Difference between revisions of "Henry Ashurst 1645-1711"

Latest revision as of 14:04, 13 January 2024

Sir Henry ASHURST 1645-1711

Henry Ashurst's bookplate, British Museum Franks Collection *141

Biographical Note

Born in London, son of Henry Ashurst, a London merchant. After an apprenticeship he followed in his father's footsteps and developed a successful mercantile business, trading with the Levant, West Indies and America. MP for Truro 1681 and 1689-95, for Wilton, 1698-1702; alderman of London, 1688-9; created a baronet 1688. His family had a strong puritan tradition and Ashurst was closely connected with, and a patron of, prominent nonconformists. He supported whig politics and was regularly involved in campaigns to extend toleration to dissenters. In 1691 he purchased the manor of Waterstock in Oxfordshire, where he built a fine house, and from the mid 1690s onwards he became increasingly involved in the governance of New England, being appointed agent for Massachusetts (1689-1701), Connecticut (1699-1711) and New Hampshire (1701-2).

Books

Ashurst used an engraved armorial bookplate (Franks 811/*141), though the size and contents of his library are not known. In his will, he left all his books and papers to his son Henry (the 2nd baronet, and his main heir, ca.1670-1732), asking that the manuscripts be kept private "and that he would regard the name and memory of his father who hath endeavoured to deserve it". He also directed that copies of Matthew Henry's Expositions of the Old and New Testaments, Richard Baxter's Call to the unconverted, and Richard Alleine's Vindiciae pietatis be given to his grandchildren, and as part of his local charitable donations he sought to create a fund for "ten pounds a year to buy Bibles for the poor for ever".

Characteristic Markings

None of Ashurst's books have been identified.

Sources

History of Parliament.
Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.
Krey, Gary S. De. "Ashurst, Sir Henry, first baronet (1645–1711), politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 __NOTITLE__
-===[[personal Title::Sir]] [[name::Henry]] [[name::ASHURST]]  [[date of Birth::1645]]-[[date of Death::1711]]===
+===[[personal title::Sir]] [[name::Henry]] [[name::ASHURST]]  [[date of birth::1645]]-[[date of death::1711]]===
+[[file:P1120416(2).JPG|thumb|Henry Ashurst's bookplate, British Museum Franks Collection *141]]
 ====Biographical Note====
-Born in [[place of Birth::London]], son of [[family::Henry Ashurst]], a [[location::London]] [[occupation::merchant]].  After an [[apprentice::apprenticeship]] he followed in his father's footsteps and developed a successful mercantile business, trading with the [[location::Levant]], [[location::West Indies]] and [[location::America]].  [[occupation::MP]] for [[location::Truro]] 1681 and 1689-95, for [[location::Wilton]], 1698-1702; [[occupation::alderman]] of [[location::London]], 1688-9; created a [[personal title::baronet]] 1688.  His family had a strong puritan tradition and Ashurst was closely connected with, and a patron of, prominent nonconformists.  He supported whig politics and was regularly involved in campaigns to extend toleration to dissenters.  In 1691 he purchased the manor of [[location::Waterstock]] in [[location::Oxfordshire]], where he built a fine house, and from the mid 1690s onwards he became increasingly involved in the governance of [[location::New England]], being appointed [[occupation::agent]] for [[location::Massachusetts]] (1689-1701), [[location::Connecticut]] (1699-1711) and [[location::New Hampshire]] (1701-2).
+Born in [[place of birth::London]], son of [[family::Henry Ashurst]], a [[location::London]] [[occupation::merchant]].  After an [[apprentice::apprenticeship]] he followed in his father's footsteps and developed a successful mercantile business, trading with the [[location::Levant]], [[location::West Indies]] and [[location::America]].  [[occupation::MP]] for [[location::Truro]] 1681 and 1689-95, for [[location::Wilton]], 1698-1702; [[occupation::alderman]] of [[location::London]], 1688-9; created a [[personal title::baronet]] 1688.  His family had a strong puritan tradition and Ashurst was closely connected with, and a patron of, prominent nonconformists.  He supported whig politics and was regularly involved in campaigns to extend toleration to dissenters.  In 1691 he purchased the manor of [[location::Waterstock]] in [[location::Oxfordshire]], where he built a fine house, and from the mid 1690s onwards he became increasingly involved in the governance of [[location::New England]], being appointed [[occupation::agent]] for [[location::Massachusetts]] (1689-1701), [[location::Connecticut]] (1699-1711) and [[location::New Hampshire]] (1701-2).
 ====Books====
-Ashurst used an engraved armorial bookplate (Franks 811), though the size and contents of his library are not known.  In his will, he [[bequest::left]] all his books and papers to his [[beneficiary::son]] [[family::Henry Ashurst|Henry]] (the 2nd [[personal Title::baronet]], and his main heir, ca.1670-1732), asking that the [[format::manuscript|manuscripts]] be kept private "and that he would regard the name and memory of his father who hath endeavoured to deserve it".  He also directed that copies of [[author::Matthew Henry]]'s [[book Title::''Expositions of the Old and New Testaments'']], [[author::Richard Baxter]]'s [[book Title::''Call to the unconverted'']], and [[author::Richard Alleine]]'s [[book Title::''Vindiciae pietatis'']] be [[bequest::given]] to his [[beneficiary::grandchildren]], and as part of his local charitable donations he sought to create a fund for "[[monetary Value::ten pounds]] a year to buy [[subject::scripture|Bibles]] for the poor for ever".
+Ashurst used an engraved armorial bookplate (Franks 811/*141), though the size and contents of his library are not known.  In his will, he [[bequest::left]] all his books and papers to his [[beneficiary::son]] [[family::Henry Ashurst|Henry]] (the 2nd [[personal title::baronet]], and his main heir, ca.1670-1732), asking that the [[format::manuscript|manuscripts]] be kept private "and that he would regard the name and memory of his father who hath endeavoured to deserve it".  He also directed that copies of [[author::Matthew Henry]]'s [[book title ::''Expositions of the Old and New Testaments'']], [[author::Richard Baxter]]'s [[book title ::''Call to the unconverted'']], and [[author::Richard Alleine]]'s [[book title ::''Vindiciae pietatis'']] be [[bequest::given]] to his [[beneficiary::grandchildren]], and as part of his local charitable donations he sought to create a fund for "[[monetary value::ten pounds]] a year to buy Bibles for the poor for ever".
 ====Characteristic Markings====
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 <div id="sourcelist">
 *[http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/ashurst-sir-henry-1645-1711 History of Parliament].
+*Gambier Howe, E. R. J. ''Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum''. London, 1903.
 *Krey, Gary S. De. [https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/74440 "Ashurst, Sir Henry, first baronet (1645–1711), politician."] ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''.
 </div>
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 [[Category:Businessmen]]
 [[Category:Members of Parliament]]
+[[Category:All Owners]]