and was then for some years engaged in large practice. His health failed, and in 1804 he left England with David Roberts, R.A., for a travelling companion, and lived for some time at Rome. As a result of his studies in that city he exhibited a drawing at the Royal Academy, a 'Restoration of Ancient Rome,' and another called 'Rome as it is.' Latterly Mr. Ashpitel retired from active practice and occupied himself as a dilettante in literary work. He contributed papers on various cathedrals to the Archaeological Association, and some articles to the 'Encyclopædia Britannica.' He was a good scholar and linguist, and these qualifications made him (a tory of the old school) able to write some tolerably effective political pamphlets and squibs in verse, some translations and vers de société from his pen appeared in the 'Owl' and attracted some attention. Mr. Ashpitel died on 18 Jan. 1869, having left a valuable collection of vases and books to the Society of Antiquaries, and his two drawings of Rome to the nation. These latter form part of the collection at South Kensington.
[Builder, 30 Jan. 1869; Redgrave's Dictionary of Artists of the English School.]
ASHPITEL, WILLIAM HURST (1776–1852), architect, was a pupil of Daniel Asher Alexander. He assisted his master in the designs for the London Docks, and in the execution of the works connected with that undertaking. Afterwards a pupil of John Rennie, he was largely concerned in the Kennet and Avon canal, and in the work of tunnelling under the town of Bath. Later he was in partnership with James Savage, and then last in practice on his own account. Amongst other buildings he designed Sir Charles Talbot's house at Deepdene. He left his profession rather early in life, and died 20 April 1852.
[Dictionary of Architectural Publication Society.]
ASHTON, CHARLES (1665–1752), a distinguished scholar and divine, was born on 25 May 1665, at Bradway, in the parish of Norton, Derbyshire. He was admitted to Queens' College, Cambridge, on 18 May 1682, took the degree of B.A., and on 30 April 1687 was elected to a fellowship. After serving for a time as chaplain to Bishop Patrick, he was presented on 10 March 1698-9 to the living of Rattenden, in Essex, which he exchanged in the following June for a chaplainship at Chelsea Hospital. On 3 July 1701 he was collated to a prebendal stall in Ely Cathedral, and was elected on the next day to the mastership of Jesus College, Cambridge, both offices being vacant by the death of Dr. Saywell. In the same year he took the degree of D.D., and in 1702 was elected vice-chancellor of the university. His life was spent in scholarly seclusion, and he seldom left Cambridge, except when his attendance was required at Ely. He died in March 1752, at the age of 87, and was buried in the college chapel. Ashton's published works are not numerous. He contributed to Wasse's 'Bibliotheca Literaria,' 1724, an article, 'Tully and Hirtius reconciled as to the time of Caesar's going to the African war;' also an emendation of a passage of Justin Martyr. Reading's editions of Origen 'De Oratione' (1728) and 'Historiæ Ecclesiasticæ Scriptores' (1746) are said to have been in great part the work of Ashton. 'His edition of Hierocles's excellent commentary on the golden verses of Pythagoras is without his name, or, it should rather be said, with another person's, R. W. (Warren). . . . Mr. Wakefield also has particularly noticed a Tertullian as being replete with notes by Dr. Ashton. I have also myself perused a dictionary marked in the same manner' (Dyer, Hist. of Univ. of Camb., 1814, ii. 80). In 1768 appeared an edition of Justin Martyr's 'Apologiæ' prepared by Frederick Keller, fellow of Jesus College, from papers that Dr. Ashton left at his death. All Ashton's manuscripts had been bequeathed to Keller. Bowyer writes: 'The Bishop of Ely has advised him (Keller) to ask leave of the Bishop of London to inscribe Tertullian's Apology, which the doctor left to his lordship. . . . Ashton destroyed all his sermons; for the Bishop of London inquired after some he had heard preached, which were not found.' Among the Cole MSS. in the British Museum there are transcripts of some of Ashton's letters to Dean Moss (vol. xxx.); of his additions to Sherman's 'History of Jesus College' (vol. xlii.); and of his large 'Collections relating to the University.' In Chishull's 'Antiquitates Asiaticæ' (1728) Ashton showed much acuteness in restoring satisfactorily a comipt inscription to Jupiter Urios.
[Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, i. 262, 271, iv. 226, 227, viii. 502", ix. 766; Dyer's Hist. of Cambr. Univ. ii. 80; Cole MSS. vols, xxx., xlii., li.; Add. MS. 6396. There is a good account of Ashton by J[ohn] H[ill] B[urton] in S.D.U.K. Biographical Dictionary.]
ASHTON, EDWARD (d. 1658), was a colonel in the army. He was deeply implicated in the plot against the lord protector
