| 1. | Lt. John Melville "Melville" Ashby was born on 2 Jun 1887 in Bathurst Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada (son of Martha Ashby); died on 21 May 1969 in Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston Twp, Ontario, Canada. Other Events and Attributes:
- FamilySearch ID: 29H1-XBH
- FindaGrave Memorial ID: 214322561
- Name: Melvin
- _UID: E41E3ABEFD3643BD89E4146B1249151EA7C3
- Census-Household Member: 1891, Bathurst Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; Canada
- Census: 1901, Bathurst Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; Canada
- Census-Household Member: 1901, Bathurst Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; Canada
- Occupation: Jul 1910, Westport, Rideau Lakes Twp, Leeds County, Ontario, Canada; leaves H.R. Derbyshire in Westport for Kingston position
- Residence: Jan 1916, Kingston, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada; 76 Brock St.
- Census: 1921, Oshawa, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Canada
- Occupation: 1921, Oshawa, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Tailor
- Residence: 1921, Oshawa, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada; 31 King St.
- Honors: Nov 1921, Kingston, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada; "Queen St. Church Unveils Tablet"; Beautiful Bronze War Memorial will be Dedicated on Sunday
- Occupation: 1945, Timmins, Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada; Policeman
Notes:
(Research):Although it was understood for years that Melville died of diptheria, it appears that he went to live with and was raised by his grandparents. The year of his death was believed to have been 1893 and may have been the year he moved to his grandparent's home. His siblings do not appear to have known of this relationship although they would have gone to school with him. My grandmother would have been too young to know what was happening. John and Mary Jane lost another child to diptheria and one to drowning around this time and it would have been a very difficult time for the family.
Birth:
On ?b?John Melville Ashby?/b?'s marriage certificate his father is identified as William Ashby - the logical person would be William Samuel Ashby (1862-1913), brother of Martha based on an exhaustive search of Ashby records.
It is possible that Martha is an adoptive mother, not biological. No records have been found for his birth and this may not have been his birth name.
It is possible that Martha had an out of wedlock birth or she is an adoptive mother, not biological. No records have been found for his birth suggesting that this may not be his birth name. He may have been born to another woman in the community and his father is William Samuel Ashby. This is the only "William" in the family tree that would be of a probable age to father John Melville.
John Melville Ashby is often confused with John Middleton Ashby (1888-1893), son of John Ashby and Mary Ann Clark. John Middleton Ashby died at the age of five years during a diptheria epidemic, one of the three children to die at that time.
I believe that the date 2 Jun 1887 is the correct birth date. The date of 21 Apr 1888 was used on his WW1 CEF Personnel files. The lack of a birth certificate may have led to the use of John Middleton's birth record for his documentation.
FamilySearch ID:
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/29H1-XBH
FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/214322561
Census-Household Member:
Role: Household Member
Census:
Melville Ashby, b 21 Apr 1888, is noted in the household of George 25 and Matilda 23 Cunningham and listed at the age of 12 as a farm labourer. Also listed in the household are Jane Cunningham, George's mother and Rose A. Freestone 16, (adopted) born England 1884, immigrateed 1893.
Others in the family were working out in the community at this age. It is noted that he had attended school for 2 months that year.
Census-Household Member:
Role: Household Member
Occupation:
?b?Friday 22 Jul 1910 Incidents of the Week, Newsy Paragraphs Picked up from Various Sources Told Briefly page 1 column 3 Perth Courier
?/b?J.M. Ashby, for the past few months tailor for Mr. H.R. Derbyshire, Westport, left on Monday for Kingston where he has accepted a fine position.
Residence:
158 Frontenac St. is given as the address of Victoria his wife in his attestation papers although he gives his address as Brock St.
Residence:
Name?tab?Melville Ashby
Gender?tab?Male
Marital Status?tab?Married
Age?tab?33
Birth Year?tab?1888
Birth Place?tab?Ontario
Relation to Head of House?tab?Head
Spouse's Name?tab?Victoria Ashby
Father Birth Place?tab?Ontario
Mother's Name?tab?Victoria Sleeman
Mother Birth Place?tab?Ontario
Racial or Tribal Origin?tab?English
Province or Territory?tab?Ontario
District?tab?Ontario South
District Number?tab?109
Sub-District?tab?Oshawa (Town)
Sub-District Number?tab?31
City, Town or Village?tab?Oshawa
Street or Township?tab?31 King E
Municipality?tab?Oshawa
Occupation?tab?Tailor
Income?tab?1300
Honors:
Brig.-Gen. Mitchell of Toronto University, and Lt. Col. Pense to Officiate.
On Suday Queen Street Methodist Church will unveil the fine tablet erected in the church to commemorate members of the congregation and some also of the old Brock Street congregation who served in the Great War.
The tablet is a large one of hevy bronze, the lettering being raised.
The Honor Roll is as follows:
Honor Roll
In Loving memory of those who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918. "Their names shall never perish"
Miller Briden, Stanley Byron, Wallace S. Earl, William R. Edgar, Sidney E. Ellis, Neal Ferguson, William Fleet, Harvey A. Godwin, William A. Kelso, Allan Ross Jenkins, Thomas McKenzie, Louis W. Roadhouse, Harold S. Wilson.
Formerly of Brock Street Church:
Robert S. Charles, Rufus I. Jackson, Fred F. Laturney, Wm. Henry Rollow.
In honor of thise who served overseas:
Arthur W. Asselstine, Carman Boaprey, Evans Boaprey, Arthur W. Byron, J.W. Byron, Wilfred Byron, Albert Campbell, Rev. G.I. Campbell, Robt. N. Campbell, Miss Willa Chapman, N.S., Ross E. Clarke, William A. Clark, Harold T. Clarke, Arthur M. Clarke, Russell C. Clarke, G.H. Cliff, Dr. A.B. Cooke, Harry M. Cooke, H. Melville Cooke, Stuart Crawford, Albert E. Doherty, Russell E. Edgar, James Ennis, Leonard C. Ennis, Jack H. Evans, William H. Evans, Harold Fleet, Ernest Geake, Allan Haffner, Robt. M. Hazelton, Alfred Hinks, William Kinch, Oscar King, Harry E. Law, Francis Lloyd, Mrs S. Lloyd, N.S., Dr Stanley Lloyd, R.Leslie Meek, Alfred Milne, Aberdeen McBroom, John W. McCalllum, Burton L. McWilliam, Elwood Nicholson, Richard Paynter, C.C. Phillips, Sterling Pollitt, Miss Florence Roadhouse, N.S., Morley R. Roadhouse, Crofton Robinson, Allan Shea, Alexander Silver, Edward W. Skinner, Harold M. Snider, Dr. Ernest R. Sparks, Leslie Sparks, George W. Stetherington, Herbert Vanwinkle, Eben, B. Warren, Fred W. Warren, sidney A. Warren, Thomas L. White.
Formerly of Brock Street Church:
Clifford H. Armstrong, ?b?J. Melville Ashby?/b?, William Aubin, Howard Burtch, Gabriel Childs, Ivan C. Clendinnen, George Crawford, Walter Easton, J. Nelson Gibson, Harold Godwin, Bruce Hall, Samuel Hall, Harold Kennedy, J. Stanley Lemmon, Joh McNab, Jack Muer, Thomas A. Miles, Edwin J. Neal, J.W. Nicholson, Howard Nobes, T.N. Perry, James Peters, Ross Quinn, Adrian I. Revelle, Ian E. Revelle, Wm. E. Revelle, John W. Stagg, Melville Suddard, Martin H. Timms, Geo., N. Williamson.
The address before the unveiling is to be given by Brig. General C.H. Mitchell, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., C.E., LL.D., Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering of Toronto University; Lieut. Col. Harry E. Pense will unviel the tablet. Prominent citizens of Kingston, both military and civil, have been invited to be present.
The Daily Standard
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
12 Nov 1921, pg 17
Died:
ASHBY, John Melville - At the Great War Memorial Hospital, Perth, on Wednesday, May 21, 1969, J. Melville Ashby, husband of the late Victoria Ashby, in his 82nd year. Resting at the Blair and Son Funeral Home, 9 West Good Street, Perth, from 2 p.m. Thursday, May 22. Funeral service to be conducted in the Chapel, on Friday, May 23, at 11 a.m. Interment Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston, at 1 p.m., on arrival of motors.
Kingston Whig Standard
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
22 May 1969
Buried:
There is a John M. Ashby buried in Pinehurst, Playfairville, no dates #136349971. This does not seem to be the same John.
John married Victoria Sleeman on 3 Jun 1913 in Kingston, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada. Victoria (daughter of William H. Sleeman and Victoria Karsley) was born in 1886 in Timmins, Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada; died on 24 Sep 1951 in Timmins, Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston Twp, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Notes:
Married:
The engagement is announced of Miss Victoria Sleeman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs W.H. Sleeman, Frontenac Street, to Mr. J. M. Ashby, also of Kingston. The marriage will take place June 3rd.
The Weekly British Whig
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
29 May 1913, pg. 6
On Tuesday morning at 6:30 o'clock, a very pretty wedding was celebrated when Miss Victoria Sleeman, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Sleeman, Frontenac street, was united in marriage to Mr. J. Melville Ashby, of this city. Rev. John Webster, pastor of Brock St. Methodist Church, performed the eremony, in the presence of the immediate relatives of the contracting parties.
The bride looked extremely pretty, carrying a bouquet of bridal roses and resting on the arm of her father, who gave her away. They were unattended. After the ceremony, the wedding party sat down to a sumptous wedding breakfast. The bride was one of Kingston's fairesst daughters, being a member of Brock Street Methodist Church choir. the presents were very numerous and costly, showing the high esteem in which both the bride and groom are held.
The bride's going-away suit was light grey cheviot, with hat and trimmings to match. The happy couple left on the 9 o'clock train for Toronto, Niagara Falls and western points. Sincere are the wishes of their many friends and relatives that the bright litttle bride and her young husband, may spend many years of wedded happinesss. On their return to the city they will take up their residence at No. 59 Union St.
The Daily Standard
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
4 Jun e 1913, pg. 3
Name:?tab?John Meloille Ashby
[John Melville Ashby]
Age:?tab?25
Birth Year:?tab?abt 1888
Birth Place:?tab?Hallow Brook, Ontario
Marriage Date:?tab?3 Jun 1913
Marriage Place:?tab?Frontenac, Ontario, Canada
Father:?tab?Ashby
Mother:?tab?Martha Foster
Spouse:?tab?Victoria Sleemon
Children:
- William George "Bill" Ashby was born in 1921; died on 17 Aug 2005 in Kingston, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston Twp, Ontario, Canada.
- Jack Ashby
- Audrey Ashby
- Ralph Ashby
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1887 - 1969 (81 years)
