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)