Nathaniel Ashby (1835-1882)

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Nathaniel Ashby
Born:	25 May 1835 Salem, Massachusetts
Died:	19 Mar 1882 at sea from San Francisco
Father:	Nathaniel Ashby
Mother:	Susan Hammond
Siblings:	Robert Reed Ashby Benjamin Ashby Susan Ann Ashby Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby Martha Ellen Ashby Harriet Maria Ashby Nathaniel Ashby Richard H. Ashby William Hardin Ashby Mary Jane Ashby Emma Smith Ashby John Jefford Ashby
Spouse:	(1) Mary Virginia Garr
Married:	11 Feb 1858 Salt Lake City, Utah
Children:	Mary Virginia Ashby Nathaniel Ashby Benjamin Franklin Ashby George William Ashby Louise Adaline Ashby Briant Hammond Ashby Charlotta Maria Ashby Robert Turner Ashby Zina Ashby Paulina Ashby
Spouse:	(2) Martha Ann Truman
Married:	11 Aug 1870 Salt Lake City, Utah
Children:	Richard Truman Ashby Jacob Henry Ashby Elizabeth Ann Ashby Alice May Ashby Emma Luella Ashby Rodney Carlos Ashby

Nathaniel Ashby was born Monday, May 25, 1835, in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, the son of Nathaniel and Susan Hammond Ashby. The Ashby's of Salem, Massachusetts were all descended from ship builders and sailors. Nat's parents, Nathaniel Ashby Sr. and Susan Hammond learned of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ by the preaching of Erastus Snow in 1841. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some of the treasure in Salem the Lord told Joseph Smith about in D&C 111. Nathaniel Sr. was a successful shoemaker. Elder Snow sold him a plot in Nauvoo, Illinois adjoining his own, where he was having a brick house built. Nathaniel sent word to have a similar house built adjoining the Snow house. The Snow-Ashby Duplex is still standing in Nauvoo today, in use as missionary housing.

The Ashbys moved to Nauvoo in the fall of 1843, arriving Friday, November 3. Their new house was unfinished, so they lived in a frame house that winter. They lived in Nauvoo almost three years. There they received patriarchal blessings from Hyrum Smith in 1843. Their house stood 2 blocks north and one east of the Mansion House where the Prophet Joseph lived. Nathaniel Sr. was called to take the news of Joseph's Presidential Candidacy back to the people of Massachusetts in 1844. Mother Susan took her children to see the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum when they lay in the Mansion House. The dismal howling of dogs, the uncertainty and fear made the night of the Prophet's martyrdom memorable.

The Ashby family was driven from Nauvoo with the Saints in 1846. Father Ashby was unaccustomed to the hardships of life on the trail and soon succumbed to sickness on the plains near Bonapart, Iowa in September 1846. The family eventually arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, some in 1847 and others in 1848. Susan Hammond Ashby, married Joseph Bates Noble in Winter Quarters February 11, 1847. Brother Noble lived just up the block from the Snow-Ashby Duplex in Nauvoo. Nat was just a boy of about 13 when he arrived in the Salt Lake Valley and was almost 16 when his mother died in Salt Lake, 15 May 1851.

The orphaned Ashby children were left in the care of Briant Stringham. Briant had married Nathaniel's older sister, Susan Ann Ashby Young, in 1850. Briant worked with the Church cattle on Antelope Island in the Salt Lake. Under Briant's supervision Nathaniel became an expert horseman and cowboy.

Nathaniel participated in the efforts to keep Johnston's army out of the Valley in the Echo Valley campaign of 1857. He was a member of Colonel Robert T. Burton's command. The next year, on Thursday, February 11, 1858, he married his first wife, Mary Virginia Garr in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Mary Virginia's father was Fielding Garr, who had been in charge of the tithing cattle. So Nathaniel married his boss's daughter.

Together they had ten children:Mary Virginia Ashby, Nathaniel Ashby, Benjamin Franklin Ashby, George William Ashby, Louise Adeline Ashby, Briant Hammond Ashby, Charlotta Maria Ashby, Robert Turner Ashby, Zina Ashby, Paulina Ashby.

In 1861 Nathaniel and Mary were called on a colonization mission to Southern Utah and they were some of the founding settlers of St. George. In 1869, Nathaniel was called as the 2nd Bishop of the St. George 4th ward, succeeding Bishop Robert Gardner.

On Thursday, August 11, 1870, Nathaniel was married to Martha Ann Truman in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Martha was the daughter of Jacob Mica Truman, Presiding Elder in the Mountain Meadows area.

Together Nathaniel and Martha had six children:Richard Truman Ashby, Jacob Henry Ashby,Elizabeth Ann Ashby, Alice May Ashby, Emma Luella Ashby, Rodney Carlos Ashby.

Nathaniel was released as Bishop of the St. George 4th Ward in 1877, having served about eight years. He was succeeded by David H. Cannon.

The Ashby families faced the normal trials of life, but 1881 brought them extra challenges. Four of Nathaniel's children died during the spring and summer. As a further complication, however, Nathaniel's health began to fail. He was suffering from tuberculosis.

His illness was of such concern that the Brethren agreed to send him on a mission to the Sandwich Islands, in part to help him recover his health. On Thursday, December 1, 1881, Nathaniel received his patriarchal blessing in St. George from William G. Perkins. On Tuesday, December 13, Nathaniel was set apart as a missionary by John Taylor, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith. Shortly therefter, Nathaniel left for his mission. He decided to have his second wife, Martha, accompany him. This probably because Mary had given birth and lost a child just a few months previously. Nathaniel's first family was represented by Benjamin Franklin Ashby, his seventeen year-old son.

Nathaniel's health didn't improve with the change of climate. The Ashby's decided to return home early in 1882. On the trip home Nathaniel's health took a turn for the worse. In probate court, later, Martha testified that she "was with him at the time of his death, that he died on the Nineteenth day of March A.D. 1882 near San Francisco while sailing from Honolula, Sandwich Islands to San Francisco on his way to his home in the City of St. George, County of Washington, Territory of Utah".

Nathaniel's body was returned to St. George for burial. From his patriarchal blessing comes this tribute: Your peace shall be a river and your righteousness as the wave of the sea, you never will be cast to and fro as a drunken man. You will glorify and sanctify your Heavenly Father in all things. You will have wives and a large posterity, and they will be one with you in all things. You will raise up your family and they will call you blessed for ever more.

[edit] Sources

• Black, Susan W. E. Early LDS Membership Data (Infobases, 1995).

• Jensen, Andrew. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia: Volume 3, p. 590; Volume 4, p. 591.

• Jensen, Andrew. Church Chronology, 7 Nov 1869 (Sunday).

• Jensen, Andrew, Encyclopedic History of the Church, p. 728.

• Leany, Mrs. Mary M. W., compiler. St. George, Washington County Cemetery Records, 1861-1935, p. 4.

• Perkins, William G. Patriarch Blessing of Nathaniel Ashby. 1 Dec 1881, St. George, Utah, Volume 30, p. 595.

• Robison, Lindon Joel, ed. Autobiographical Notes & Diary of Alice May Ashby Robison. Typewritten Manuscript.

• Robison, Wayne Ashby. Interviews. 16 Apr 1995, 13 Jan 2002.

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ancestral File, data as of 5 January 1998, Salt Lake City, UT: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

• Washington County, Utah, Probate Record, Estate of Nathaniel Ashby, Volume F, pp. 72, 74, 75, 77, 79, 107-111, 120, 126, 131, 132, 489, Volume G, p. 242, FHL Film #484836.

• 1880 Federal Census, St. George, Washington, Utah

Ashby, Nathaniel, head, married, male, white, 45, MA, Stock Raiser, MA, MA

, Mary V., wife, married, female, white, 39, IN, Keeping House, VA

, Martha A., wife, married, female, white, 35, UT, Keeping House, NY, MI

, Mary V., daughter, married, female, white, 21, UT, At Home, MA, IN

, Ben F., son, male, white, 16, UT, Apprentice Carpenter, MA, IN

, George W., son, male, white, 14, UT, At Home, MA, IN

, Laura A., daughter, single, female, white, 11, UT, Attending School, MA, IN

, B. H., son, single, male, white, 9, UT, Attending School, MA, IN

, Richard T., son, single, male, white, 8, UT, Attending School, MA, UT

, S. M., daughter, single, female, white, 6, UT, Attending School, MA, IN

, Henry, son, single, male, white, 6, UT, Attending School, MA, IN

, Elizabeth, daughter, single, female, white, 4, UT, MA, UT

, Robert T., son, single, male, white, 4, UT, MA, UT

, Alice M., daughter, single, female, white, 3, UT, MA, UT

, Emma L., daughter, single, female, white, 1, UT, MA, UT

, Zina, daughter, single, female, 1, UT, MA, IN