John Ashton (Jacobite) facts for kids

John Ashton (who died in 1691) was an English courtier and a Jacobite plotter. A courtier was someone who served a king or queen. John Ashton worked for Queen Mary of Modena, the wife of King James II. A Jacobite was a person who supported King James II and wanted him to be king again after he lost his throne.

Early Life and Royal Service

John Ashton was a trusted helper to Mary of Modena, who was the wife of King James II. He was known as her "clerk of the closet." This meant he managed her personal money and important papers. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, King James II lost his throne and had to leave England. Ashton remained very loyal to the king and queen, even though they were living in another country.

Ashton was also an officer in the army, holding the rank of captain or major. He was a close friend of Dr. Thomas Cartwright, who was a bishop and a strong supporter of the Stuart dynasty, the royal family King James II belonged to. John Ashton was a Protestant by religion.

The Plot to Restore King James

In late 1690, John Ashton attended a secret meeting with other Protestants who supported King James II. They decided to ask King Louis XIV of France to help King James II get his throne back by force.

Lord Preston agreed to travel to St. Germains, where King James II was living in France. He planned to take important papers that would explain their plot and ask for help. John Ashton promised to arrange the trip and go with him.

Arrest and Trial

Ashton, Lord Preston, and a friend named Major Elliott hired a boat in London to take them to France. However, the boat owner became suspicious because they wanted to keep their journey a secret. The owner told the government about their plans.

On December 31, 1690, as they were getting on the boat near the Tower of London, they were being watched. They were arrested near Tilbury and taken back to Whitehall. Only on John Ashton were the secret papers found.

The three men were put on trial about two weeks later. Each man was tried separately. John Ashton said he was going to France to talk to the exiled queen about her unpaid bills with London shopkeepers. He claimed he was responsible for many of these debts as her former clerk. He even brought witnesses to support his story.

However, all three men were found guilty and sentenced to death. John Ashton was the only one whose sentence was carried out. He was hanged at Tyburn on January 28, 1691.

Ashton's Last Words and Legacy

Before he died, several clergymen who also supported King James II visited him and were with him at the gallows. John Ashton gave a paper to the sheriff. In this paper, he stated that he was a Protestant and was happy to die serving King James II, who had been kind to him for 16 years.

This paper showed how deeply loyal King James's supporters were in England. It was published in England, France, and Holland, which worried the government. Dr. Edward Fowler, a bishop, wrote a response to Ashton's paper. He said Ashton's paper was like a public statement from the Jacobite group. He tried to prove that King William III's rule was lawful. In return, a Jacobite supporter wrote a book called 'Loyal Traitor' to defend Ashton.

John Ashton's wife, whose maiden name was Rigby, went to St. Germains with her son after her husband's death. King James II gave her son a special title. However, Mrs. Ashton was Protestant, and the exiled court wanted her to become a Roman Catholic. She refused and was treated harshly. She died in 1694, and her body was sent back to England to be buried.