MORE ABOUT THE ASHLEYS

Notes obtained from Helen Moe's Family History and also from a story told by Gerald Paige at the time of the visit by the Moe’s in 1997:  In 1784 Lemuel Ashley came to East Barnard.  The 1st year the family, which consisted of father, mother and 7 children, lived on venison and wood nettles.  The next summer, having cleared some land they planted corn.  That spring Lemuel walked to Windsor and bought a pig, which he carried home on his back.  They had visions of johny-cake and salt pork to add to their diet the next winter.  But, before they had a chance to butcher the pig, the Episcopal Church in Woodstock took the pig to pay the church tax.  It was reported that they were not ardent Episcopalians after that.  In fact, they became known as fox hunters and fiddlers.  However, it is reported that one of his descendants, a son, Jonathan Ashley, became a minister in the Christian church.   I was unable to verify this—again Trails of My Imagination.

   The above was probably taken from LOCAL HISTORY OF EAST BARNARD by Lucy Edna Allen.  It was also included in the stories told by Gerald Gibbs to Bud Moe in 1987 and also reported in The Harbor a Glimpse of East Barnard by the East Barnard Community Club 1976.

Another story reported in The Harbor concerned Sarah Osborn Ashley, Jonathan’s wife and my 3rd Great Grandmother.  They lived in a log cabin and in the year of 1797 or 1798 and one of her children, a son Jason fell into the well.  (Jason would later become my Great Great Grandfather)  Although she was pregnant, she climbed down into the well and rescued the child.  Her third child, Sarah, was born in February 1808.  After this birth Sarah was paralyzed and unable to walk.  She managed to get around the house in a chair as she looked after family.  She had ten children in all.  Before her paralysis she sowed flax seed, harvested it, spun the flax into linen thread, wove it into fine cloth and from ths cloth she made two ruffled shirts for Mr. Boyden. She received five acres of land in payment.

THE ASHLEYS

When Helen Moe, one of my cousins, visited East Barnard, VT in 1997 with her children they had an opportunity to visit with Ruth Paige, a granddaughter of Ozro Ellis.  Her brother in law, Gerald Gibbs was also there.  Gerald was a widower and had been married to Ruth’s sister Margaret.  Bud Moe, son of Helen, had a chance to interview Mr. Gibbs and caught it on Video.  He started by telling of Lemuel Ashley the ancestor of the Ashleys who eventually moved to East Barnard and were to become related to the Ellis family when Dollie Ashley married my grand father Harlan Joel Ellis.  But back to the story told by Mr. Gibbs—He told of the early Ashley who had been a member of the infamous Captain Kidd's pirate crew.  Captain Kidd was a pirate who preyed on Spanish galleons.  When Captain Kidd went to turn himself in to authorities he paid his men off with the  gold doubloons that had been pirated from the Spanish.  Lemuel Ashley bought a house in one of the Eastern States and paid for it with gold.  The Ashleys eventually moved to Vermont and established themselves around East Barnard.  I have no documentation of this but it does make an interesting story. (Trails of my imagination)