Individual Details

James, or Montgomery, as he was called in his father's estate settlement was difficult to find in a census.

Databases online alerted to records which are conflicting - the following Civil War records are being attached to many of them and I believe they belong to a different James M. Ashley.

Civil War Records say a James Ashley died 12 Apr 1909, but does not give a place - I found it on Footnote - he did apply for a pension and he's noted as dying 12 Apr 1909, Danville, Illinois. He enlisted in the Union Army, Somerset KY, 5 Apr 1863. He was a private in Co. L, 1st Cavalry Regt, Kentucky. Another record shows a James M. Ashley enlisted at Somerset, KY, 4 May 1863 as a Corporal, Co. C KY 1st Cavalry; he was mustered out 30 Sep 1865 at Louisville. Records on Footnote do indicate this as the same person - Co L became Co C. Ashley was captured 20 Oct 1863 and sent to Andersonville Prison in GA. He served with a John Ashley, captured at the same. John Ashley died at Andersonville. Two of the Muster Roll Cards show this John M. Ashley to have been age 20 - or likely born 1843-45 which appears to make him about ten years younger than this James Montgomery Ashley.
The index card to the pension file for James M. Ashley who died in Danville, Illinois in 1909, does give his service as Co C, 1st Ky Cavalry and is certainly the same as the man taken prisoner above. He applied for his invalid pension 20 Aug 1879; his widow applied 22 Sep 1916. I believe he is not the same man as this James Montgomery Ashley.

James Ashley married Anna Summers, Jul 29, 1869, Scott Co, IL - Illinois Marriage Database online. His second marriage.

1870 Census. Winchester, Scott, IL, Hh 221
Benjamin Arnold, 28, Farm laborer, b. IL
Sarah, 26, b. KY
Daisy, 10 months, b. IL in Aug 1869
Elizabeth Ashley, 71, b. KY (Sarah's mother)
James Ashley, 35, works in Carpenter shop, b. KY (Sarah's brother)
Annie, 22, b. IL (James' 2nd wife)
Following children born to James' 1st wife Mary Hubble
Alonzo, 19, b. KY (he was 9, not 19!)
Mary, 6, b. IL
Eva, 5, IL
James, 3, b. IN

1880 Census. Roadhouse Precinct, Barrow Twp, Greene Co, IL, Hh 361
James M. Ashley, age 45, carpenter, b. KY, parents b. KY
Anna, wife, age 32, b. IL, parents b. KY
Alonzo, age 19, son, tile factory hand, b. KY, both parents b. KY
Mary E., age 16, dau, b. IL, both parents b. KY
Eva D., age 14 dau. b. IL, both parents b. KY
James L., son, age 12, b. IL, both parents b. KY
Alonzo, Mary, Eva & James must have been children of his 1st wife
Tessie J. 9, dau, b. IL, father b. KY, mother b. IL
Ernest V., age 7, son, b. IL, father b. KY, mother b. IL
Myrtle, 4, dau, b. IL, father b. KY, mother b. IL
Newton J. Ford, age 30, Boarder, Blacksmith
John W. Smith, age 27, boarder, Tile maker
Note: Ernest Victor Ashley was born 5 May 1873, Barrow, Greene, IL (SS application)


There is a 1900 census: Marshall, Saline Co, MO. The given name is wrong - the other data seems correct.
David W. Ashley, b. Sep 1834, age 65, married 31 years, b. KY, parents b. VA, carpenter
Anna, wife, b. Jan 1848, age 52, 3 children - all living, b. IL, father b. TN, mother b. KY
Edda, dau, b. Jun 1864, age 35, b. IL [Mary E. in 1880?]
None of this family can be found in 1910 in Missouri.

On Ancestry.com: Saline County, Missouri: Ridge Park Cemetery Records - from the city of Marshall.
Name: James M. Ashley
Birth Date: 29 Sep 1834
Death Date: 14 Oct 1907
par. John and Elizabeth Ashley, w. Nancy P., Ann Eliza #968
This cemetery has also been placed on FindAGrave. The picture of the stone shows only the dates 1834-1907 for James M. Ashley. There is no stone for wife Nancy listed.

Bio found attached to Ancestry Tree.
ASHLEY, JAMES M., carpenter and joiner, for the past six years a resident of Barrow, was born in Casey County, Kentucky, September 29, 1834. In 1851 he accompanied his parents to McLean Co., Ill., then a small village, with no railroad facilities. Here the family remained a short time, when they moved to Pike County. James shortly after removed to Kentucky, where he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner. This occupation he follows at the present writing and receives a large share of public patronage, as his skill as a workman is well known. In the State of Tennessee in 1860 he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Hubble, who passed away in the year 1868, leaving to the care of her husband four children: Alonzo, Mary E., Eva B. and James. L. July 28, 1869, Mr. Ashley was married to Miss Anna Summers, of Winchester, Scott County, by whom he has three children: Tessie, Earnest G. and Myrtle. Mr. A. owns two lots at Barrow, a commodious frame building, and is one of our most public spirited citizens. It is the intention of Mr. A. to open a first class boardinghouse at Barrow, shortly, and parties looking for the comforts of a home will do well to note this fact.

The Marshall Republican, (Marshall, MO), 18 Oct 1907, Friday, p.1
James M. Ashley
Another of Marshall's best citizens has passed away in the person of J. M. Ashley, who died at his home on West Boyd, Monday at 10 am, aged 73 years, 2 weeks, and 1 day, after a long and painful illness of a complication of asthma and brochial trouble.
Mr. Ashley was born in Kentucky, spetember 29, 1834, and for the past twenty years has been a citizen of Marshall. He was married first to Miss Mary Hubble of Kentucky, February 28, 1860. Four children were born to this union, Mrs. Al Darling, Miss eva, and J. L. Ashley, of this city and A. C. Ashley of Hope, Kansas. He was Married to the surviving wife, who was Miss Anna L. Summers, at her home in Winchester, Ill. July 29, 1869. three children were born the second union, Mrs. Fred Hightshoe of Sedalia, Mrs. Scott Chaffee and Ernest Ashley of Kansas City. The children were all with the father in his last hours except A. C. Ashley and he was here last week.
Funeral services were held at the First M.E. Church of which the deceased was a faithful member, and were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Geo. W. Shepherd, after which his remains were laid to rest in Ridge Park Cemetery.
J. M. Huff, M. C. Chaffee, Henry Johnson, A. T. Swisher, Berry Aulgur, Cas. Petry and Q. N. Merrill acted as pallbearers.

Texas Death Certificate #3087
Mrs. Anna L. Ashley died at home, 2615 Highway Ave, McAllen, Hidalgo Co, TX on 4 Jan 1936 of nephritis. She was the widow of Mr. Ashley. Born 15 Jan 1848 in Illinois. Her father was Joseph Summers; mother, Mary Edmonson. Joseph Summers of McAllen, was the informant. Buried Jan 4th.


The "other" James Ashley:
There is also a 1900 census for M. James Ashley, Danville Twp, Vermilion Co, IL that could be the Civil War soldier. Strangely his wife was also Anna, and the two couples have been married for almost the same length of time.
His birth is given as Jun 1854, but his age as 56. He had been married for 32 years, do obviously the age is correct and the date should have been Jun 1844 - which matches the age of 20 in the war records. He was born in KY as were his parents and was a barber.
Anna E., wife, was born Jun 1856, age 53. She has had 6 children all living. She was born in Ohio, parents born in Virginia. Two daughters live with them: Margret, b. Feb 1872, age 28, single, and B. Ida, b. Jul 1882, age 17 - both born in Indiana.

With the information that the daughters were born in Indiana, I located in 1880, in the city of Huntington, 1st Ward, Huntington Co, IN, Hh 220
James Ashley, age 34, barber, b. KY as were his parents
Anna, age 32, wife, b. Ohio, parents b. VA
Born in Indiana: Emma, 13, dau. Mary 11, dau. Maggie 9, dau.
Howard, son, age 4, b. Illinois
Edgar, age 11 months, Born Jun 1879 in Indiana

Birth	29 Sep 1834	Kentucky
Death	14 Oct 1907	Saline County, Missouri

Father	John Ashley (1794 - 1858)
Mother	Elizabeth Montgomery (1797 - 1871)
Sibling	Uriah J. Ashley (1816 - 1882)
Sibling	John O. Ashley (1819 - 1890)
Sibling	Obediah Ashley (1821 - )
Sibling	Robert Smith Ashley (1823 - 1896)
Sibling	Elizabeth Ashley (1828 - 1911)
Sibling	Emily Ashley (1830 - 1870)
Sibling	Mary Ashley (1832 - 1865)
Sibling	Minerva I. Ashley (1837 - )
Sibling	Thomas J. Ashley (1839 - )
Sibling	Aden Jones Ashley (1841 - 1914)
Sibling	Sarah B Ashley (1843 - 1880)