ASHBEE in IRELAND

[Guest]

ASHBEE [ASHBY] in IRELAND & INDIA

I am researching any ASHBEE lineage in Ireland and India [any century] and have had little success. Earliest known ancestor is Bernard ASHBEE b. circa 1819-1822. His father is John ASHBEE who may have fought at Waterloo. Bernard was a quartermaster in the British Army Royal Artillery in India. His known family is:
Caroline Mary Powers, wife, b. 1825, India, married 1846 Bangalore India; their children are:
Caroline 1847-?;
Henry Thomas 1851-1927;
Sarah Ann 1855-1859;
Mary Theresa 1857-?;
Paulina 1859-1860;
Patrick Norman Joseph 1863-?

These children were all born in India and there may have been several others born there as well. Bernard was stationed in India from the early 1840s to about 1862-63 when he was stationed in Dublin, Ireland until 1879; he retired in 1880 and resided in Hammersmith, London until his death in 1882.

I am interested in finding any other Ashbees with a connection to Ireland or India. Can anyone offer suggestions?

[Janet]

Have you tried TNA (National Archives) at Kew to search for his army records though you will need to know regiment to research these early soldiers? IGI for Indian births is very good and the Overseas Index on FMP (Find My Past)will find all Army Baptisms in the Regimental Registers. you can pay per view cost so many credits so you do not need to have a sub for FMP.

You could also look at Griffiths Valuation Index for Ireland to see where the name Ashbee is in Ireland. The following site will give you some help as to what Griffiths Valuation is all about.

http://www.from-ireland.net/gene/griffithsval.htm

If you find some areas of interest then you can do further research into the full Griffiths Valuation on Irish Origins which is also a pay per view site though not over expensive.

http://www.irishorigins.com/

There is a free version of Griffiths at:

http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_start.php

I do not know if this is as complete for all Ireland.

What makes you so sure that Ashbee are from Ireland?

Janet

[KiteRunner]

FIBIS has a Madras marriage listed in 1863 between Maurice Hackett and Caroline Ashbee, but you probably already have that?
FIBIS | Families In British India Society | Family History in British India

Bernard Ashbee's birthplace is given as Dublin, Ireland on the 1881 census of England so it does look as though he came from Ireland.

[KiteRunner]

The Irish FHF site lists a church baptism for a Thomas Ashby with father John in county Dublin in 1820 who may or may not be related to your Bernard. You could view the full record on there for 5 euros to see what info is given.
Birth Death Marriage Genealogy Records Ireland - Irish Family History Foundation

[gsvancouver]

Thank you for this website. I had checked it out before but did not see the baptism for Thomas Ashby in Dublin. This is very promising! Given his father was named John and his birth year is 1820, it is quite likely he is Bernard Ashbee's older brother. The 'Ashby' spelling variant has been used in my family over several generations in the 19th C.

[gsvancouver]

Yes, I have this record thank you. Caroline is Bernard Ashbee's daughter. FIBIS is a wonderful website for those searching British Indian roots.

[gsvancouver]

Thanks Janet. I believe that Ashbee is ultimately a name from Kent, England. But so far I have been unable to make any connection with Kent Ashbee families, or any Ashbees elsewhere in England for that matter. The records of Irish born Ashbees are descendants of Bernard Ashbee b. circa 1822 in Dublin [from 1881 census & his army records].

My next step will be to search Army records at Kew for John Ashbee's army records. I believe he could be Bernard Ashbee's father. He was Sgt. John Ashbee of the 23rd Fusiliers or 23rd Light Dragoons Regiment [Troop No 5] & fought under Captain C. W. Dance III at Waterloo.

[Janet]

I keyed in the name Ashby into Griffiths and interestingly enough only a few names came up for the whole of Ireland, all in Tipperary. However, I used the free site so that site may not be complete. Worth trying the pay per view site to see if more come up. I have rather an English sounding "Irish" name in Martley/Markley which is quite rare in Ireland. I can track my family back to 1798 in Tipperary and possible sightings back to 1750, but no further, although there is a Dublin family back to the sixteen hundreds which I cannot tap into, yet feel there is most probably a connection somewhere. My Irish cousins do not like the idea but I have wondered about the name going over with Cromwellian soldiers, There is a book in TNA which is worth looking at if you go to Kew, a book devoted to all Cromwellian soldiers, indexed by name just to see if the name went over to Ireland at that time. I did look at it but could not find Martley/Markley.

Janet

[gsvancouver]

Are you thinking of 'The Cromwellian Settlements' by John P.
Prendergast which was first published during 1865?
Is this the book lisiting Cromwell's soldiers?

[Janet]

I searched a few years ago and rather lost interest when I could not find anybody, so I did not make a note of the name of the book but the name you have may well be it. I wonder if an e mail to TNA may help you with that? When I was looking I had to ask for the book at the counter at Kew as it was not on the open shelves.

Janet