ago. He leaves five sons and three daughters to mourn his death. The funeral occurred Friday, conducted by Rev. Jacob Brown. A large concourse of friends paid their last tribute of respect by following the solemn funeral cortege to the Hillsdale cemetery. "There is no death: What seems so is transition, this life of mortal breath is but a suburb of the life elysian, whose portal we call death."

Burial

Major Brockman Bastin is buried at Old Hillsdale Cemetery, Miami, Kansas. Also buried at this location are his wife Sarah Jane Pointer, their son William Lewis Bastin, and their grandson Harley Bastin (son of John Thomas Bastin).

External links

Major Brockman Bastin burial at Find A Grave.

Major Bastin's farm at maps.google.com.

Gary Bastin I have thought that this story, which I heard about 1968 or 1969 on a Saturday morning while sitting in Garnett's house on a "family tree" visit with my grandfather, was about Thomas Bastin Jr and his brother John. But, it could be about the next generation, involving the sons of Thomas Bastin Jr! Anyway, my grandfather and Garnett embellished the story with talk of hunting dogs, black powder rifles, one cow, one wagon, and an assortment of pots and pans in the wagon :-) It appears that a single large caliber rifle was the only weapon. For large game, you aimed at the animal. But, for squirrel hunting, the technique was called 'barking'. You aimed at the tree near the squirrel, and the flying bark from the tree acted as shrapnel that killed the squirrel while leaving the meat largely unaffected by the large caliber bullet :-) They clearly didn't have the luxury of stopping at a McDonalds for a quick meal while traveling from NC to KY :-) Likewise, rifles were expensive, and you had to make do with the one!

The oral tradition they passed on agrees with the 1934 letter in which a date of December 24, 1830 is given as the date when Thomas Bastin Jr and his family 'landed in Kentucky', in which they traveled with 'but a single wagon'.

It has been told to Vera Bastin by Bernice Todd (Emily Alice Bastin McKee's daughter), that the Bastin family moved from Hart County Kentucky to keep the boys from going to war during the Civil War. Elizabeth Jane's husband, Benjamin Carter, was in the Confederate Army. Major Brockman Bastin was described as a pretty-good sized man. He lived twenty miles from Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, but they never went there as they did not have much money to spend.

In Kentucky, water had to be carried 1/4 to 1/2 mile. The women carried the water on their heads. Aunt Lizzie had a flat head on top from carrying water. The men folk never carried water. The women took clothes to the creek to wash. They would pound clothes on the rocks to get them clean. They made their own soap. They grew their own cotton, spun the thread, and wove the cloth. The material was light colored, if they didn't have to dye it. They didn't dye very often - they would have had to find herbs, etc. to dye with. They made the men's clothes. Bernice was thinking how these light-colored clothes must have been for the men in the fields. The men worked in the cotton fields.

When the men took corn to the mill to grind it they would ride a horse. But instead of putting the sack of corn across the horse's shoulders, they carried it on their own shoulders. Of course, they rode the horse while doing this! Bernice thinks they rented acreage in Kentucky, but she is not sure. They raised cotton and tobacco.

When they left Kentucky they went by covered wagon and horseback. The women rode in the covered wagon, and the men either rode the horses or walked. At night, the boys would sleep in the forest.

It is stated in Elizabeth's obituary that she moved with her family to Missouri at the close of the Civil War. There was a period of residency in Cass County, Missouri, and then the family moved to Kansas in 1871. They settled in the Hillsdale, Miami County area.

When Major Brockman Bastin got to eastern Kansas he settled the family where there was a spring close to the house, disregarding the fact that it was poor land for farming. Bernice imagined that the women folk appreciated that!

Obituary: Died: At his home near Hillsdale, August 15, 1889, Mr. M.B. Bastin, aged 76 years. Mr. Bastin was an earnest Christian having been a member of the Baptist Church for fifty years. He was universally loved and respected by all who knew him on account of his many excellent qualities and Christian sentiments. Throughout his sickness, which was of eleven days duration, he manifested such a loving, trusting disposition, saying his whole trust was in Christ, and he had been waiting the Lord's call ever since his wife died four years ago. He leaves five sons and three daughters to mourn his death. The funeral occurred Friday, conducted by Rev. Jacob Brown. A large concourse of friends paid their last tribute of respect by following the solemn funeral cortege to the Hillsdale cemetery. "There is no death: What seems so is transition, this life of mortal breath is but a suburb of the life elysian, whose portal we call death."

Edith Greenside thinks the family may have left Kentucky at the end of the Civil war due to economic hardship, and possibly the loss of their slaves.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Vera Louise Bastin. Vera Bastin's Genealogy Notes; 1963 - present.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Donald Bastin. Major Brockman Bastin's Tombstone.
3. ↑ .

   Footnote: US CENSUS 1840, Eastern District of Barren Co, KY, of 20 and under 30 _FOOT: US CENSUS 1840, Eastern District of Barren Co, KY, of 20 and under 30

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1