Complex sentence: John V Basset (1518-1541) was a young gentleman from Devon, a member of the ancient Basset family, heir to a substantial inheritance, whose short life is well documented in the Lisle Papers.
Split into simpler sentences: John V Basset (1518--1541) was a young English gentleman from Devon, a member of the old Basset family, and heir to a substantial inheritance. His short life is well documented in the Lisle Papers.