Person:Jediah Ashcraft (1)

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About Jediah Ashcraft

NOTE: He appears always to have preferred the spelling "Jediah," which may (or may not) have been a variation on "Jedediah."

On 18 May 1775, he was appointed by the court (with Daniel Steel) to oversee the building of a road from Shuttes Creek to Devors Ferry on the Monongahela; he also was appointed a constable. In Dec 1775, he signed the petition opposing the formation of Transylvania. About 1778-79, he was serving as sheriff of Yohogania County, Virginia, in what is now southwest Pennsylvania. Shortly after this, he served as one of Col. George Rogers Clark's "Long Knives" in Virginia's Northwest Expedition, 1778-79 (as did several other residents of Fayette Co., Pennsylvania). Jediah moved by flatboat down the Ohio (in company with a party of friends and in-laws) to Hardin Co., Kentucky, in the winter of 1779-80 and settled at Philips Fort (near Hodgenville in present-day Larue County), where they were among the earliest settlers. About a year later, they continued down the river to the Falls (now the site of Louisville), where they dismantled the boat and built a house from the lumber. (pp. 478-79)^S3

For the period 28 Oct to 25 Nov 1782, Jediah appears on the Pay Roll of a "Detachment of Jefferson County Militia under the Command of Andrew Hynes in actual Service on an Expedition against the Indians."

The record includes: Jediah Ashcraft, private, entered service 28 Oct 1782, discharged 25 Nov 1782, in service 36 days, paid £2/8/0.^S4

2 Apr 1783: "Unto George Rogers Clark in trust for recruiting his battalion and in lieu of the bounty of Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars is granted by the said Commonwealth of Virginia unto Jediah Ashcraft a certain track [sic] or Parcel of land containing Five Hundred and Sixty acres by survey bearing the date of March 1, 1783 and lying and being in the County of Jefferson [ie, Kentucky], on the North Branch of Ashcraft Creek waters of Rough Creek, being the first south branch below Little Clifty.
[signed] Patrick Henry, Governor. April 2, 1783."

This was Land Office treasury warrant #295.^S3

On 2 Dec 1785, Jediah received a warrant in Jefferson County, on "Nolelinn" [Nolin] Creek, adjacent to Rawley Martin's land. (At the same time, Shepherd Gum also received a grant on Nolelinn Creek "adjoining Jodiah Ashcraft."^S3

He appears on the Nelson County tax list for 1785:
Tithables on Green River, easterly of Nolin:
      Ashcraft, Jediah - 2
      Ashcraft, Daniel (son) - 0^S5

In 1800, his widow, Ann, was taxed for 100 acres on Nolin Creek first entered in the name of "Jediah Ashcraft."^S5

On 27 Oct 1788, he apparently stood bond for a friend's marriage, but the details are not known.^S3

Estate Records

The Last Will and Testament of Jediah Ashcraft Deceased was produced in Court by the oath of John O'Daniel one of the subscribing Witnesses thereto and ordered today for further proof. On the motion of Ann Ashcraft, Executrix therein named who made oath thereto and together with Edward and William Brounfeele her securities who entered into and acknowledged their bond in the penalty of 500 [?] Pounds as the Law directs Certificate is granted ___ for obtaining a probate in due form.

Ordered that Ison Entaro, Isaac Larue, Joseph __patrick and Zepheniah Bebe [?] or any three of them being first sworn do appraise in Currant money the Estate of Jediah Ashcraft Deceased and return an Inventory and appraisement thereof to the next Court.

1.   Jefferson Co. KY Land Warrant, 2 Dec 1785.

   Library of Virginia

2. ↑ Jediah Ashcraft will 1793.

   See MySource page for full transcription.

   
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} Neal, Martha Ashcraft. The Ashcraft Family: Descendants of Daniel Ashcraft. (Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1994).
4.   Harding, Margery Heberling, and Lowell Hayes Harrison. George Rogers Clark and his men, military records, 1778-1784. (Frankfort, Kentucky, United States: The Kentucky Historical Society, c1981)
   p. 194.
5.   Nelson, Kentucky, United States. Nelson County, Kentucky, taxpayers, 1793-1799. (Miami Beach, Florida: T.L.C. [sic] Genealogy, 1995).