Thomas Ashley (abt. 1650 - bef. 1697)

Born about 1650 in Merry Meeting, Kennebec, Province of Maine [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Branson) Ashley — married about 1680 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before Mar 1697 before about age 47 in Boston, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chase Ashley [send private message]

Biography

This is the profile for Thomas Ashley who married Mary Branson and had children by her in Boston in 1681-1691.

Parentage; Date of Birth

Thomas was the son of Thomas Ashley of Kennebec. That assertion is proven by a claim recorded in the Book of Eastern Claims filed by Thomas's children Mary, Thomas and Anna for land purportedly deeded to their father Thomas Ashley by their grandfather Thomas Ashley "Som time Planter on ye East Side of Kennebeck, at a place Called New Merry meeting."^[1]

Based on the birth date of his wife Mary Branson (1651 or 1653) and the date of birth of his first child (1681), this profile's Thomas Ashley was probably born about 1650. (The Thwing Collection states that Thomas married, first, a woman named Joanna, who died in 1661, and, second, in 1662 a widow named Hannah Broome,^[2] which would have meant that Thomas was born much earlier, say, about 1635. However, as Savage correctly stated,^[3] those marriages almost certainly relate to Thomas' father, Thomas Ashley of Kennebec, who, as discussed in his profile, was probably living in Boston in 1658-1662.)

Based on Thomas' estimated date of birth, his mother was presumably Thomas Ashley of Kennebec's first wife, Johanna.

Place of Birth; Early Life

Thomas Jr. was probably born and lived his early years at his father's home at Merry Meeting on the Kennebec (which was probably located on what is now called Thwing's Point, on the eastern side of the Kennebec River north of Merry Meeting Bay, upstream of present-day Bath, Maine). As discussed in his father's profile, the family probably moved to Boston around 1658 before moving back to New Merry Meeting around 1662. Thomas and his family were still living in the Kennebec River area in the mid-1670s, as evidenced in part by a record from 1673 showing that Thomas Jr. (then probably about 21) witnessed a deed by Thomas Clark and Thomas Lake, Boston merchants, that year on Arrowsic Island near the mouth of the Kennebec.^[4]

Settlement in Boston

Thomas Jr. probably moved permanently to Boston sometime before 1678 or at least by 1681. There is a record showing that a Thomas Ashley took the oath of allegiance in Boston on November 11, 1678^[5] that could relate to this profile's Thomas Ashley but could instead relate to his father. The first record that we know relates to this profile's Thomas Ashley in Boston is the birth record for a child named Mary in 1681.^[6]

Marriage and Children

According to Wyman's 1879 Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown, Thomas married Mary Branson sometime prior to 1681.^[7] The 1891 Fosdick Family states that Thomas instead married Mary, a daughter of John Fosdick, who was born on July 2, 1651.^[8] As discussed the profile for Mary Branson, however, the evidence is fairly clear that John Fosdick did not have a daughter named Mary and that the Mary Fosdick recorded as being born in July 1651 was actually Mary Branson, John Fosdick's step-daughter. The assertion that Thomas Ashley married Mary Branson is confirmed by the baptismal record for their son Joseph, which states that Thomas Ashley's wife Mary was "formerly Branson."^[9]

Children

Thomas and Mary had the following children, all born in Boston, but baptized in Charlestown:

1. Mary, b. September 1, 1681, bpt. September 4, 1681 at the Church of Charlestown, m. 1st May 20, 1698 George Norton in Charlestown, m. 2d January 18, 1710[/11?] John Speaks/Spikes in Boston. (See discussion and sources in Mary's profile.)
2. Thomas, b. December 3, 1682,^[10] bpt. December 3, 1682 at the Church of Charlestown,^[11] moved to North Carolina^[12]
3. Ann/Hannah, b. September 17, 1684,^[13] bpt. September 21, 1684 at the Church of Charlestown,^[14] presumably died young
4. Joseph, b. April 7, 1689,^[15] bpt. April 7, 1689 at the Church of Charlestown,^[9] d. March 12, 1690/1 in Boston^[16]
5. Anna, b. January 8, 1690/1, m. January 19, 1718/9 Isaac Mansfield in Charlestown, d. August 24, 1749 in Marblehead. (See discussion and sources in Anna's pofile.)

Occupation; Public Life

The following record of a case in the Suffolk County Court of Inferior Pleas held in Boston no doubt relates to this profile's Thomas Ashley and establishes he was a fisherman:

Thomas Ashley Fisherman personally appearing before Joseph DIdley Esq and John Richards Esq, assistants, 30th October 1683, acknowledged himself indebted unto Mehitable Warren and Capt. Elisha Hutchinson in right to Elizabeth his wife, executrix of the last will of Major Thomas Clarke late of Boston deceased, the sum of twenty six pounds ten shillings seven pence in money due by Books, for which sum hee confessed judgement against his Estate and person.^[17][18]

The Major Thomas Clarke referenced in the record was almost certainly the same Thomas Clark, Boston Merchant, whose 1674 deed Thomas had witnessed on Arrowsic Island.^[4]

A Thomas Ashley (presumably this profile's Thomas) is included on the tax lists of Boston in 1685^[19] and 1687.^[20] The 1687 tax lists show that Thomas was taxed at 1 shilling 8 pence, which suggests that, based on the rates of some others on the tax lists, he was not one of the wealthier townsmen.^[21]

Death

A Charlestown record shows that "Mary Ashly, widow, dyed" March 1, 1696/7.^[22] It is reasonably likely that this record relates to Thomas's wife since no record has been found that shows that Thomas was alive after 1691 (date of birth of last child). It is therefore likely that Thomas died sometime between 1691 and 1697.

^{[6] [9] [14] [11] [17] [18] [3] [2] [22] [1] [4] [5] [8] [7] [10] [12] [13] [15] [16] [22] [19] [20] [21]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Moore, Mrs. M. J. "Book of Eastern Claims." The Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder. Vol. VIII. 1895. pp. 200-201. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Boston, MA: Inhabitants and Estates of the Town of Boston, 1630-1822 (Thwing Collection). Inhabitants and Estates of the Town of Boston, 1630–1800 and The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston, 1630–1822. CD-ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014.) Link to record at americanancestors.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. Vol. I. Little, Brown and Company, 1860. p. 69. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Baxter, James Phinney. Documentary History of the State of Maine, Vol. IV. Brown, Thurston & Company, 1889. p 337. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} A Volume of Records Relating to the Early History of Boston, Containing Miscellaneous Papers, Boston, 1900, p 166. Link to page at hathitrust.org
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, 1630-1699. The Record Commissioners of the City of Boston. 1883. p. 154. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Wyman, Thomas Bellows. The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown in the County of Middlesex and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1629-1818. 1879. p. 117. Link to page at archive.org.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Fosdick, Lewis L. Fosdick Family , the Oyster Bay Branch. 1583-1891. A Record of the Ancestry and Descendants of Samuel Fosdick 3d of Oyster Bay, L.I. 1891. p. 34. Link to page at archive.org.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Records of the First Church of Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1632-1789. 1880. p. 79. Link to page at archive.org.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, 1630-1699. The Record Commissioners of the City of Boston. 1883. p 156. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Records of the First Church of Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1632-1789. 1880. p. 72. Link to page at archive.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Thomas's move to North Carolina is based on the entry in the "Book of Eastern Claims" discussed in the first paragraph of this profile. The claims filed in the "Book of Eastern Claims" were filed during 1714-1720 (see "Book of Eastern Claims" abstract), which means that Thomas had moved to North Carolina by that time. It is possible that many records relating to a Thomas Ashley in North Carolina in the early 1700s relate to this Thomas Ashley. See, e.g., the records for Thomas Ashley in The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol I
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, 1630-1699. The Record Commissioners of the City of Boston. 1883. p 162. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Records of the First Church of Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1632-1789. 1880. p. 74. Link to page at archive.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, 1630-1699. The Record Commissioners of the City of Boston. 1883. p 183. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, 1630-1699. The Record Commissioners of the City of Boston. 1883. p 192. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Suffolk County Court Records, 1680-1692. p. 154. FamilySearch Film # 008130885, image 107 of 267. Link to image at familysearch.org.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Abstract and Index of the Records of the Inferiod Court of Pleas (Suffolk County Court) Held at Boston 1680-1698. The Historical Records Survey, Boston, Massachusetts, 1940. p. 45. Link to book at familysearch.org.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} First Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, 1876. 1881. p 79. Link to page at archive.org.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} First Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, 1876. 1881. p. 86. Link to page at archive.org.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} First Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, 1876. 1881. p. 100. Link to page at archive.org.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1 22.2} Joslyn, Roger D. Vital records of Charlestown, Massachusetts, to the year 1850. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995. p. 172. Link to page at americanancestors.org.