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Asher Family History & Genealogy Research

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This painting is of Nottingham and the River Trent from the east, by Jan Sieberechts c.1700

This site is my attempt to preserve as much detail as possible regarding the lives of my ancestors who came from various places in Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and many of whom settled in Australia. The information is being gathered for the benefit of their descendants, those presently living and those yet to come.

I would love to hear from anyone who shares common ancestry Send an e-mail to: Amanda Taylor

A little about myself

Name History and Origin for Asher

The name of Asher is recorded in the Bible. Asher was the eighth son of Jacob, and the second of Jacob's two sons by Zilpah, Leah's maid. Opinion is divided as to whether Asher was a name originally Israelitish, or whether it was adopted by certain of the outlying tribesmen from a Canaanitic source.

Meaning of the Name ASHER

Asher is from a root meaning of "prosperous" and"happy," whence the great Assyrian god Asshur. Asher's flag was said to be beryl with an olive tree embroidered on it. Many references can be found online to biblical references, including but of course not limited to :
Asher - Tribe and Territory
The Lost Tribes of Israel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
What happened to the lost tribes of Israel?
People in the Bible -Asher (son of Jacob
Tribe of Asher - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

English (mainly Sussex and Hampshire): topographic name denoting someone dwelling by an ash tree, from Middle English asche 'ash tree' + the habitational suffix -er.
Jewish: from the Hebrew personal name Asher 'blessed'.
Americanized spelling of German Ascher.
Source : Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Spelling variations include: Asher, Ascher, Asser, Hasher, Hasser, Hascher, Aschey, Aisher, Aza, Azor, Ascer, Passer and many more. First found in Staffordshire where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor.

Name History and Origin for Ascher

German (often Äscher): occupational name for an ashmaker (see Aschenbrenner), from Middle High German escher 'ashes'.
German: topographic name for someone who lived by an ash tree or ash grove, from Middle High German asch 'ash' + -er, suffix denoting an inhabitant.
German: habitational name from any of the numerous minor places named with the element asch, including Ascha, Aschach, Aschau.
Jewish (Ashkenazic): see Asher.
Source : Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.

German Origin of the name ASHER

The name Asher, which is a local surname, reveals that the original bearer of the name once lived, held land, or was born in Swabia, a medieval dukedom that was in southwestern Germany. In the 1st century, Swabia was settled by the tribe of the Sueben who came from central Germany and drove the Celts to Gaul (France). After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Germanic Alemans from the north and the Bajuvaren from the east entered the region. These tribes were in turn defeated by the Franks under Clovis in 496. The dukedom of Swabia was formed in the 10th century. It was ruled by the Hohenstaufen family between the 11th and 13th centuries, when the counts of Wuerttemberg took control. Two other imperial dynasties also came from Swabia: the Hapsburgs and the Hohenzollerns, who were the Kings of Prussia and the last German emperors until 1918. Today, the area is called Baden-Württemberg.
Spelling variations include: Asch, Asche, Asches, Ascher, Assch, Assche, Aschen and many more.
First found in Swabia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region.
Motto Translated: With virtue for guide.

The name Asher is sometimes not only ASCHER but also ESHER or ESCHER and the Asher's are very closely connected to the Seligman family (or Selligmann). 'Lyon' is a town in France, so perhaps something sentimental in the name, as it is given as the middle name of our ancestor Samuel? As many Jews lived in France, perhaps this family was from around there. Then again, Germany is not too far from there.

In Continental Europe this name is known as ASCHER in Wien and Galizien Kroenlande in Austria. However at this stage our ASHER ancestors are believed to have originated from Germany, where the name 'Lyon ASHER' is known as LEONHARDT ESCHERS in Evangelisch, Simmern Kirn, Rheinland, Preussen, LEONHARD ESCHER in Kirchensittenbach, Mittelfranken, Bayern, LEONARDUS ESCHER in Katholisch, Bellingen, Loerrach, Baden and LEONTIUS ESCHGER in Wyhl, Freiburg, Baden.

ASHER Online Resources

Our Asher Ancestors Place of Origin

My ASHER ancestry is via the line of my late father. My father's maternal ancestry has been traced back to William ASHER born about 1790 of Nottingham, England. Nottingham, a city and county of a city, municipal, county and parliamentary borough, and county town of Nottinghamshire, England stands on the left (north) bank of the Trent and its tributary the Leen. It is 125 m. N.N.W. from London.

Our ASHER Ancestry in England

Our earliest known connection to the ASHER name is the christening of George Thomas Bayfield ASHER on 4 Sep 1815 in St. Marys, Nottingham, England to William and Elizabeth ASHER.

William ASHER was a Hawker who resided in Queen Street, Notthingham, England in 1815 and resided in Newcastle Street, Nottingham, England at the time of their son Samuel Lyon ASHER's christening on 22 Jan 1818 in St. Mary's, Nottingham, England.

Our ASHER ancestors immigration to Australia

Samuel was a Lacemaker in Nottingham until arrested at 19 years of age on 17 Mar 1837 and transported for 14 years at Nottingham Quarter Sessions. He was tried and charged with four other men and found guilty of stealing a coat valued at 2 shillings, a pair of gloves, a gimblet and a ball of twine from the Fishpond Gardens of Nottingham Castle. On a second indictment they were also found guilty of stealing a coat, a pair of gloves, a pair of shoes and a cap from a private garden. Evidence was provided by the Innkeeper of the 'Sign of the Huntsman', a Nightwatchman and owners of the stolen property. Although character references were accepted by the court, the Jury was advised that each defendant had a record of previous convictions. Samuel departed from Sheerness, at the mouth of the Thames River on 16th July 1837 on the ship 'James Pattison'. He arrived in Sydney on 25th October 1837. Trial Place was Surrey. At the time of his transportation Samuel was stated to be 5ft 3/4 inches tall, with a dark, ruddy and freckled complexion. His hair was dark brown and he had brown eyes.

Our ASHER families life in Australia

Samuel was Granted a 'Ticket Of Leave' in 1844 and married Ann Bowden, then living at Dora Creek in NSW, on 6th February 1845 at Cooranbong, with the Governor's consent, since Samuel was still a convict at that time, and signed with his 'x' mark. He received a Conditional Pardon on 1 Nov 1848, as a result of his good conduct. However, he had not collected this Pardon nearly two years later when a notice appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald on 22 Jun 1850 advising of same.

During their ten year marriage, Ann and Samuel had six children. The first two being born at Newport (Dora Creek) and the remaining four were born when the family lived in Perkins Street, Newcastle (nearly opposite The Victoria Theatre), Children :
(1) George Leyon ASHER, b. 24 Apr 1845 married Matilda RANDALL and resided in New Zealand.
(2) Frank ASHER b. 18 Jul 1846 married twice (1) Alice Maria ROTHWELL and secondly to Rebecca OSBORNE.
(3) Samuel William ASHER b. 17 Apr 1848, our direct ancestor married Mary WEBSTER.
(4) Alfred ASHER b. 22 Jul 1850 married Sarah BIRKBY.
(5) Rosa Louisa ASHER b. 18 Aug 1852 married Christopher FAWCETT.
(6) Catherine ASHER, b. 27 Mar 1855 in Perkins Street, Newcastle, NSW. She married Robert A CROPLEY.

On 11 Feb 1845 Samuel's occupation is given as a Labourer of Newport. Later the following year on 16 Sep 1846 at the time of the christening of his son Frank ASHER, Samuel is stated to be a 'Labourer of Lake Macquarie'. When their son Samuel William ASHER is born on 17 Apr 1848 in Raymond Terrace, Newcastle NSW, Samuel's occupation is recorded as a Morpeth Shoemaker. At the time of his death in 1855, Samuel was a Carrier (Carter), Contractor.

He died tragically in 1855 when he fell from his dray and dislocated his spine whilst taking a dray of goods to the racecourse. He lived for 12 hours though paralysed.
ASHER INQUEST Before J.E. STACY, Coroner on 26 Jul 1855 :
Misadventure. Newcastle Mercury Newspaper 1 Aug 1855.

Samuel was most likely buried at the Cemetery of Christ Church Cathederal, where burials were carried out from 1802 to 1881, as Sandgate was not established until this time. Unfortunately these graves were desecrated and the headstones removed.

My complete Rootsweb database can be seen at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy

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Surname List of my Direct Ancestors Individual Name Index

Prepared by:

Amanda Taylor
P.O. Box 5042
Wheeler Heights NSW 2097 Australia

Send e-mail to: Amanda Taylor