JAMES ASHLEY (Roger, Joseph, James, Joseph, David, Robert), born 35 May 1791 in Fort Ann, N.Y.; died 31 October 1859 in Fort Ann; married, lst, 8 July 1817 in Fort Ann, MELINDA MASON, daughter of Shubael and Anna (--) Mason, who died 1 March 1819 in Fort Ann, aged 92 years. He married, 2d, 21 June 1821 in Fort Ann, NANCY NIMS, daughter of Rufus and Lucretia (Cook) Nims, born 29 November 1802 in Port Ann ; died 31 March 18'71 in Fort Ann.

James Ashley settled in Fort Ann, Washington County, N Y., his native place. He inherited his father's homestead farm there and on it built the house, a picture of which is on the opposite page [opposite column] , in which he passed his life. The homestead was burned in January, 1896.

Mr. Ashley's life was a quiet yet busy one. He was engaged in farming in Fort Ann, and owned timber lands in different parts of the State. The transportation of the timber was done by hired men under his supervision and, later, that of his oldest son. He was an enterprising man and accumulated a competency for those times. He died respected and lamented by his fellow townsmen as a just and upright man.

CHILDREN BORN IN FORT ANN, N.Y.:

By first wife:

i. WARREN, b.1819; d. in infancy soon after his mother.

By second wife:

ii. MELINDA, b. 29 Apr. 1822; m. 11 Oct. 1843, Samuel Patten and resides in Glens Falls, N. Y.

iii. LOUISA. b. 30 Jan. 1824; m. 20 Sept. 1846, Abiel West of Fort Ann and Glens Falls. She d. 20 Apr. 1896 in Glens Falls, which had been her home since1869, while this Genealogy, in which she had manifested great interest and for which she had furnished a large amount of material, was being prepared for the press.

iv. ELLEN, b. 4 Oct. 1825; d. 6 Aug. 1829.

v. WARREN, b. 9 Oct. 1827.

vi. JEHIEL, b. 13 July 1829; d. 15 Mar. 1848.

vii. DENISON, b. 9 Apr. 1831.

viii. GEORGE, b. 1 Oct. 1832.

ix. ANDREW, b. 20 Dec. 3833.

x. JEFFERSON, b. 4 Dec. 1835.

xi. JOHN QUINCY, b. 4 NOV. 1837.

xii. JAMES, b. 24 NOV.1839; d. 10 Feb. 1858.

xiii. JANE, b. 18 Oct. 1841; m. 5 Oct. 1859, Gardner Mason of Granville, N. Y., and resides in Rutland, Vt.

xiv. FANNY, b. 14 Apr. 1847; d. 14 Apr. 1848.

Source: Francis Bacon Trowbridge, The Ashley Genealogy, History of the Descendants of Robert Ashley of Springfield, Massachusetts, (Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor; 1896), page 178-9.

REV. JEHIEL ASHLEY (Roger, Joseph, James, Joseph, David, Robert), born 1795 in Fort Ann, N.Y. died 18-- in ---, Ark.; married 18 26 in Fort Ann, PHEBE DEWEY, his cousin, daughter of Capt. Thaddeus and Mary (Salisbury) Dewey.  Jehiel Ashley became a minister of the Freewill Baptist Church.  Little has been learned of his life.  He is said to have resided at Barney Landing, Ark., where he owned a plantation and slaves, and, for a short time possibly, in New Orleans, and to have died in Arkansas.

CHILDREN:

i. WILLIAM.

ii. A son.

iii. A daughter.

iv. A daughter.

Source: Francis Bacon Trowbridge, The Ashley Genealogy, History of the Descendants of Robert Ashley of Springfield, Massachusetts, (Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor; 1896), page 180.

JOSEPH ASHLEY (Roger, Joseph, James, Joseph, David, Robert), born 30 July 1800 in Fort Ann, N.Y.; died 23 March 1881 in Battle Creek, Mich. ; married 1827 in Fort Ann, MINERVA ASHLEY, daughter of Jeduthan and Jane (Farnsworth) Ashley, born 1807 in Fort Ann ; died 4 July 1863 in Kingsville, Ohio. Joseph Ashley was engaged in farming all his life. He left Fort Ann, his native town, in 1838, and went to Northeast, Chautauqua County, N. Y. He lived there a year or two, and rnoved to Harbor Creek, Pa., and a few years later to Wesleyville, Pa. He lived there about five years, going in 1852 to Erie, Pa. In 1857 he removed to Kingsville, Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he remained until the death of his wife, in July, 1863. The rest of his life was passed in the homes of his children, and he died at that of his son Jerome in Battle Creek, Mich. Mr. Ashley had always retained the ownership of his homestead in Kingsville, Ohio, and his remains were taken there and interred beside his wife.

CHILDREN (EXCEPT IV) BORN IN FORT ANN, N.Y. :

i. EDWARD EDWIN, b. 25 Sept. 1832.

ii. JANE, b. 1834; m. Feb. 1853, Uriah C. Stanton of Erie, Pa., and resides in Battle Creek, Mich.

iii. JEROME BONAPARTE, b. 26 Mar. 1837.

iv. GLOVER, b. May 1847 in Wesleyville, Pa.

Four more children, MASSENA, LAURA, FRANCIS and LAFAYETTE, died in infancy.

Source: Francis Bacon Trowbridge, The Ashley Genealogy, History of the Descendants of Robert Ashley of Springfield, Massachusetts, (Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor; 1896), page 180-1.

COL. DENISON ASHLEY (Roger, Joseph, James, Joseph, David, Robert), born 15 April 1805 in Fort Ann, N.Y.; died 23 August 1876 in Freedom, N.Y.; married 9 February 1826 in Fort Ann, LUCINDA GILLETT, daughter of Avery and Lucy (Kibbee) Gillett, born 14 March 1808 in Fort Ann ; died 1 September 1889 at the home of her son in Machias, N.Y. Denison Ashley used to tell of carrying milk, when he was a boy, to the soldiers encamped near his home in Fort Ann, during the War of 1812. He settled on a farm in his native town, and lived there the first six years after his marriage. Early in the summer of 1832 he removed to Freedom, Cattaraugus County: N.Y. The country was sparsely settled and there was only a log house on his farm. Here he resided the remainder of his life, chiefly occupied in the development of his farm, which, before his death, he had brought to a high state of cultivation.

Mr. Ashley was a leading citizen of the town and a justice of the peace for many years. He was colonel of the militia regiment in his county, and his appearance on the annual training day is described as follows: "My father was as straight and had as square shoulders as if he had been drilled in a military school. Dressed in his blue coat with gilt buttons and gold fringed epaulets, his red sash, and his sword at his side, he made a fine-looking soldier." He and his wife were among the most earnest supporters of the Baptist church in the neighboring village of Sandusky, and he was one of its most efficient deacons.

i. ANN ELIZA, b. 3 June 1829 in Fort Ann, N. Y.; m., lst, 15 May 1853, Dr. James Newman Mead of Grand Rapids, Ohio ; 2d, 16 Dec. 1891, James Todd Skinner and resides in Tontogany, Ohio.

ii. JAMES PHILETUS., 2 Apr. 1832; d. 6 July 1834.

iii. LUCY JANE, b. 24 Sept. 1833; m. 8 Oct. 1855, Charles Jefferson Elmer and resides in Rushford, N. Y.

iv. MILETUS GILLETT, b. 31 Mar. 1838; d. 21 May 1839.

v. LAURA LUCINDA, b 28 Aug. 1840; d. 19 Oct. 1853.

vi. MARQUIS DENISON, b. 24 Nov. 1842; d. 29 Aug. 1844

vii. KENDRICK DENISON, b., 8 Jan. 1846; was a farmer, and d. 5 Sept. 1883 in Freedom, unmarried.

viii. HARMON JUDSON, b. 29 July 1849.

Source: Francis Bacon Trowbridge, The Ashley Genealogy, History of the Descendants of Robert Ashley of Springfield, Massachusetts, (Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor; 1896), page 181-2.