Charles Ashton (1665 – 1752) was an English churchman and academic, Master of

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

from 1701.

Life

Ashton was born on 25 May 1665, at Bradway, in the parish of

Norton, Derbyshire Norton Lees () is a residential suburb in the Graves Park ward of the City of Sheffield, England located to the east of Woodseats. History Notable buildings in Norton Lees include Bishops' House—a half-timbered house that was built c. 15 ...

. He was admitted to

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

, 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

Simon Patrick Simon Patrick (8 September 1626 – 31 May 1707) was an English theologian and bishop. Life He was born at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, eldest son of Henry Patrick, a wealthy merchant, on 8 September 1626, and attended Boston Gramma ...

, he was presented on 10 March 1698-9 to the living of Rattenden in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, 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 Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The presen ...

, and was elected on the next day to the mastership of Jesus College, Cambridge, both offices being vacant by the death of William Saywell. In the same year he took the degree of D.D., and in 1702 was elected vice-chancellor of the university. Aston's life was scholarly, and he seldom left Cambridge, except to go to Ely. He died in March 1752, at the age of 87, and was buried in the college chapel.

Works

Ashton's published works are not numerous. He contributed to

Joseph Wasse Joseph Wasse (1672–1738) was an English cleric and classical scholar. Life He was born in Yorkshire, and entered Queens' College, Cambridge as a sizar in 1691. He became bible clerk in 1694, scholar in 1695, was B.A. in 1694, fellow and M.A. in ...

'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 Justin Martyr ( el, Ἰουστῖνος ὁ μάρτυς, Ioustinos ho martys; c. AD 100 – c. AD 165), also known as Justin the Philosopher, was an early Christian apologist and philosopher. Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and ...

. William Reading's editions of

Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...

's ''De Oratione'' (1728) and ''Historiæ Ecclesiasticæ Scriptores'' (1746) are said to have been in great part the work of Ashton. According to George Dyer in his ''History of the University of Cambridge'' (1814, ii. p. 80), it was Ashton's edition of

Hierocles of Alexandria Hierocles of Alexandria ( el, Ἱεροκλῆς ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς) was a Greek Neoplatonist writer who was active around AD 430. Life He studied under Plutarch (the Neoplatonist) at Athens in the early 5th century, and taught for some y ...

's commentary on ''

The golden verses of Pythagoras The ''Golden Verses'' ( grc-gre, Χρύσεα Ἔπη, ; la, Aurea Carmina) are a collection of moral exhortations comprising 71 lines written in dactylic hexameter. They are traditionally attributed to Pythagoras. Overview The exact origins o ...

'' that was published as by "R. W." (i.e.

Richard Warren Richard Warren (c. 1585c.1628) was one of the passengers on the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'' and a signer of the Mayflower Compact. Early life Richard Warren married Elizabeth Walker, at Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, on 14 April 1610. Elizabeth ...

). In 1768 appeared an edition of

's ''Apologiæ'' prepared by Frederick Keller, fellow of Jesus College, from papers that Ashton left at his death: all Ashton's manuscripts had been bequeathed to Keller. Among the Cole MSS. in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

there are transcripts of some of Ashton's letters to Dean

Robert Moss Robert Moss, born in Melbourne (Victoria) in 1946, is an Australian historian, journalist and author and the creator of Active Dreaming, an original synthesis of dreamwork and shamanism. Biography Early life and education Moss survived severa ...

(vol. xxx.); of his additions to

John Sherman John Sherman (May 10, 1823October 22, 1900) was an American politician from Ohio throughout the Civil War and into the late nineteenth century. A member of the Republican Party, he served in both houses of the U.S. Congress. He also served as ...

's ''History of Jesus College'' (vol. xlii.); and of his ''Collections relating to the University''. In

Edmund Chishull Edmund Chishull (1671–1733) was an English clergyman and antiquary. Life He was son of Paul Chishull, and was born at Eyworth, Bedfordshire, 22 March 1670–1. He was a scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1687, where he graduated B.A. ...

's ''Antiquitates Asiaticæ'' (1728), Ashton restored a corrupt inscription to Jupiter Urios. Ashton's personal papers, including handwritten notes, are held at Jesus College Archives.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashton, Charles Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge 1665 births 1752 deaths People from Norton Lees Masters of Jesus College, Cambridge Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge 17th-century English Anglican priests 18th-century English Anglican priests