Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 02.djvu/179

Ashdowne 1874. It is a translation from Father Estienne Binet. 2. 'Remarks on Stillingfleet.' Southwell gives the title in Latin as follows: 'Observationes generales in Librum Doctoris Stillingfleti, cum vindicatione S. Ignatii et Sociorum eius à fœdis maculis quibus eos ille aspergit,' London, 1672, 4to.

 ASHDOWNE, WILLIAM (1723–1810), unitarian preacher, was born at Tunbridge Wells in 1723, where his father, a tradesman, was pastor of the General Baptist (otherwise Unitarian) Society, meeting at Mount Ephraim (, Various Congregations, ii., art. ‘Dover’ in MS.). Becoming a probationer for the ministry, William Ashdowne removed to Dover in 1757, married the daughter of the Rev. Robert Pyall, pastor of the General Baptist Church (Monthly Repository, v. 258); and on Pyall's death in 1759 he took his pulpit, occupying it without pay for twenty-two years. In 1781 he was elected pastor, with the Rev. Stephen Philpott as his associate; and though he preached but seldom in his later years, he filled this position till his death, 2 April 1810, aged 87. His publications are: 1. ‘On the True Character of John the Baptist,’ published anonymously, the signature being ‘By an Impartial Hand,’ 1757. 2. ‘The Distinction between the Ordinary and Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit,’ also anonymous, and with the same signature, 1767. 3. ‘A Dissertation on St. John iii. 5,’ 1768. 4. ‘A Scripture Key to the Evangelists,’ 1777. 5. ‘On Baptism,’ 1784. 6. ‘The Unitarian, Arian, and Trinitarian Opinions Examined,’ 1789. 7. ‘Satan,’ 1794. 8. ‘Two Letters to the Bishop of Llandaff,’ 1798. The last six works bear Ashdowne's name, and at the end of the ‘Unitarian’ is a list of his publications, which were printed chiefly at Canterbury.

 ASHE, JOHN (1671–1735), dissenting minister, was son of a grocer at Tideswell, Derbyshire. After being taught at Chesterfield by Mr. Foxlow, at Wirksworth by Mr. Ogden, he was sent in 1688 to Mr. Frankland's dissenting academy at Rathmilo. He was chaplain for a time to Lady Sarah Houghton of Houghton Tower, Lancashire, but returned to the Peak and was a minister at Ashford. He published an account of the life of his uncle, the Rev. William Bagshaw, ‘the Apostle of the Peak’ (1704); a few sermons; and prepared for the press eleven volumes of sermons, of which only one appeared. A life of Ashe was published by John Clegg, presbyterian minister of Chapel-en-le-Frith, in 1736.

 ASHE, JONATHAN (fl. 1813), a masonic writer, was born at Limerick in 1766, entered Trinity College, Dublin, 26 March 1783, took B.A. degree in ordinary course, and became D.D. in 1808. Very little is known of him except that he commenced and perfected his masonic studies in Dublin. While in Bristol in 1813 he published a work entitled 'The Masonic Manual, or Lectures on Freemasonry, containing the Instructions, Documents, and Discipline of the Masonic Economy,' and asserts in the introduction that he 'plainly and completely tells the craft its eternal and temporal obligations, and affords the uninitiated a fair review and estimate of masonry.' This work was dedicated to the Duke of Sussex, then grand master of the order. In many portions it is a mere copy of William Hutchinson's 'Spirit of Masonry,' published in 1775.

Ashe's work was edited, with annotations and remarks by the Rev. George Oliver, D.D., in 1843, and again in 1870 by the Rev. John Edward Cox, D.D.

 ASHE, ROBERT HOADLEY (1751–1826), divine, born about 1751, was son of a prebendary of Winchester, educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, compounded for M.A. 1793, and B.D. and D.D. 1794, and from 1775 to 1826 he held the living of Crewkerne, Somersetshire. He took the name of Hoadley upon inheriting a property from his aunt, who had married a son of Bishop Hoadley. He edited in 1787 a volume of poetical translations by 'Master John Browne of Crewkerne, a boy of twelve years old,' and in 1799 published a letter to Dr. Milner, author of the history of Winchester, vindicating Bishop Hoadley from Milner's 'false and illiberal aspersions.' He died on 3 May 1826. Several letters of his are printed in Nichols's 'Illustrations.' 