Ashby Documents and Census

Ashby Documents and Census

The Ashby's relate to the Stom's via Ora Ellen Ashby who married Henry B. Stom on 30 May 1905

Letters and Land Deeds

Captain Thomas John Ashby
b. 1680 Leicestershire, England. d. 4 Aug 1752

Diaries of George Washington. Vol. 1. 1748-65 page 64

[March]

Fryday March 11th. 1747/8. Began my Journey in Company with George Fairfax Esqr.; we travell'd this day 40 Miles to Mr.
George Neavels in Prince William County.

The two dates used by GW are explained by the difference between New Style and Old Style dating. Until 1752 England, Ireland, and the
colonies followed the Julian Calendar (Old Style). Under England's interpretation of the Julian Calendar the new year began on 25 Mar. Because
the year under the Julian Calendar was 365 days 6 hours, by the sixteenth century a considerable surplus had accumulated, moving the vernal
equinox from 21 to 11 Mar. The error was corrected in 1582 by the Gregorian Calendar (New Style), adopted by most European countries. By
1752, when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar, the displacement was 11 days.

George Neville (Neavil) (d. 1774), a planter and land speculator, had settled on Cedar Run, then in Prince William County (now in Fauquier
County), as early as 1730. Although Neville was not licensed to keep an ordinary until 1759, the location of his house at the juncture of the
Carolina Road and a branch of the Dumfries Road made it a convenient stopping place for travelers. As early as 1743, Neville had acquired a
tract of 181 acres in Prince William and had also made extensive purchases of land in Frederick County. In 1750 GW was engaged to survey for
him some 400 acres of "Waste & ungranted Land" in Frederick belonging to the Fairfax proprietary and adjoining George William Fairfax's
property (warrant for survey, 13 Oct. 1750, DLC:GW; survey, 30 Oct. 1750, owned by Mr. Sol Feinstone, Washington Crossing, Pa.). The deed
to Neville from Lord Fairfax is dated 20 Nov. 1750 (Mr. Sol Feinstone).

Saturday March 12th. This Morning Mr. James Genn the surveyor came to us. We travel'd over the Blue Ridge to Capt.
Ashbys on Shannondoa River. Nothing remarkable happen'd.

John Ashby (1707--1789) was a member of a prominent frontier family. His father, Thomas Ashby, had settled in Stafford County in 1710 and
moved to what is now Fauquier County before 1748. In 1741 John Ashby married Jean Combs of Maryland and moved with his father to the
banks of the Shenandoah, where the Ashby Tract lay along the river just below the mouth of Howell's Run. He was widely known as an Indian
fighter, serving as captain in the 2d Virginia Rangers which from 1752 to 1754 maintained headquarters at Fort Ashby at the juncture of the
Potomac River and Patterson's Creek. In 1752 he was elected to the Frederick Parish vestry. After Braddock's Defeat in July 1755 Ashby carried
news of the disaster to Williamsburg. He participated in the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774 and shortly after went to Kentucky, where he spent
several years locating and improving a grant of 2,000 acres he had received from Virginia for his services in the Indian wars. He died in Virginia
in 1797.

Diaries of George Washington. Vol. II. 1766-70 page 133

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.

George Washington to John Ashby, October 14, 1755

The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John C.
Fitzpatrick, Editor.

Winchester, October 14th., 1755.

It is my express Orders, that you do not presume to March your Company down on any pretence whatsoever, unless
compelled by the Enemy. Clothes will be sent up immediately to you, which you may distribute to the most needy of your
Company; and Money I shall bring up to pay them off, if wanted.

Captain Thomas Ashby Jr.
b. 1714 Fredrick, Virginia d. 1786 Harper's Ferry, Jefferson, West Virginia

Thomas Ashby 100 acres
Warrant #959 for 3 years soldier of Virginia Line 20 June 1783 (Willard Rosue Jillson, Sc.D, Ch V, Military Warrants (1782-1793.)

Jesse Ashby
b. 1738 Taneytown, Carroll, Maryland d. 28 Nov 1823
Buried Nov 1823 in Walton Creek Cem, Ohio, Kentucky