The Ashley Family     The Cooper Family

Anthony Ashley-Cooper and Miss Massie

Penelope Cooper-Massie and Peter Massie

Thomas Massie and Mary Walker

Peter Massie and Ann

Sylvanus Massie and Hannah Ragland

Thomas Massie and Frances Hudson

Mary Massie and William R. Freeman
 
James Howell Freeman and Lucy Jane Hazelrigg

Scott Cyrus Freeman and Malinda Margaret Sears

Lucy Jane Freeman and James Martin Lawson

Donald VanHoosier Lawson and Iva Melvina Freeman

Stephen Martin Lawson

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The Ashleys came originally from Wiltshire, where they possessed the manor of Ashley, at a very early period. Benedict Ashley, or Ashley, living in the reigns of Henry II, and Edward I was the great-great grandfather of:

• Robert ASHLEY, who flourished under Henry IV. and his two immediate successors. He married Egidia, only daughter and heiress of Sir John Hamelyn, by Joan Plecy, by whom he acquired the manor of Winbourne St. Giles, in the county of Dorset, and had a son,
• Edmund ASHLEY, living temp. Edward IV. who married Margaret, daughter of Robert Turgis, and was father of,
• Hugh ASHLEY, of Winbourne St. Giles, who died 1493, leaving Elizabeth, daughter of Raynold Walwyn, of Sussex, a daughter and a son successor,
• Henry ASHLEY, esq. of Winbourne, who m. Radegan, daughter of Robert Gilbert, of Somersetshire and had Henry (Sir) his heir, Anthony of Damerham, who m. Dorothy, daughter of John Lyte, esq. of Lytes Carey, in Somersetshire and had Anthony of whom later, . . .
• Sir Henry ASHLEY, of Winbourne St. Giles, M.P. for Dorsetshire, born in 1519 and knighted at the coronation of Queen Mary, and appointed ranger of Hold Forest. He married Catherine, daughter of Sir John Basset, knt. and was succeeded by his son,
• Sir Henry ASHLEY, knt. of Winbourne St. Giles, b. 1548, gentlman pensioner to Queen Elizabeth; m. Anne, daughter of Lord Burgh, and had, with four daughters, three sons, who died without issue, and the family estates passed to his cousin,
• Sir Anthony ASHLEY, of Winbourn St. Giles, who sat in several parliaments, and was highly distinguished by the favor of Queen Elizabeth. He was secretary to the council of war, and received the honour of knighthood for his services at the capture of Calais; the account of which event he brought over to her majesty. He was subseqently secretary to the privy council in the reign of James I. and was created a Baronet in 1622. Sir Anthony married, first, Jane, relict of Thomas Cokaine, esq., of Okeover, in Staffordshire, by whom he had an only daughter and heiress, Anne, who marrying Sir John Cooper, bart., conveyed the Ashley estates to the Cooper family. His lordship had, previously to his elevation to the earldom, been created in 1661, Baron Ashley, in accordance with a stipulation in his father's marriage settlement, that if the family ever attained the peerage, their title would be that of Ashley. Anne Ashley and Sir John ASHLEY-COOPER, (by the above agreement) were the parents of the celebrated statesman, Sir Anthony ASHLEY-COOPER, Earl of Shaftsbury.

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• John COOPER, Esq. died in 1495.
• Richard COOPER, Esq. married Jane, daughter of Sir John Kingswell, of Sydmonton, county Hauts, and purchased the Manor of Paulett, 1531. He d. 1566.
• Sir John COOPER, son and heir, born 1552, m. Margaret, or Martha, daughter of Anthony Skutt, of Stanton Drew, co. Somerset, Esq. He was M.P. for Whitechurch, co. Hauts, 1586, and d. 1610.
• Sir John COOPER, first Baronet, of Rockbourne, co. Hauts, son and heir, married twice; Anne, daughter and heir of Sir Anthony ASHLEY, of Winbourne St. Giles, co. Dorset, secretary at war to Queen Elizabeth, was the mother of his heir, Sir Anthony ASHLEY-COOPER. He was created a Baronet 1622 and he died March 23, 1631.

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Anthony ASHLEY-COOPER, First Earl of Shaftesbury, son and heir of Sir John COOPER and Anne ASHLEY, born Jul. 22, 1621, at Winbourne St. Giles, Dorsetshire, inherited a very large estate from his maternal grandfather, yet had the education of a constitutional lawyer at Gray's Inn, from whence he was called from speculation to action, in the parliament of 1640, for Tewkesbury, at the early age of nineteen years. On the restoration he was named a commissioner for the trial of the regicides, and was created Baron Ashley, of Winbourned St. Giles, 1661. In 1670 he became a member of the administration called "The Cabal", in which he was a lored of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer; and on the resignation of the Lord Keeper Bridgeman, Nov. 1672, he was constituted lord high chancellor of England, having been created, April preceding, Baron Cooper, or Pawlett, and Earl of Shaftsbury. He married first, Margaret, dau. of Thomas Lord Coventry; secondly, Frances, dau. of David Cecil, third Earl of Exeton; thirdly, August 20, 1655, at St. Paul's covent Garden, Margaret, dau. William (Spencer) 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton by Penelope, 1st. dau. Henry (Wristhesley 3rd. Earl of Southampton, who delivered him two daughters. His son and heir was by the second lady. The date of death of Margaret is not known. She was living when he was cr. 20 April 1661, Baron Ashley of Wilbourne St. Giles. in 1662 Lord Ashley and others, being apprised of the excellent soil of this country, united and formed a project for planting a colony on it. Charles II granted them all the lands from Lucke Island (southern Virginia) to the river Saint Matthias (Florida) and extending so west to the Pacific Ocean, which embraced almost the entire "Southern States" of today. Of this immense region the king constituted them absolute lords and proprietors. Anthony died Jan. 21, 1683, at Amsterdam, Holland.

Miss Massie - Evidence suggests that Anthony ASHLEY-COOPER was the father of illegitimate twin daughters by a daughter of Andrew MASSIE of Edinburgh, Scotland. The mother removed to London with her brother William, who entered the service of Anthony ASHLEY-COOPER around 1646.

1. Lucretia -
2. Penelope - b. England; d. VA. Married Peter MASSIE.

Another position is taken by the genealogist of the Johnston family. It is agreed that Anthony ASHLEY-COOPER was the father of illegitimate daughters by a daughter of Andrew MASSIE of Edinburgh, Scotland. But the intent of the visit to London by the mother-to-be and her brother William was to seek passage to Virginia, where William desired to be a surveyor. This version indicates that the twins were born after William and his sister arrived in Virginia. The twins were Sarah, who married William JOHNSTON, and Lucretia, who married William's brother, John JOHNSTON. This position would, of course, remove the ancestral line of ASHLEY-COOPER. No attempt will be made to validate either position. The first stated option, and the MASSIE line narration, seems to better conform with known dates and names.

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