Catern ‘Katherine’ Ashman

“Her maiden name has not been found, but it is suggestive of Dutch origin.”

Perhaps they were Francis Jeacockes, Sr. & Grace Jeacockes. Alternatively, her parents were Susan Armitage & Thomas Armitage

Biography

Robert Ashman was an early settler of Hempstead, southwestern Nassau County, on Dutch-ruled western Long Island, as the town was founded by English colonists after purchase from natives in 1643, and then under a patent from New Netherland.

http://longislandgenealogy.com/Surname_Pages/ashman.htm

Robert Ashman is first found in Hempstead, Long Island, when he is listed in 1647, as sharing in the first division of land there, and it is not unfair to assume that his name was one of the three, missing from the original list of the founders, which had been eaten off by mice before 1848. On November 10, 1654, he was nominated with others to serve as Magistrates, and the Director-General and Council in New Amsterdam chose John Symons and Robert Ashman. On December 15, 1661, Robert Ashman was again appointed Magistrate, and on February 25, 1661, he complained to Peter Stuyvesant that he was not fit to fill the place because he could not read nor write, but on February 4, 1662 and January 18, 1663, he was renominated and the New Amsterdam powers endorsed him, showing that he must have been an unusually able man. He does not appear in Hempstead after that date, but in the 1680's is a land owner in Jamaica, where he died March 15,1683, and where his widow Catern, Katrina or Katherine sold certain of his lands. Her maiden name has not been found, but it is suggestive of Dutch origin. The date of her death is not known, but she was living in 1689.

His wife was Katherine. Their children (order unknown) were:

1. John
2. Lydia Swanson
3. Deborah, wife of Nathaniel Denton, Jr.
4. Mary, wife of Hope Carpenter
5. Martha Cokse
6. Phebe, wife of Wait Smith
7. Hannah, wife of Thomas Flewelling

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Robert Ashman is called the brother-in-law of Thomas Jeycocks in a 4 Dec 1663 land sale by Jeycocks to Caleb Carman.[7] Is that Thomas Jacocks (abt.1619-bef.1677)? That profile quotes someone saying that Thomas married Richard Ashman's daughter Ruth.

So by which relationship were they brothers-in-law? Once, twice?

probably Quaker families[1]

Re her husband's estate / will: At 10 April 1689 Wait Smith, and Nathaniel Denton as son-in-law was one of the administrators of the along with the widow Katrina of the unrecorded will of Robert Ashman of Jamaica, NY. At 3 June 1683 the will was presented in court. Inventory showed personal estate of 50 pounds. Abstracts of Early Wills of Queens County, New York, Recorded in Libers A and C of Deeds. [2]

“Thomas Armitage came in the ‘James’ from Bristol in 1635, with Mr. Richard Mather. He was at Lynn, a freeman at Plymouth, 6 Mch., 1636-7, then at Sandwich as deputy, 1639. He had a grant of land at Stamford, Conn., 1641, and later settled at Oyster Bay, Long Island. . .Manasseh Armitage was a graduate of Harvard College in 1660, of whom Mr. Savage says, ‘who gladly would I find some, the minutest story of, as date of birth or who was his father or anything else’, etc. Sigley’s Harvard Graduates states that Manasseh was son of Thomas above mentioned (Register xli., 83). As recent works have not acknowledged these facts, I present the following document to confirm them; ‘Whereas I, Thomas Armitage, now of Oyster Bay, of perfect health and memory, and so have been of a long time nor have been deprived of sense or reason whereby I should have made over my estate by deed or will to my son Manasses, now in Cambridge College, only to be allowed by him a maintenance for life. If any such shall appear, they are forged and false. He had fraudulently taken from me several bills, bonds and writings, to convert them to his own use. I desire all persons not to pay him any debt due me, lest they pay in their own damage.’ Then follows testimony, 3 June, 1656 -- ‘Robert Ashman said nine years back he was bound for James Pine to Thomas Armitage his father-in-law, for L30 which he intended to give his son Manasses, so that his wife should not have his estate and deprive his son. --- Armitage said, I have now married a young wife and may have other children, and therefore may have need of that myself, to be at my own disposing, that Manasses has taken away. William said nine years ago, Armitage proffered me cattle to keep for the use of Manasses and that at the end of eleven years I should return the cattle and profit. . .Elizabeth, wife of Jeremy Wood said that about seven years past, Martha, the late wife of Thomas, being at my house, said she told me that Mr. Wood and Mr. Moore, were at her house and were about making a deed of gift form her husband to her son-in-law.’ (Hempstead Records, A, 155-162.).” (New York Settlers from New England, p 299, The New England History and Genealogy Register, Editor John Ward Dean, JSTOR: The Scholarly Journal Archive, Internet)

“List of Proprietors of Hempstead in 1647:. . . 2. Armitage, Thomas, in 1635, as reported from Bristol, Eng. One T.A., at 24, sailed from Gravesend, Newark London, for Barbadoes; 1635-6, at Lynn, Mass.; 1637, at Sandwich; 1651, at Stamford, Conn., afterwards at Oyster Bay, L. I. He mar. twice; Manassah, a son by 1st wife, studied at Cambridge and grad. at Harvard in 1660; d. by 1678.” (Long Island Source Records, The Early History of Hempstead, L.I., p 578, On-Line Genealogy Library database)

1 Jan 1683 witnessed land deed to Thomas Oakley by Nathaniel and Richard Denton, “town of Jamaica” -- “Catern x Ashman” (Historical Miscellany, Vol 2, p 766, Ancestry.com database)

“Johnson, John; 1686 May 6; from Kathrin Ashman” (Historical Miscellany, Queens County land records, Vol I, p 339, Ancestry.com database)

“I Katherin Ashman of Jamaica -- sell -- unto John Johnson of Flatbush -- tract of land -- in ye west bounds of Jamaica containing ten acres. . .this fifth day of May, 1687. . .Katherin x Ashman her marke -- witnessed by Waitt Smith and Daniel Denton” (Historical Miscellany, Vol 2, p 804, Ancestry.com database)

“Ashman, Robert, of Jamaica. A nuncupative will produced in court 13 June 1683, was pro. by the oaths of Ruth (?) Smith, Jonathan Furman, John Carman, & the widow. On 10 April, 1689, Katrina Ashman, the widow, Nathaniel Denton, Jr., her son-in-law, & Wait Smith, were apt. admrs. Inventory shows personal estate L50. Will not recorded.” (Long Island Source Records, Abstracts of Early Wills of Queens County, NY, p 130, On-Line Genealogy Library database)

• Reference: RootsWeb's WorldConnect - SmartCopy: Oct 21 2016, 19:35:39 UTC

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Origins

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127249510/katherine-ashman

Katherine/Katrina/Catern was the wife of Robert Ashman, an early settler and prominent citizen/magistrate in Hempstead and Jamaica, Long Island, New York (see his memorial for more info.). Her name appears in various forms and as widow Ashman in early Long Island records. Her maiden name is not mentioned, though Robert's records provide some clues. Two maiden names discussed below are Jacocks/Jeycocks/Jeacox and Armitage. (submitted by FAG member 4923294).

Katherine is often said to be the daughter of Francis Jeacocks/Jeccox of Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, England. In fact, a Katheren Jeccox, daughter of Francis, was baptized at nearby Bishopton on 26 May 1613 (source: England, Select Births & Christenings, 1538-1975, on Ancestry.com). The family, or part of it, appears to have immigrated to America in the 1630s or 1640s. Francis' name can be found in the records of Stratford, Connecticut, and Hempstead, Long Island, two towns also associated with Robert Ashman (see Robert's memorial).

Two supporting points for Jacocks as Katherine's maiden name:

• 1) In a Dec. 4, 1663 testimony, Robert Ashman referred to Thomas Jeycocks as his brother-in-law. Note: a Thomas Jeckockes, son of Francis, was baptized on 20 Mar 1620 in Stratford on Avon, England (Ancestry.com). Source for Robert's testimony: Hicks, Benjamin D., Records of the Town of North and South Hempstead, New York, Vol. I, 1896, p. 149.
• 2) In 1667, Robert Ashman and 9 of his associates acquired land in New Sweden (in present day Philadelphia). This group included John Ashman [his son], Thomas Flewellyn [his son-in-law], Thomas Jeacox [probably Sr.] and Thomas Jeacox and Joshua Jeacox [probably sons of Thomas Sr.]. The fact that Robert included three Jeacox men in his select group makes a stronger case that Thomas Jeacox Sr. was Katherine Ashman's brother. (Note: Robert's group did not include anyone with the surname Armitage.) Source for land records: William Henry Egle, ed., Early Pennsylvania Land Record, Minute Book G, p. 349, Ancestry.com. (submitted by FAG member 4923294).

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Sister or sister in law to Thomas Jeacox?

Source: Craig, Peter Stebbins (1999). “1671 Census of the Delaware”. Page 16. < GoogleBooks >

“There are some Ancestral Files that give Catherine Jeacockes as Robert Ashmun’s wife, and some genealogies, but Torrey says she was Catherine Armitage. I haven’t seen any evidence that she was either one -- though I have seen what both these ‘guesses’ are based on. Probate records named her as Katrina, and she apparently lived until about 1707, since that is when the estate was finally distributed.” (Joanna Ashum, Ashman Genforum database, #13, 23 Jan 2000)

Notes

“There are some Ancestral Files that give Catherine Jeacockes as Robert Ashmun’s wife, and some genealogies, but Torrey says she was Catherine Armitage. I haven’t seen any evidence that she was either one -- though I have seen what both these ‘guesses’ are based on. Probate records named her as Katrina, and she apparently lived until about 1707, since that is when the estate was finally distributed.” (Joanna Ashum, Ashman Genforum database, #13, 23 Jan 2000)

Notes

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/jaycox/41/

I am going from memory, and I cannot claim to have expertise on this family, but I am relatively sure of the following: Jaycox, Jeacocks, Giccox, etc. (with the second a common variation in North America) families of Dutchess Co. and other southern counties of New York, and of Long Island are descendants of a family unit consisting of (I believe) Thomas, William and Francis Jeacocks and their sister Catherine (called Catern) Jeacocks. They were children of Francis and Grace Jeacockes of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England (and locality.) If I remember rightly, Catern was baptized in nearby Bishopton in 1613. I don't believe that Francis Sr. and Grace came to America. Catern married Robert Ashman, who was first in Connecticut, possibly Massachusetts in the 1630's-1640', was one of the first settlers of Hempstead, Long Island, NY about 1655, and died in Jamaica, Long Island, NY 1683.

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http://books.google.com/books?id=rBWeSQ02u4YC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=%...

Has her as the sister of Thomas Jeacox

http://www.quakersurnames.net/ashman.html

Lists her as Katherine Armitage, b. Abt 1626, Thornton, Bradford, Yorkshire, England; d. Hempstead, Nassau Co., Long Island, New York.

http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/kirkwall/310/fam03875.htm

Has her parents as Thomas Armitage and Susan Mitchell.

http://childsfamily.com/reunion/PS36/PS36_493.HTM

Has her parents as Francis and Grace Jeacockes, but also mentions the name Armitage.

http://books.google.com/books?id=w78UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA299&lpg=PA299&dq...

This mentions a Robert Ashman and his father-in-law Thomas Armitage.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/jaycox/messages/50.html

Adds to the confusion. States that Robert Ashman and Thomas Jaycocks were indicated somewhere as brothers-in-law. Perhaps the married Armitage sisters.

References

• Ashman Patent, 1671 Census of the Delaware. “Passyunk.” < Google Books >
• Burial record: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127249510/katherine-ashman
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3081791&...
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jeacockes-2
• Abstracts of Early Wills of Queens County, New York, Recorded in Libers A and C of Deeds… Page 127. < AncestrySharing >
• Hicks, Benjamin. Records of the Towns of North and South Hempstead, Long Island, New York (Long Island Farmer Print., Jamaica, NY, 1896-1904). Volume 1 < Archive.Org >
• "Descendants of Robert Ashman." LongIslandGenealogy.com. Accessed 14 Aug 2019. http://longislandgenealogy.com/Surname_Pages/ashman.htm
• Moore, Charles B. Early History of Hempstead, Long Island. New York: Trow's Printing and Bookbinding Company, 1879. 7.< Archive.org >