The parents of James Ashley, at this time, have not been connected firmly to him. Very good circumstantial evidence says that his parents were Nathaniel and Elizabeth Wilson Ashley, Barnwell County, SC. If this family does prove out to be his, it can be traced back to John Ashley b. 1625 England, d. 1671 Lancaster County, VA and Jane Cooper born also in England. They migrated to the colonies about 1650.

When a person starts tracing a family, with a more or less common surname, you find all types of little trails to follow. Then you have to paste them into families, unless you are lucky enough to run across a will or deed that names the children. Many times, there are no records to be found, due to many factors. There have been wars along the east coast where our ancestors came, natural disasters such as fires and floods at record depositories, courthouses and such. If your ancestor had property, a "person of means", you are more likely to run across some records, somewhere, church records, if they were religious, or political records, if they were so inclined.

Many times, our ancestors are just people trying to make a living. Maybe they farmed for someone else, clerked in a store, worked for a freight outfit. Perhaps, they didn't buy land or a home, as money was hard to come by, or perhaps, they just had "itchy feet", and "over the next mountain" was always a pull on them. Sometimes we get lucky and find records, maybe a family bible faithfully kept by someone, a journal of their travel through life. We just have to keep looking.

This is the family that may belong to my great great great grandfather, James Ashley. Family tradition says he was born in 1776 in NC. This was the date arrived at from the 1850 census. On this census, the whole family was listed as born in SC. So after I had searched NC and could not find a James Ashley to fit in the right time frame, I took another look at the first census that gave us a clue to him. It would have been great if the census from 1790 through 1840 had listed the names of the persons in the household. At least you could find the parents back to the first census.

In finding that the ages of some of his children listed, were off from 10-15 years, (proven by other sources) then his age could be off. Since he said he was from SC, ok, we will look there for a James Ashley, born some where between 1785-1795, SC. This is the family I found.

1. John Ashley b. 1625, Gloucester, England, d. 1671, Lancaster Co. VA
  m. Lady Jane Cooper b.Glouscester, England, d. Lancaster Co. VA
             migrated to American colonies, ca 1655
   2. Thomas I b. 1650, England, d. 1720, Chowan, SC
         3. William A. b. 1699, Chowan Co. SC, d. SC 
                         m. Elizabeth Duckenfield
              4.Charles b. 1726, Orange Co. NC, d. Edgefield CO.SC
                         m. Felisha(?) Norfleet 
                   5. William b. 1750,Orange Co, NC d. 1806, Barnwell Co. SC
                         m. 1st. ?? Collins, m. 2nd Elizabeth Higgonbottom
                        6. Nathaniel, b.1765, Orange Co. NC d. 1813, Barnwell,SC
                         m. Elizabeth Wilson, 1785
                            7.James b. 1788, Barnwell Co. SC, d. 1850+ TN
                              m. Phoebe?? 
 
    7. James Jordan Ashley, Sr., b. 1788, SC m. Phoebe (last name unknown) b. 1795, 
  SC, about 1814 move to Jackson Co. Alabama where the following children were 
  born: 

 
  	 8. Daniel b. 1815 Jackson Co. AL,  d. 1897 Clark Co. AR  m. April 25, 1844, 
                Franklin CO. TN, Mary "Polly" Suthard (Southard) b. 
                1820 Franklin Co. TN d. 1885 Clark CO. AR
					   9.  James M. b. 10/25/1852, Jackson CO. Al d. 7/24/1926,OK
                m. 8/20/1876, Sarah Catherine Ashley, b. 12/2/1855 
	   8. Willis G.  b. Jan. 3, 1816, Jackson Co. AL  d. Feb. 25, 1892, Rockwell Co. TX
                m. Jan. 15, 1850, Franklin CO. TN, Preshia Prince b. 
                Feb. 25, 1825, Anderson Co. TN. d. July 12, 
                1867 Franklin CO. TN
	                   9.  Sarah Catherine b. 12/2/1855 Franklin CO. TN   d. 8/30/1848, OK
                m. 8/20/1876 James M. Ashley b. 10/25/1852
    
      9.  James M. b. 10/25/1852, Jackson CO. Al d. 7/24/1970 Pushmataha Co. OK   
        m. 8/20/1876, Franklin Co. TN 
      9.  Sarah Catherine Ashley, b. 12/2/1855Franklin Co. TN, d. 8/301948, Pushmataha Co. OK

		     10. Samuel Nathan Ashley, b. 11/13/1887, Hot Spring Co. AR, d. 5/2/1970, Arapahoe 
			  Co. OK m. 2/28/1910, Ada Belle Prince, b. 12/15/1890, Pike Co. AR, d. 5/29/1972
                 Weatherford, OK
				 
 					11. Dovie Lee Ashley, b. 7/3/1912, Hughes Co. OK, d. 7/12/2002, 
  						Kiowa Co. OK m. 1/15/1938 Walter Lee "Pete Crisp b. 7/21/1913, Coal Co. OK., 
  						d. 5/5/1987 Kiowa Co. OK

     						12. Ethel M. Crisp Taylor, b. Levelland TX 

This family began in Virginia and moved through North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Points west.

Ashley Photo Album

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