On 25 Jul 1677, John's widow Grace swore to the validity of the appraisal of his estate.
'The claim that Grace was the daughter of Henry Meese traces back to an article in the William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1895, p. 40. The author says "Henry Meese, merchant, made a gift [a horse] to Mary, daughter of John and Grace Ashton, in 1670. Was Grace, wife of John Ashton, a kinswoman of Meese?" '
'[A] neighbor, William Frizer who died in 1677 left almost all of his property to the children of John and Grace.'
The above two gifts/bequests have led many to decide that Grace was either the daughter of Henry Meese or a Frizer, but Grace was a contemporary of Henry Meese, and the Frizer evidence is inconclusive. At best, these gifts/bequests suggest a focus for further investigation.
