Ashbury History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Ashbury surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Ashbourne, Derbyshire; in Ashburnham, Sussex; or in Ashburton, Devon. 1

Early Origins of the Ashbury family

The surname Ashbury was first found in Derbyshire, at Ashbourne, a market town in the Derbyshire Dales now famous for its historic annual Shrovetide football match. The first record was found in the Domesday Book where it was listed as Esseburne, having derived from the Old English aesc + burna, meaning "stream where the ash-trees grow." 2

The name dates back to pre-Domesday Book times, when it was known as Aescburnan in 1008. 3

"There can be little no doubt, however, that the Ashburnhams have been seated at Ashburnham from the reign of Henry II, and probably from a much earlier period, and are descended from Bertram, Constable of Dover in the reign or William the Conqueror. " 4

"The manor [of Ashburnham in Sussex], with the exception only of a few years, has been from a time anterior to the Conquest in the continued possession of the noble family of Ashburnham, whose mansion-house here is beautifully situated, and surrounded by a fine park. The church, situated behind Ashburnham House, is a neat cruciform edifice in the decorated English style, with a tower; the south transept contains a gallery for the family, and in the north are handsome monuments to William and John Ashburnham, and their wives." 5

Sifting through early rolls, we found Robert de Assheboume in Devon in 1311 and years later, John de Ascheburn in Yorkshire in 1349. 3

Early History of the Ashbury family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ashbury research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1603, 1604, 1628, 1638, 1639, 1659, 1660, 1671, 1679, 1682, 1685, 1689, 1697, 1720 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Ashbury History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ashbury Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Ashbury include Ashburnham, Asbury, Astbury, Ashburner, Ashbourn, Ashburn, Ashburnam, Ashburham, Ashbourne and many more.

Early Notables of the Ashbury family

Distinguished members of the family include

Joseph Ashbury (1638-1720), was an English actor and theatrical manager. "Born in London in 1638, he was of good family, educated at Eton, and entered the army. Quartered in Ireland when the protector...

Ashbury migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Ashbury Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Ashbury, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 aboard the ship "Tristram and Jane" 6
Francis Ashbury, who landed in Maryland in 1665 6
Thomas Ashbury, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 6

Ashbury Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Ashbury, who landed in Virginia in 1705 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Ashbury (post 1700) +

John Ashbury, English founder of the Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd of Manchester in 1837
James Lloyd Ashbury (1834-1895), British yachtsman and Conservative Party politician; he made two unsuccessful challenges for the America's Cup, son of John Ashbury
Francis Ashbury Pratt (1827-1902), American mechanical engineer and inventor from Peru, New York, co-founder of Pratt & Whitney
James Ashbury Allison (1872-1928), American entrepreneur, businessman and co-inventor of the Allison Perfection Fountain Pen

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)