Settler & Leader in a New Colonial Town — David Ashley

B. 3 Jun 1642 in Springfield, Massachusetts
M. 24 Nov 1663 in New Haven, Connecticut
Wife: Hannah Glover
D. 8 Dec 1718 in Westfield, Massachusetts

In 17th-century New England, new settlements were popping up as the Puritan population grew larger. One major area for development was on the Connecticut River in what is now Massachusetts, and David Ashley was a founding settler of the town of Westfield. 

David was born in nearby Springfield on June 3, 1642 to parents Robert and Mary Ashley, the oldest child of seven. David had a twin sister who died at birth; he also had two half-brothers from his mother’s first marriage. As a boy, he learned to read and write; his mother likely taught him because his father is known to have been illiterate. His parents ran a tavern in Springfield, exposing young David to the civic business of the town, which was another sort of education.

When David was 21, he married Hannah Glover of New Haven, Connecticut; the wedding took place in the bride’s hometown on November 24, 1663. The couple had eleven children born between 1664 and 1685. Only one of the children died as an infant, a baby girl whose twin sister survived.

David’s life may have been shaped by his father’s 1663 purchase of Indian land at a place near Springfield called Woronoco. David moved to Woronoco a few years later, presumably taking the plot his father owned, as a group of men from places nearby organized the area into the town of Westfield. As was typical in a new settlement, land was allotted to each household, with everyone getting several lots comprising meadows and farmland. On June 30, 1669, another purchase was made from the Indians, paying them £40 for a vast amount of land, and David was mentioned as a recipient along with seven others who were settlers there. 

Map showing towns along the Connecticut River.

As an original settler in Westfield, David took on several civic roles, most notably in 1678 as the first town clerk, a position that was called “Clerk of the Writs.” He was reappointed several more times during his life, and was made town treasurer in 1694. In April 1671, he hosted the newly arrived minister for about 5 days until more suitable lodging was available. David also contributed to the community by helping to build two mills: one for grinding corn in 1669, and one for sawing wood in 1685. In frontier towns like Westfield, mills were vital for making the settlers self-sufficient.

David played an important role in the defense of Westfield during King Philip’s War. Being on the frontier of New England, towns in eastern Massachusetts were vulnerable to attack by Indians camped to the west. Springfield was invaded in October 1675, with 60 houses burned to the ground. Westfield leaders met to decide how to deal with the threat, and David was appointed along with another man, Thomas Gunn, to organize a plan of defense. In order to maintain their farms during the time of war, the settlers plowed only a cluster of fields, and working together, they shared the crops among each other. That way they would be less isolated as they worked in their fields.

Back in Boston, the General Court, Massachusetts governing body, ordered that towns like Westfield evacuate. But the settlers petitioned that they be allowed to stay. David and two others drafted a letter to the General Court in Boston dated April 3, 1676, telling the Court that they needed to tend to their crops, and that they had a plan to use their own fort for protection. The war lasted several more months and the people of Westfield made it through.

David continued to serve his community for many years. He died in Westfield on December 8, 1718, leaving an estate to his family amounting to over £270. His wife Hannah died in 1722. Their graves were said to be among the oldest in the town cemetery. David was the ancestor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan and Clint Eastwood.

David Ashley's grave. (Source: Find-a-Grave)

Children:
1. Samuel Ashley — B. 26 Oct 1664; D. about 1761; M. Sarah Kellogg (~1666-~1729), 27 Apr 1686, Westfield, Massachusetts

2. David Ashley — B. 10 Mar 1666, Westfield, Massachusetts; D. 7 Aug 1744, Westfield, Massachusetts; M. Mary Dewey (1668-1757), 11 Jul 1688, Westfield, Massachusetts

3. John Ashley — B. 27 Jun 1669, Westfield, Massachusetts; D. 16 Apr 1759, Westfield, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Dewey (1672-1708), 8 Sep 1692, Westfield, Massachusetts; (2) Mary Whiting (1672-1735), 20 Jan 1709, Westfield, Massachusetts

4. Joseph Ashley — B. 1671, Springfield, Massachusetts; D. 25 Feb 1705, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; M. Abigail Dewey (1682-1747), 12 Apr 1699, Westfield, Massachusetts

5. Sarah Ashley — B. 19 Sep 1673, Westfield, Massachusetts; 1704, Westfield, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Ingersoll (1668-1732), 22 Jul 1692

6. Mary Ashley — B. 26 Dec 1675, Massachusetts; D. 26 Dec 1675, Massachusetts

7. Hannah Ashley — B. 26 Dec 1675, Massachusetts; D. 3 Dec 1752, Sheffield, Massachusetts; M. Nathaniel Eggleston (1666-1714), 13 Sep 1694, Windsor, Connecticut

8. Jonathan Ashley — B. 21 Jun 1678, Westfield, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1749, Westfield, Massachusetts; M. Abigail Stebbins (1683-1752), abt 1699, Springfield, Massachusetts

9. Abigail Ashley — B. 24 Apr 1681, Springfield, Massachusetts; D. 11 Apr 1723, Farmington, Connecticut; M. Nathaniel Lewis (1676-1752)

10. Mary Ashley — B. 3 Mar 1682, Springfield, Massachusetts; D. 7 Sep 1769, Westfield, Massachusetts; M. (1) John Webb, 1701, Hampden County, Massachusetts; (2) Benjamin Stebbins (1687-1733), 21 Dec 1709

11. Rebecca Ashley — B. 30 May 1685, Westfield, Massachusetts; D. about 1785; M. Samuel Dewey (1670-1734), about 1712, Westfield, Massachusetts

Sources:
The Ashley Genealogy, A History of the Descendants of Robert Ashley of Springfield, Massachusetts, Francis Bacon Trowerbridge, 1896
Westfield and Its Historic Influences, 1669-1919, Vol. 1, John Hoyt Lockwood, 1922
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