Captain Robert R. Ashby

  General Notes:

WILL BOOK 2, FAUQUIER CO., VA., p 216. (2 JUN 1790) 2. DIARIES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, VOL. 2, p 185. (11 FEB 1775) 3. DIARIES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, VOL. 1, 1748-1770, p 5. (15 MAR 1748) 4. MAPS & NOTES OF UPPER FAUQUIER CO., VA., CHAPPELEAR, pp 70,74. (YEW HILL) 5. THE FAIRFAX FAMILY NORTHERN NECK PROPRIETARY PAPERS, 1688-1810, BOX #24062, ARCHIVES DIVISION, VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY, RICHMOND, VA. 6. THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE, 21 FEB 1788. (CATHERINE LEFT HIM) 7. WINCHESTER ADVERTIZER, 21 FEB 1788. (CATHERINE LEFT HIM) 8. DEED BOOK 16, FREDERICK CO., VA., p 330. (31 MAY 1773) 9. THE ASHBY HOMESTEADS IN UPPER FAUQUIER. 10.EARLY FAUQUIER HOUSES, FAUQUIER CO., VA., pp 276-277.

Future President George Washingtons Diary Vol 2 page 133 March 1769

George Weedon (c.1734--1793) kept a "large and commodious" tavern on the main street of Fredericksburg (now Caroline Street) "nearly
opposite" the town hall and public market. Frequented "by the first gentlemen" of Virginia and "neighboring colonies," it contained "a well
accustomed billiard room" and was the place where local horse races were arranged ( Va. Gaz., P&D, 12 Sept. 1766 and P, 15 Sept. 1775;
Fredericksburg Va. Herald, 23 Oct. 1788). His fellow Freemasons sometimes adjourned there for food and entertainment after meeting at the
town hall (GOOLRICK, 37). Born in Westmoreland County, Weedon served in the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War, being
commissioned an ensign in 1755 and later rising to the rank of captain. Before April 1764 he married Catharine Gordon (d. 1797) of
Fredericksburg, and by 1766 he was running the tavern on the main street, which her parents had previously owned and operated (KING [2]).

THE CLUB: It was a common practice among Virginia gentlemen of this time, when dining or supping at a tavern, to do so in groups either at a
private table or, at a large tavern like Weedon's, in a private room. They would be served as a unit by the innkeeper and then would club for the
cost of the food, drink, and room; that is, they would divide the total bill equally (GIBBS, 98--107). On this evening GW paid 2s. 6d. as his share
of the club and lost 15. 6d. at cards (LEDGER A, 287).

9. Set of for Robt. Ashbys, and after dining by the way, reachd it a little after dark.

Capt. Robert Ashby (c.1707--1792) was the second son of Thomas Ashby (see entry for 12 Mar. 1748). Robert had worked as a marker for GW
during the survey of the Fairfax lands in 1748 and was now living at Yew Hill, Fauquier County, about eight miles south of Ashby's Gap on the
southern road to Winchester.

10. Went out to run out the bounds of the Land I bot. of Carters Estate but the Weathr. being very cold & windy was obligd to
return.

George Carter, the youngest son of Robert "King" Carter, died intestate in England c.1742. To settle his estate the Virginia Assembly passed an
act (HENING, 5:300) in 1744 directing trustees to sell Carter's vast holdings of more than 20,000 acres of land in Prince William, Fairfax, and
Frederick counties. Twenty years later less than half of the lands had been sold, and Carter's heirs petitioned the Assembly to name a new set
of trustees to sell the remaining acreage. An act was passed in 1766 (HENING, 8:215) naming Robert Burwell, Fielding Lewis, and GW as the
new trustees. In Nov. 1767 they met at Capt. Robert Ashby's home in Fauquier County to sell the remaining lands and GW bought 2,682 acres
"of Geo Carter's Estate" for himself ( Va. Gaz., P&D, 19 Nov. 1767; LEDGER A, 257).

11. Went out again on the same business & returnd at Night to Captn. Ashbys.

12. At Captn. Ashbys all day. In the afternoon Captn. Marshal came & spent the Evening.



Robert Ashby(4) (20) was born in 1710 in (of) Yew Hill, Deleplane Co., VA. He died on 27 Feb 1792. His wife died before him. He lived his whole life on a farm near Delaplane; reared a large family.

From WILL BOOK 2, FAUQUIER CO., VA. p. 216, filed 27 Feb 1792: Will of Robert ASHBY "In the name of God Amen, I Robert ASHBY of Fauquier County and Commonwealth of Virginia do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form as followeth: Item - I give and bequeath to my loving son Benjamin ASHBY and his heirs one tract of land on Shenandoah River, being the land whereon my said son Benjamin now lives, likewise the following negro Hampshire. Item - I give and bequeath to my grandson William ASHBY, son of Benjamin, one negro girl named Sydda when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years and that my executor which shall be hereafter mentioned shall have the said negro Sydda under his care and that the said negro shall be hired out and the money for the use of the said William until the above mentioned term. Item - I lend to my loving son Enoch ASHBY and during his natural life the tract of land whereon I now live and after his decease I give and bequeath the said land to my two grandsons Robert and Alexander, sons of Enoch, to be divided by a branch known by the name of Ann CHURCHILL's Spring branch and empties into the Deep Branch near George ASH's meadow the south side of said division to be the property of my said grandson, Robert ASHBY, and the remainder of Mauner Plantation to be the property of my grandson, Alexander ASHBY and his heirs forever as also one negro lad named thomas. I likewise lend to my loving son Enoch during his natural life the following negroes to wit: Grace and her four children (Susannah, Solmon, Cate, ____) and Cassa as also one negro man named Frederick and after the decease of the said Enoch it is my will that the said negroes with their future increase be equally divided between my said son's wife (Sally ASHBY) during her natural life and all his children but after her decease the said Sally ASHBY's part of said estate to resolve to the said children of the said Enoch or such of them as are then living and it is further my will that the above mentioned lands and negroes heretofore bequeathed to my said son Enoch shall not be sold, rented, or hired for any term longer than one year together. Item - I give and bequeath to my loving daughter Ann FARROW ten pounds and no more. Item - I give and bequeath to my grandson Bayless (son of William) one feather bed and no furniture. Item - I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Molly FERGUSON (daughter of Mary ASHBY by her first husband) one negro woman named Sall to her and her heirs forever. Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Winifred PIPER one cow and no more. Item - I give and bequeath to my two grandsons Martin and Thomas, sons of Nimrod, one shilling and no more. Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Molly ATHOL one cow and no more. Item - I do hereby constitute and appoint my loving son John ASHBY my true and lawful executor of this my last will and testament and do give and bequeath to my said executor the following negroes to wit: Anthony, Roehall, and Anne, but it is my will that my said son and executor do purchase out of his own estate the young negro and that he be given the same my grand daughter Lucinda ASHBY (no parents listed) but my said son shall not be obliged to pay the said negro to my said grand daughter before the expiration of five years after my decease and in case the said Lucinda should die without lawful heirs of her body, the said legacy shall descend to my said executor or such of his heirs as are then living. I also give to my said son and executor one tract of land lying in Farquier County adjoining George ASH and a part of EWELL's tract which I purchased of Martin ASHBY containing one hundred acres to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give and bequeath to my grandson Benjamin FARROW one negro child called Fanney to him and his heirs forever. Item - It is my will should negro Rachell have any more children that her next child should be the property of my grandson Nimrod ASHBY to him and his heirs forever. The remainder of my estate not heretofore mentioned after all my just debts are paid I leave to be equally divided between my sons John and Enoch but that the said Enoch shall have no right to dispose of any of the above mentioned legacies which is bequeathed to him as it is intentioned purely for the benefit of his children. In witness of this and only this I hereunto set my hand and seal this 2d day of June 1790. Witnesses: William WITHERS his John FISHBACK Robert (X) ASHBY (seal) John CLARK mark This ends the children and grandchildren mentioned in the will of Robert ASHBY. However it must be considered that this list may not be inclusive as some may have preceded the testator in death, or may have received a share of the estate beforehand. There is good evidence that there was a son, Robert, also. In the DIARIES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, v 2, p. 185 dated 11 Feb 1775, WASHINGTON made this entry: "...paid Benjamin and his brother Robert £6.14.0 for survey work done by their father Robert ASHBY in dividing the Chattin Run land into lots." This Robert ASHBY was a marker for George WASHINGTON when he surveyed FAIRFAX lands. Other than those few years Robert was a farmer and spent his whole life on 320 acres patented by his father in 1742, "Yew Hill." From THE DIARIES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON 1748-1799, John C. Fitzpatrick, A.M., ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1925, v 1, 1748-1770, p 5: "March 15th, 1748; Surveyed for George FAIRFAX, Esq., a tract of land lying Cates marsh and Long marsh . . . Henry ASHBY and Robert TAYLOR chainmen, Robert ASHBY as Marker. and William LINDSY as pilot. p 316: March 1769. Set out for Robert ASHBY's and after dining by the way reached it a little after dark. v 2, p 65: 1772, May 29. Went up to Mr. Robt. ASHBY's, dined and lodged there. After dinner went to view some more of Mr. FAIRFAX's land on Goose Ck. and Chattin's Run." MAPS & NOTES OF UPPER FAUQUIER CO,. VA., Chappelear D 70: "It was "Yew Hill' and not 'Oak Hill" that was built on a tract granted to Thomas ASHBY in 1742 from the Office of the Proprietor of the Northern Neck of Virginia. Thomas ASHBY was the f irst of his family to settle in Northern Virginia. When he received the Yew Hill grant he was living on the Shenandoah River, five miles above BURWELL's Island. His patent in Fauquier County (then Prince William County) was bounded on the south side by the Henry TURNER patent and on the north by Goose Creek and a line running from the mouth of the Crooked Run along the Landon CARTER patent for a distance of about one-half mile to the James BALL patent. p. 74: Oak Hill originally a part of the Henry TURNER patent, and later transferred to Thomas TURNER. Colonel Thomas MARSHALL purchased this property of 1,824 acres from Thomas TURNER in 1772, and settled on the estate in 1773. He lived here when serving as an officer commanding Virginia troops in the Revolutionary War. Before going to Woodford County, Ky. in 1785 MARSHALL sold one thousand acres of the estate to Thomas MASSIE of Hanover County, Va., and sold 824 acres to his son John MARSHALL. Thomas MASSIE never lived on this Oak Hill estate, remaining in what is now Clarke County near the west bank of the Shenandoah River." (Compiler's note: The following was submitted by ,Miss Hazel M. KENDELL, 203 West Fifth St., Anderson, Ind 46016 (1974); and while it does not conform to the findings of compiler, it is furnished for anyone who wishes to pursue it further; "Robert ASHBY Sr. 1710-1792, Captain on "Yew Hill" Stafford Co., Va., near Delaplane Va. on the Fairfax Road near his brother Henry ASHBY. Robert was a markman surveyor 1748; gave bond for the first sheriff 1740 m (1) Elizabeth HOLLOWAY who d 15 Oct 1754. Robert m (2) Catherine C0MBS b 2 Nov 17--- d 1760, d/o Joseph COMBS." She states further that Robert ASHBY Jr. <this is additional evidence if one wishes to accept it that Robert did in fact have a son Robert> m in 1740 Mary Harding REDSTONE <she may have been a HARDING>; and that Robert Jr. d 5 Nov 1780. <This latter date would add credence to compiler's earlier suggestion as a reason for Robert Jr. being left out of his father's Will.>) A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION IN AMERICA, AND OTHER PARTS OF THEWORLD, David Benedict, A.M., Pastor of the Baptist Church in Pawtucket, R.I., Boston, Printed by Manning & Loring, No. 2, Cornhill, for the author, 1812, v 2, p 31, "Persecution of David Thomas," "The Chappawomsick church was constituted from that at Broadrun, in 1766. The Baptists in this church met with the most violent opposition. One Robert ASHBY and his gang, (consisting of about 40) combined against them with the most determined and envenomed hostility. . . ." p. 64: "To be forewarned is forearmed, but the Chappawamsick church was not always so fortunate. Morgan Edwards gives in his notes, on p 35 (1792): ...Robert ASHBY and 40 Men Combined to Break up a Meeting. ASHBY was Thrown Out Bodily and a Bloody Fray followed. "Remarkables (1) Great opposition, upwards of 40 combined to break them up, but the leader (Rob. ASHBY) was thrown out of the door which ended a battle; this ASHBY soon after cut his knee which festered and at last opened the joint that the leg hung by the ham-strings; he would not be touched in his bed till at last he died in his own excrement, & tho' he desired preaching he began to stop his ears and desired the preacher to desist for he could not bear it." THE FAIRFAX FAMILV NORTHERN NECK PROPRIETARV PAPERS 1688-1810 on file in Box #24062, Archives Division, VirginiaState Library, Richmond, Va. "In the suit over land in Frederick County, Virginia, styled Martin vs Wolfe which pended before the General Court of Virginia 1762-1769, various depositions were taken. This suit is very extensive over valuable land originally possessed by Thomas Lord FAIRFAX of `Greenway Court' who seemingly made over same to Thomas Bryan MARTIN, Esq. who came into Virginia in 1751. He is plaintiff in this cause and Peter WOOLFE (WOLFE) who came into Virginia in 1733 is the defendant." Robert ASHBY aged Forty seven years or thereabouts, being sworn deposeth that he knows CARTER's Bounds being upon the survey when Robert BROOK survey'd the land and remembers the White Oak being made a corner below Darby MURPHY's from whence they run along to the PLaintiff's beginning continuing through the Defendant's Land and along by the marked Red Oak shewn Mr. LEWIS the surveyor by John TIMMONDS and this Deponent. This Deponent further saith that when James GENN Surveyed the Plaintiff's land in or about the year 1747 he shewed the place where the red oak stands mentioned in James CATLETT's deposition, he this deponent knowing it to stand in CARTERs Line and near where the Defendant's line crossed the said CARTER's line. Being interrogated by the Defendant he says the Defendant appeared at the Beginning and forbid them from surveying there and ~particularly order'd this Deponent not to mark the first line but Col. George FAIKFAX order' this Deponent to continue marking which he did and that the Defendant lived where he is now settled long before GENN's Survey was made and this Deponent says that when BROOK's survey was made he or his brothers Thomas and John would have enter'd the Lands now claimed by the Plaintiff but they were all told by their Father, Thomas ASHBY that Lord FAIRFAX had order'd him to give an account of the vacancy, he the said Lord FAIRFAX intending it for himself and further saith not. Robert ASHBY ( X ) mark Sworn to before John HARDIN March 31st 1762 Just following this is the deposition of John HARDIN, Gent., aged 57 years or thereabouts, taken 29th March 1762 before Thomas RUTHERFORD in Frederick Co., Va." (Compiler's note: On 27 Dec 1974 a young man came into the Warren County, Va. courthouse to check land records on the tract of land where the Robert ASHBY homestead was and where it is said that George WASHINGTON spent the night because a Mr. FLYNN, the developer, wants to have the site recognized by the Virginia Landmarks Commission. <However, compiler thinks he should have bee checking in Fauquier County instead unless the boundaries have changed since ca 1760. Compiler claims no expertize in Virginia geography, political subdivisions, etc.>) Robert(2)ASHBY married as his second wife (bond dated 28 Apr 1783, Fauquier County, Va. Catherine COMBS; sureties listed were Robert ASHBY and Hezekiah TURNER <bro/o Mary TURNER, daughter in law of Robert.> Witness was H. BROOKE. Catherine was d/o Robert COMBS Sr. who apparently died before 1784 for Catherine and Robert ASHBY were administrators of the estate of Robert COMBS Sr. Catherine, however, was not listed in will of Robert(2) ASHBY, and the following may explain why: The VIRGINIA GAZETTE and the WINCHESTER ADVERTIZER: "Whereas my wife Catherine ASHBY has eloped from my bed and board, for reasons unknown to me, I therefore forbid all persons whatever, from harbouring or dealing with her on my account, as I am determined not to pay any debts to her contracting." Signed: Robert ASHBY, 21 Feb 1788. DEED BOOK 16, FREDERICK CO., VA., p 330; Robert ASHBY of Fauquier County deeded 134 acres to George FARROW of Frederick County for 5 shillings, a tract on the Shenandoah River in Frederick County, bank of Little River. Witness: John ASHBY, Robert USHER, Thomas WOOD, dated 31 May 1773. THE ASHBY HOMESTEADS IN UPPER FAUQUIER (Author Unknown): Thomas ASHBY, the pioneer, settled near Paris about the year 1710. He afterwards patented land at Delaplane. YEW HILL. A dwelling built by Robert ASHBY on land patented in 1742, by his father Thomas ASHBY. Robert ASHBY lived in this house until his death and was buried nearby. The property came into the possession of the SHACKLETT family in 1807 and the house was later known as the "Kitty SHACKLETT House." It was purchased by its present owner Captain John T. ASHBY, a great grandson of Robert ASHBY, in 1915. GREENLAND. The home of Captain John ASHBY. It was inherited by his son Marshall ASHBY and was the birth place of the latter's son, General Henry Marshall ASHBY. Colonel Turner ASHBY and his wife were buried a short distance north of the house. NIMROD FARROW, for whom Farrowsville was named, married Anne, daughter of Robert ASHBY. House of ANDREW CHUNN, who married Belle, daughter of Captain John ASHBY, son of Captain John ASHBY. OAKWOOD. The home of Major Samuel ASHBY, son of Captain John ASffBY. Inherited by John Jamieson ASHBY. CAPTAIN NIMROD ASHBY's house and the home of his son Albert. Home of CAPTAIN THOMSON ASHBY. ROSEBANK. This property was originally owned by Nimrod FARROW. It passed into other hands and finally came into the possession of Colonel Turner ASHBY. It was the birthplace of General Turner ASHBY. A small house in rear of the main dwelling was once occupied by Thomas MARSHALL, father of the Chief Justice, and the locality at that time was known as "The Hollow." Rosebank was sold by the widow of Colonel ASHBY to Edward C. MARSHALL in 1853. House occupied by J. HENRY ASHBY, son of Major Samuel ASHBY. WOLF's CRAIG. This was General Turner ASHBY's home at the outbreak of the Civil War. LOST MOUNTAIN. Whatever may have been the origin of the name Lost Mountain, it appears to have been justified by the fact that the topographers since 1876 have failed to place it correctly on their maps. The name in old deeds and other records, was applied to the hill southeast of Paris rising between Gap Run and Panther Skin Run and not to the eminence between Gap Run and Crooked Run. On this map Lost Mountain has been correctly placed and the name "Ball" Mountain for Captain James BALL who patented land on its slopes in 1732 is suggested as a suitable one for the elevation that has so long masqueraded under a name to which historically, it can lay no claim. (Compiler appreciates the foregoing data, but inasmuch as the sender failed to cite the source, none can be listed.)
EARLY FAUQUIER HOUSES, FAUQUIER COUNT.V, VIRGINIA, pp 276, 277: "Yew Hill - U. S. Route 17, near Delaplane." Yew Hill is an early pioneer house of characteristic type clapboard with dormer windows, Jacobean sloping gables, huge chimneys, and full length porch. It is located on the 320 acre grant secured in 1742 by Thomas ASHBY, pioneer, who was then living on the Shenandoah River above Burwell's Island. His son, Robert, was the first of the famiIy to make Yew Hill his home in 1760. While engaged in surveying his own tract of land lying near Ashby's Gap George WASHINGTON made his headquarters at Yew Hill from March 9 to March 18, 1769. Title was held by the ASHBY family until 1807 when it passed to Edward SHACKLETT whose daughter held possession until 1880 when it reverted to relatives and descendants of the original owner. In 1935 it was purchased from John T. ASHBY, Jr. by R. C. IDEN who has recently sold this property to the J. B. McCARTYS. The dwelling is now undergoing restoration and repairs, no change structurally only superficial alterations need to add the comforts of today to the atmosphere of bygone yesterdays. ,with this uplift, Yew Hill should stand sturdily for another two hundred years as a landmark of the wilderness outpost of civilization in the highlands of Fauquier." NEWS FEATURE - UNKNOWN SOURCE - dated 23 April 1959: Quaint Old Cottage - So described on deeds of the 1800's is this cottage at Chancellors Corner where George WASHINGTON stayed for nine days when surveying in Northern Fauquier. Mrs. Bolling Lynn ROBERTSON is now maintaining an antique shop and guest quarters in the house restored by Mrs. J. Benjamin McCARTY. <There appeared also a photograph by Ritter Photo but compiler could not duplicate it here.> At Chancellor's Corner: Yew Hill was WASHINGTON's HEADQUARTERS DURING SURVEY - Yew Hill, one of Fauquier's Oldest houses - and George WASHINGTON's headquarters for nine days when he surveyed in upper Fauquier - has been restored and has been returned in the sense to the role it occupied for many historic years. The old pioneer house is the property of Mrs. J, Ben McCARTY who did the restoration. Mrs. McCARTY has rented it to Mrs. Bolling L. ROBERTSON who is making it her home and who is operating the antique shop and guest house on the premises...Robert ASHBY who helped George WASHINGTON in his surveying work made Yew Hill his home in 1760. WASHINGTON held land in the neighborhood, and when he was surveying it...lived at Yew Hill....The WASHINGTON room has been furnished by Mrs. ROBERTSON as it may have looked when the future President stayed there. YEW HILL - a typical early pioneer home should stand sturdily for two more centuries. Erected in the year 1748 by Robert ASHBY on a grant secured in 1742 by his father, Thomas ASHBY. During WASHINGTON ' s stay here he was visited by Colonel Thomas MARSHALL, the father of John MARSHALL, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It is on Route 17, near Delaplane, Virginia. Parents: Thomas Ashby Sr. and Rose Berry. He was married to Mary Elizabeth Farrow about 1735. Children were: Nimrod Ashby, John Ashby , Benjamin Ashby, Ann Ashby , Winnifred Ashby, Mary (Molly) Ashby, Thomas Enoch Ashby. He was married to Catherine Combs on 2 Oct 1783 in Fauquier Co., VA.

Robert married Mary Elizabeth about 1732. (Mary Elizabeth was born about 1712 and died before 1783.)

Robert next married Catherine Combs on 2 Oct 1783. (Catherine Combs was born about 1742.)