Name: William Ashenhurst
   Born: 1742-3
  Place: Ireland
   Died: 12 May 1837
  Place: Brown Co., OH
 Buried: 

According to family tradition, William and his wife Nancy (Ashenhurst) were first cousins. The following are their known children. That the two sons were born twenty years apart causes me some apprehension. There's a bigger story here.

I received this information about the origin of the Ashenhurst name in August 2008 from Peter Blake.

...the name Ashenhurst translates in old saxon as 'grey-wood' or 'grey-grove'. The Grey wood in Britain would be taken as a birch-wood. Given that Saxon names are largley descriptive, the person carrying the name originated in a place in the proximity of a grey wood. In Britain upland areas abutting moreland were forested with Brich and the lower lying land with Scots pine in the north predominantly Oak and elm in the south and midlands. So it's not supprising that Ashenhurst is a Scottish name, and a lowland protestant one at that.

William and his wife are said to have been grandchildren of Col John Ashenhurst, a Cromwellian who went to Ireland after Cromwell's defeat. Proof hasn't been found but the family legend is generally regarded as being true. Here are some links of interest:

• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22912
• http://www.blackcountrysociety.co.uk/articles/bagley.htm#taf
• http://193.39.212.223/report.aspx?compid=22893

The following is from Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of Wayne and Homes, Ohio (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1998), 509.

W. JAY ASHENHURST, publisher of the Shreve News, Shreve, Wayne Co., Ohio, was born June 10, 1855, in Dalton, Wayne Co., Ohio, a son of Rev. James Y. and Martha Ashenhurst, who removed to this county from West Virginia in 1853. When he was eighteen months old his parents removed to Hayesville, Ashland County, where he resided until he was eighteen years of age, when he moved to Southeastern Virginia, where he remained a number of years, returning to Wayne County in 1883. He was married to Miss Rilla C. Armstrong, of Cleveland, Oct. 4, 1883, and moved to Shreve in December, 1883, since which time he has been engaged in the publication of the Shreve News. Mr. and Mrs. Ashenhurst have one child, Edna Hope Ashenhurst, born Aug. 20, 1887. The name Ashenhurst, or Ashenhust, is formed from Eschen, a kind of wood or timber, in English called ash or ashen when used adjectively. Hurst or hoist, according to Webster, means an ash or ashen grove, and was probably given to a farm or homestead. Hurst is a word frequently used in composition with other words in the formation of proper names, as Hazelhurst, Parkhurst and Barkhurst. Many other names of similar formation might be given. The families emigrating from Ireland to America did not use "r" in the last syllable. Some made it Ashen and others Ashin. Often members of the same family spell their name differently. It would not, therefore, be strange that the "r" should be dropped out of the name in successive generations, especially when literature had not advanced to the degree it has attained at the present time, and when so little care was observed in keeping names pure and so distinct and uniform in their orthography as to indicate closely their origin. The origin of the name as given above is so reasonable and probable, and agreeable to the analogy in the formation of other names, that the "r" has been restored by many bearing the name. In doing this they yielded to an unswerving universal public judgment, which stubbornly persisted in spelling the name Ashenhurst. Besides there is more music in the smooth, euphonius hurst than in the blunt, for bidding hust. According to tradition received from the fathers, which has never been called in question, the name originated in Germany. Several centuries ago some families bearing the name emigrated from Germany to England, and settled near London, and it is probable, from the testimony of those who claim to know, that the name is still common in that part of England. But be that as it may, it is certain that at a later period some families of the Ashenhursts passed over from England to Ireland, and settled in County Tyrone, near Newton Stewart. In Tyrone the name is still common. Their ecclesiastical connection is with the English Church, and some of them have borne Episcopal honors. In the year 1793 there was another exodus. The families of the Ashenhursts set sail from Ireland to America with the purpose of making it their future home. William Ashenhurst and his family settled in Allegheny County, Penn., ten or twelve miles below Pittsburgh. He had an only son, John, who lived on the old homestead after the death of his parents. He died childless, consequently in this branch of the family the name became extinct. Oliver Ashenhurst, a brother of William, came at the same time, and settled in Washington County, Penn., near Hardscrabble, now West Alexander. Subsequently he removed to Brown County, Ohio. Oliver had but one son, whom he named John. John married,,,, and after some years removed to Indiana, and settled on the Wabash. He had several sons, one of whom was drowned in Brush Creek, Adams Co., Ohio, in 1830. Others of his sons with their families are probably settled in Indiana and Kentucky. The daughters of Oliver Ashenhurst all married and reared large families. Betty was married to Benjamin Marshall; Nellie was married to James Johnson; Peggy to William Reed, who lived and died near West Alexander, Penn.; Mattie was the life of Thomas Robinson. William Ashenhurst and Nancy, his wife, with four children, immigrated at the same time with the families mentioned above, in 1793. The children were John, Margaret, Mary, Nancy. Another son was born to them on their voyage before landing at Norfolk. This was Oliver, the youngest child. William and Oliver Ashenhurst, referred to above, were cousins of William Ashenhurst, the subject of this reference. They were also brothers-in-law, as Nancy his wife, was sister to William and Oliver. William married his cousin. The daughters of William and Nancy died, leaving no children. Oliver, the younger son, married Euphemia Bishop, when thirty years of age, by whom he had four sons and as many daughters. He lost one son, James D., in the war of the Union. William and Frank both died in 1881, Frank leaving a wife and child, who are now at Londonderry, Ohio. John, the second son of Oliver Ashenhurst, resides in Missouri. Oliver's daughters were married, and are living in the West or Southwest. Oliver Ashenhurst was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was a volunteer, going into the service at twenty years of age. He lived, after his marriage, until his family were grown up, on Eagle Creek, Brown Co., Ohio. Thence he removed with his family of Mercer County, Ill., where he died. John Ashenhurst, the elder son of William and Nancy Ashenhurst, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, about the year 1773 and immigrated with his parents to America, in 1793. He had been reared in the Church of England, but having settled, soon after his arrival in this country, in Brooke County, Va., he became connected with the Associate Church at Cross Creek, under the pastoral care of Rev. Thomas Allison. He married, in 1802, Miss Mary Young, and to them were born ten children, first five daughters, and after this five sons, two of the latter dying in infancy. John Ashenhurst enlisted in the War of 1812, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. In 1817 he removed, with his family, to Brown County, Ohio. There he lived for many years, and in 1855 went to Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio, where he died in May, 1856, aged eighty-four years. Nancy, the eldest daughter of John and Mary Ashenhurst, married Valentine Bishop. Their children are in Illinois and Missouri. Margaret married Garret Snedaker. Their children are still in Brown and Adams Counties, Ohio. Esther married William Lane. They are in Illinois. Ella married Stephen Bayles They had but one son; he lives in Kansas. Elizabeth married Oliver Robinson. They had several sons and one daughter. William Ashenhurst, son of John and Mary Ashenhurst, was born in Brooke County, Va., in 1816, and married Mary Mahaffey in 1843. They had four children born to them. He lived on the old homestead in Brown County, Ohio, but was on the point of moving to Illinois, when, before his preparations were completed, he was murdered by two of his wife's brothers, who escaped punishment by the influence of secret oath-bound fraternities. His wife afterward removed to Illinois with her children, a daughter and three sons. She died in a short time after her removal to the West. The daughter and sons are still living in Western Illinois. Some of them, at least, have families. James Young Ashenhurst, son of John and Mary Ashenhurst, was born in Brown County, Ohio, in the year 1818; was licensed to preach by the Reformed Dissenting Presbytery in 1845. The presbytery uniting with the Associate Synod, he became a minister of that church. The Associate Synod uniting with the Associate Reformed Synod in 1858, and by this union forming the United Presbyterian Church, he became a member of that body. James Young Ashenhurst was married to Miss Martha Johnson, of Belmont County, Ohio, June 6, 1844. He was settled at Short Creek, Va., and afterward in Wayne County, Ohio. He removed to Hayesville, Ashland County, in 1856. After a pastorate there of sixteen years he removed to Mecklenburg, Va., in 1872; from thence to a farm in Belmont County, Ohio, and subsequently to Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio.

I probably received the following from James Graeme Ashenhurst sometime during the 1980s. I don't know if he or another person was the author. It's a "later generation" photocopy and is difficult to read.

Family tradition and various accounts published during the last [19th] century attest that Ashenhursts first set foot in the New World in 1793. In that year a group of three families originating in or near Bellykeel, Ireland landed at Norfolk, Virginia. Bellykeel is a village in County Tyrone, one of the six counties in Northern Ireland collectively known as Ulster. It is about three miles from Newton-Stewart, and ecclesiastically in the Parish of Captagh.

Two of the three families were headed by brothers, William and Oliver Ashenhurst. The third was that of their first cousin, William Ashenhurst, whose wife was their sister, Nancy. The relationship, in pedigree form, is as follows:

	  
                   __________   m.  __________
                   Ashenhurst   |   __________
                   (Ireland)    |
                                |
        ---------------------------------------------------
    __________ m. __________                 __________ m. __________
    Ashenhurst |                             Ashenhurst |
    (Ireland)  |                             (Ireland)  |
               |                                        |
------------------------------------------------      ------------------
William   m. Nancy    Oliver m.  ______    Nancy    m.   William
Ashenhurst   _____    Ashenhurst ______    Ashenhurst    Ashenhurst

William Ashenhurst, the brother, and his family settled in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, ten or twelve miles below Pittsburgh. William had only one son, John, who lived at the old homestead after the death of his parents. John died childless, consequently this branch of the family became extinct.

William's will (No. 266, Page 413, Will Book 8) was filed December 23, 1856, in Probate Court at Pittsburgh. It reads as follows:

In the name of God, amen.
I, William Ashenhurst of Moon Township, Allegheny
County and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, being
sick and week of body, but of sound mind and
memory, do make and ordain this my last will and
testament- Imprimus I do earnestly recommend my
soul to Almighty God who gave it and my body
to be decently interred at the expense of my ex-
ecutor. Secondly after all my debts are paid

---

**PAGE MISSING**

---

                                  m.
                     William      |   Nancy
                     Ashenhurst   |   ________
                     b. Ireland   |
                     d. Allegheny |
                       Co. Pa     |
                       Dec. 1856  |
                                  |
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  John    m.   Mary Jane           Nancy       Margaret         Mary
  Ashenhurst   _________           d. unm.     m. Robert     m. James
                                                Simpson         Simpson

Oliver Ashenhurst, brother of William, settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania, near Hardscrabble, now West Alexander. Subsequently he moved to Brown County, Ohio. Oliver had but one son, John. John married, and after some years removed to Indiana and settled on the banks of the Wabash. He had several sons, one of whom was drowned in Brush Creek, Adams County, Ohio, in 1830. Others of his sons with their families were reported (in a History of Wayne County, Ohio, published in 1878) to be probably settled in Indiana and Kentucky. The daughters of Oliver Ashenhurst all married and reared large families. Betty was married to Benjamin Marshall; Nellie to James Johnston; Peggy to William Reed, who lived and died near West Alexander, PA; Mattie was the wife of Thomas Robinson.

In the History of Brown County, Ohio, published in 1883, we find (page 612, under Jefferson Township): "In 1829, the members of the Presbyterian Church in Russellville and vicinity resolved to build a house of worship. Prominent among the members of the church at that time were--Benjamin Marshall and his wife--Eleanor Ashenhurst--Margaret Robinson--John Snediker and wife--"

Therefore, we can chart this branch as follows:

                    Oliver         m.  ________
                    Ashenhurst     |   ________
                    b. Ireland     |
                    d. Brown Co. O |
                                   |
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
John       _______         Betty        Nellie      Peggy        Mattie
Ashenhurst _______       m. Benjamin    m. James   m. William  m. Thomas
    |                       Marshall    Johnston      Reed     Robinson
----------------------
Ashenhurst        sons
d. 1830         (to Ind. & Ken.)