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- John Wiley AshleyAbt 1774 - Abt 1865
Facts and Events
John Wiley Ashley
- John Ashley was born in North Carolina in 1774. On March 8, 1799, at Wadesboro, Anson County, NC, he married Mary Alford, who was born in Monroe County, Virginia in 1773. They brought their family to what is now Big Sandy Creek in Roane County, WV and built a log cabin in 1810. John acquired a tract of land on the Elk River in what is now Clay County, WV and built a low head dam to divert water for a grist mill about 1825. John operated this mill for about nine years before selling out to Samuel A. Samples and moving back to Big Sandy Creek. John's name is listed "John Wiley Ashley" in at least one record. Dawson's "Twistabout and Thereabout" says that a W. Ashley bought 400 acres of land across the Elk River from the land owned by John Ashley. This land was bought by Samuel A. Samples II at about the same time he bought the John Ashley property.
John Ashley Land bought by Samuel Samples
Samples Family Connection
- Alexander 'Samuel' Samples, with his wife Lucinda, migrated to the Ohio River and settled on the Kentucky side, at Adair City, in Greenup County, Kentucky. This is directly across the Ohio River opposite Ironton, Ohio. Alexander 'Samuel' and his wife Lucinda both died, leaving four small sons. Their names were Robert (the oldest of the four), Samuel Samples, Hiram Samples and William Samples, the youngest of the four.
- The boys were bound out, as was the custom when the parents died, in those days, to Henry Ralston, to serve apprentice in the blacksmith trade. Henry Ralston's shop was located in Ironton, Ohio which is on the opposite side of the river from Adair City, Kentucky. On arriving at the shop one morning, a note was found on the door saying "Bob's Gone". Another account tells this a little differently! On coming to the shop one morning they found a note on the shop door. It said Bob's gone to H---, and they never heard from him again.
- Under the strict rules of apprenticeship, indentured children were required to serve their task master until they became twenty one years of age. Samuel Samples and his brother Hiram thought that they were being worked too hard and mistreated. They planned an escape, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky. Samuel told his brother Hiram that he heard there was a lot of game up on Elk River and that he was going to go up there and hunt. Hiram wanted to go, too. Sam protested saying Hiram was too young, but Hiram went. They ran away by swimming the Ohio River at night and came up on the Elk River and hunted and killed a lot of game.
- Hiram Samples courted and married Bathsheba Alderson in Adair City, Greenup County, Kentucky. He later moved into Virginia (now West Virginia) and settled on Elk River. He settled near present Clendenin, and from there he moved up in Porters Creek. He went up a hollow that is a tributary to Porters Creek and built his house there. This hollow has its confluence with Porters Creek about three quarters of a mile from Bomont. Today, his hollow is called Samples Hollow. Their Family Record from his Bible remains with his descendants.
- Samuel Samples brother of Hiram went up the Ohio River to Pomeroy and while there he courted and married Jane Samples who was living in (then) Virginia. She was the daughter of Robert Samples, and twin sister of Ralph Smith's wife, Sofa, daughters of old Peter Samples. They raised a large family. Samuel later moved to Virginia (now West Virginia) and settled on the Elk River near Ashley's Dam. He bought the land and the mill that John Ashley owned, along the north side of the Elk River, above the mouth of Upper Dulls Creek.
- John Ashley was born in North Carolina in 1774. On March 8, 1799, at Wadesboro, Anson County, NC, he married Mary Alford, who was born in Monroe County, Virginia in 1773. They brought their family to what is now Big Sandy Creek in Roane County, WV and built a log cabin in 1810. John acquired a tract of land on the Elk River in what is now Clay County, WV and built a low head dam to divert water for a grist mill about 1825. John operated this mill for about nine years before selling out to Samuel Samples and moving back to Big Sandy Creek. John's name is listed John Wiley Ashley in at least one record. Dawson's "Twistabout and Thereabout" says that a W. Ashley bought 400 acres of land across the Elk River from the land owned by John Ashley. This land was bought by Samuel Samples at about the same time he bought theJohn Ashley property.
- A Mr. Ashley owned 400 acres of land along the south side of Elk River, opposite to the land that John Ashley owned. Samuel also bought this tract of land. In the year 1850 Samuel and Jane Samples, his wife, made a deed, conveying a part of their land to John Samples. This deed was acknowledged by Alexander Good and Alexander S. Waugh, who were serving as justices of the peace at that time. The last will and testament of Samuel Samples is recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the Clay County Court of Clay County, West Virginia, in Will Book No. 1, at page two.
References
- ↑ Don Norman. Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants, Inc.
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