Nimrod Ashby (1735 - 1764)

Born 1735 in Fauquier, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Frances Wright — married 22 Nov 1759 in Fauquier County, Virginia

Died 30 Jun 1764 at about age 29 in Fauquier, Virginia

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Biography

Nimrod, s/o Robert and Mary Ashby was b. 1736-1742; m. 30 Nov 1759 Frances Wright; d. 29 June 1764.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY PIONEERS, CARTMELL, p 75. "IN 1764 WILLIAM FURMAN AND NIMROD ASHBY LEFT THE FURMAN FORT NEAR HANGING ROCK BELOW ROMNEY AND CROSSED THE COUNTRY TO HUNT DEER IN THE JERSEY MOUNTAINS. THEY WERE OVERTAKEN BY A BAND OF DELAWARE INDIANS AND BOTH WERE KILLED." 2. ORDER BOOK 4, 1761-63, PRINCE WILLIAM CO., VIRGINIA, p 388. 3. DEED BOOK D, LOUDOUN CO., VIRGINIA, pp 185-186. 4. WILL BOOK 1, FAUQUIER CO., VIRGINIA, pp 239, 243, 245, 247. 5. CLARKE CO., VIRGINIA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION - FAUQUIER CO. RECORDS. 6. ORDER BOOK 2, 1754-1755, PRINCE WILLIAM CO., VA. 7. FAUQUIER CO. RECORDS. (INVENTORY OF ESTATE, 29 JUN 1764)

Nimrod was born in 1736. Nimrod Ashby ... He passed away in 1764.

Occupation: Capt. Nimrod Ashby commissioned justice of the peace of Fauquier Co., Va., 12/1/1762; this commission was renewed on 5/26/1764

Marriage: Married Frances Wright Nov.30.1759,Fauquier County,Virginia.^[1]

Military Service: Captain in a detachment of militia on the frontier in 1763

Died in near Furman's Fort, so. branch Potomac River, Fauquier Co., Virgina (VA), USA on Friday, June 29, 1764 (Age 28)

Cause of Death: SHENANDOAH VALLEY PIONEERS, CARTMELL, p 75. "IN 1764 William Furman and Nimrod Ashby left the Furman Fort near Hanging Rock below Romney and crossed the country to hunt deer in the Jersey Mountains. They were overtaken by a band of Deleware Indians and both were killed. - another account stated "a band of ca. 20 Delaware Indians when the two men were hunting near Furman's Fort on the South Branch of the Potomac, Fauquier"

Notes

Dr. Justin M. Glenn, 2554 Marston Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32312 (authoring a work on the descendants of Col. John Washington): Frances Wright (b. 1742; m. [1st, on Nov. 30, 1759) Capt. Nimrod Ashby [commissioned justice of the peace of Fauquier Co., Va., 12/1/1762; this commission was renewed on 5/26/1764. Sometime within the next few weeks both Ashby and his hunting companion, William Furman, were killed by a band of ca. 20 Delaware Indians when the two men were hunting near Furman's Fort on the South Branch of the Potomac.

Fauquier County Order Bk. 2:312 appointed a male guardian for his "orphan" children on 6/28/1764. Frances survived him and m. [2nd, ca. 1765) John O'Bannon [tentatively styled "Jr." by J.A.W. According to Sundberg-Gott's recent study of the O'Bannon family, however, he was probably the son of William O'Bannon, and thus the 1st cousin, once removed of Lt. Presley Neville O'Bannon, USMC, hero in the capture of Tripoli during the war against the Barbary Pirates]. She died post Feb., 1784).

Children (by her 1st husband): Martin Ashby (b. 1760; m. Mir[i]am ___; he d. post 1790). Thomas Bryan Ashby (b. ca. 1762). [See esp. the following records of Fauquier Co., Va.: Marriage Bk. 1:1, Will Bk. 1:241 and 247, Deed Bk. 10:216, and Court Order Books 1:212 and 2:312; PEYTON, Hist. Augusta Co.,117; RITCHIE, 39; J.K. Gott, "The O'Bannon Family," pp. 9-34 in SUNDBERG-GOTT; J.A.W., Outline, 12113.

HAYDEN, 450-451, adds a third child--Miriam Ashby; this is extremely dubious, for she is nowhere cited in any of the extensive abstracts of relevant Fauquier Co., Va. records collected by PP in J.A.W., U.G.S., #4, PP correspondence, 10/9/1959.

HAYDEN, 450-452, is apparently accurate, however, in indicating that Capt Nimrod Ashby's younger brother, John Ashby, was the greatgrandfather of the celebrated cavalry leader Gen. Turner Ashby, CSA]

In April 1763 he rec'd from the treasurer pay for himself & his men.

JUN 1764 he was Ambushed & killed by Indians en route back to the Fort & robbed of this payment. This amount, 74 pounds, was paid out of his estate. This left his children "destitute of bread". A Petition filed 18 Nov 1766 by Robert Asby, his father. 29 JUN 1764 Estate appraised. Nimrod had advanced his own credit to procure uniforms & supplies for his men. 1 Petition filed 18 Nov 1766 by Frances (Wright) Ashby, his widow.

Frances Ashby, widow of Nimrod Ashby - 1764

The following Ashby's were found in the Journals of the House of Burgesses, Volume 10, pages 281 and 363. Though not linked to any Taylor family the Ashby's resided in north Fauquier County. Nimrod Ashby married Frances Wright 30 November 1759 in Fauquier County.

Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia-Petitions of Robert Ashby and Frances Ashby.

December 1, 1764: A Petition of Robert Ashby, setting forth that Nimrod Ashby his Son was in the Year 1763 stationed on the Frontiers, with the Command of a Detachment of Militia, that in the Month of April 1764 the said Nimrod received from the Treasurer a considerable Sum of Money, as well for his own Pay as the Pay due to his Men; that on his Return back to the Fort where his Men were stationed, in Order to pay them the Money which was respectively due them, and to discharge some Debts which he had been under a Necessity of contracting there, he was surprised by a Party of Indians, who murdered him, and took from him L74, which Sum has been since paid out of his Estate for the Purposes aforesaid; which, together with his ordinary Debts, hath reduced his whole Estate, and left two poor helpless Orphans destitute of Bread; and praying that this Honourable House will take the same into their Consideration, was presented to the House and read. (Volume 10, pg 281).

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.ancestraltrackers.net/va/resources/early-virginia-marriages-p1.pdf

• "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XR8X-XZS : 6 August 2020), Nimrod Ashby, 1759.

See also:

• [Genealogy Record for Nimrod Ashby]