John Ashley (John, David, Robert) was the son of Cap. John Ashley and Mary (Whiting) Sheldon. He was born 2 Dec 1709; m. Hannah Hogebroom in 1735; graduated at Yale in 1730. He rose to distinction as a lawyer; as an extensive land owner and merchant; and became a man of large wealth. He took an early part in the management of town affairs., was a selectman in Sheffield in 1740 and held that office nearly continuously until 1783. He was early interested in military affairs and was commissioned Captain of the First Foot Company and later promoted Major of the South Hampshire Regiment.
Among Colonel Ashely's possessions were a number of negro slaves which he seems to have been inclined to retain in bondage after the Declaration of Independence. Hence the noted case of 'Brom and Bet vs. Ashley, commenced by write of personal replevin at the August term of the Curt of Common Pleas in 1781." Source: Ashley Genealogy, p. 55
Tradition has it that the Sheffield Declaration of 1773, a statement of grievances against English rule, was drafted in Colonel Ashley's study and that Ashley's black servant, Mumbet, whetted her hunger for freedom on liberal ideas she overheard at the meeting. It was in this house that Mumbet served as a slave owned by Colonel John Ashley and took the blow Hannah Ashley meant for 'Lizzy' (folklore says was Mumbet's sister, while scholars say 'Lizzy' was Mumbet's daughter) with her arm. In a 1781 trial, Mumbet won her freedom and left this house forever. The Ashley House is available for viewing by the public. Source: Elizabeth Freeman, Mumbet and the Ashley House: https://elizabethfreeman.mumbet.com/who-is-mumbet/mumbet-and-the-ashley-house/
Col. John Ashley was one of 11 men who, in 1773, produced a manifesto for individual rights, called the Sheffield Resolves. The Declaration's first resolution was that "Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free, and independent of each other, and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property". These words are echoed in the most famous line of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence three years later: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.": Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Declaration
Among Colonel Ashely's possessions were a number of negro slaves which he seems to have been inclined to retain in bondage after the Declaration of Independence. Hence the noted case of 'Brom and Bet vs. Ashley, commenced by write of personal replevin at the August term of the Curt of Common Pleas in 1781." Source: Ashley Genealogy, p. 55
Tradition has it that the Sheffield Declaration of 1773, a statement of grievances against English rule, was drafted in Colonel Ashley's study and that Ashley's black servant, Mumbet, whetted her hunger for freedom on liberal ideas she overheard at the meeting. It was in this house that Mumbet served as a slave owned by Colonel John Ashley and took the blow Hannah Ashley meant for 'Lizzy' (folklore says was Mumbet's sister, while scholars say 'Lizzy' was Mumbet's daughter) with her arm. In a 1781 trial, Mumbet won her freedom and left this house forever. The Ashley House is available for viewing by the public. Source: Elizabeth Freeman, Mumbet and the Ashley House: https://elizabethfreeman.mumbet.com/who-is-mumbet/mumbet-and-the-ashley-house/
Col. John Ashley was one of 11 men who, in 1773, produced a manifesto for individual rights, called the Sheffield Resolves. The Declaration's first resolution was that "Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free, and independent of each other, and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property". These words are echoed in the most famous line of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence three years later: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.": Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Declaration
John Ashley (John, David, Robert) was the son of Cap. John Ashley and Mary (Whiting) Sheldon. He was born 2 Dec 1709; m. Hannah Hogebroom in 1735; graduated at Yale in 1730. He rose to distinction as a lawyer; as an extensive land owner and merchant; and became a man of large wealth. He took an early part in the management of town affairs., was a selectman in Sheffield in 1740 and held that office nearly continuously until 1783. He was early interested in military affairs and was commissioned Captain of the First Foot Company and later promoted Major of the South Hampshire Regiment.
Among Colonel Ashely's possessions were a number of negro slaves which he seems to have been inclined to retain in bondage after the Declaration of Independence. Hence the noted case of 'Brom and Bet vs. Ashley, commenced by write of personal replevin at the August term of the Curt of Common Pleas in 1781." Source: Ashley Genealogy, p. 55
Tradition has it that the Sheffield Declaration of 1773, a statement of grievances against English rule, was drafted in Colonel Ashley's study and that Ashley's black servant, Mumbet, whetted her hunger for freedom on liberal ideas she overheard at the meeting. It was in this house that Mumbet served as a slave owned by Colonel John Ashley and took the blow Hannah Ashley meant for 'Lizzy' (folklore says was Mumbet's sister, while scholars say 'Lizzy' was Mumbet's daughter) with her arm. In a 1781 trial, Mumbet won her freedom and left this house forever. The Ashley House is available for viewing by the public. Source: Elizabeth Freeman, Mumbet and the Ashley House: https://elizabethfreeman.mumbet.com/who-is-mumbet/mumbet-and-the-ashley-house/
Col. John Ashley was one of 11 men who, in 1773, produced a manifesto for individual rights, called the Sheffield Resolves. The Declaration's first resolution was that "Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free, and independent of each other, and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property". These words are echoed in the most famous line of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence three years later: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.": Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Declaration
Among Colonel Ashely's possessions were a number of negro slaves which he seems to have been inclined to retain in bondage after the Declaration of Independence. Hence the noted case of 'Brom and Bet vs. Ashley, commenced by write of personal replevin at the August term of the Curt of Common Pleas in 1781." Source: Ashley Genealogy, p. 55
Tradition has it that the Sheffield Declaration of 1773, a statement of grievances against English rule, was drafted in Colonel Ashley's study and that Ashley's black servant, Mumbet, whetted her hunger for freedom on liberal ideas she overheard at the meeting. It was in this house that Mumbet served as a slave owned by Colonel John Ashley and took the blow Hannah Ashley meant for 'Lizzy' (folklore says was Mumbet's sister, while scholars say 'Lizzy' was Mumbet's daughter) with her arm. In a 1781 trial, Mumbet won her freedom and left this house forever. The Ashley House is available for viewing by the public. Source: Elizabeth Freeman, Mumbet and the Ashley House: https://elizabethfreeman.mumbet.com/who-is-mumbet/mumbet-and-the-ashley-house/
Col. John Ashley was one of 11 men who, in 1773, produced a manifesto for individual rights, called the Sheffield Resolves. The Declaration's first resolution was that "Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free, and independent of each other, and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property". These words are echoed in the most famous line of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence three years later: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.": Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Declaration
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