Harry Ashley
1798-1841
A Faithful Preacher of Ohio’s Christian Connection
Harry Ashley belonged to a notable family of pioneer preachers whose ministries helped establish the Christian Connection movement across Ohio and Indiana during the early nineteenth century. Born in 1798, he was the youngest of four ministerial brothers—Loami, William H., Elisha, and Harry Ashley—sons of Captain William Ashley, originally of Vermont. Although the brothers possessed little formal education, each became known for practical ability, deep religious conviction, and devotion to the work of the church.
The Ashley family’s westward migration placed its members among the communities in which the Christian movement was taking root. Harry’s brother William settled in Ohio in 1816 and became pastor of the Christian Church in Bloomfield Township, while Elisha preached extensively in western Ohio and eastern Indiana. Loami, the eldest, entered the ministry later in life. Harry’s principal field was central Ohio, especially Licking County and the surrounding region.
Harry Ashley was ordained in 1819, when he was approximately twenty-one years old. From that time until his death, he traveled and preached the gospel among the scattered settlements of Ohio. Elder James Hayes, who wrote an account of his life, declared that “to the cause of his Master, he devoted his life.” Although Ashley’s ministry was relatively local and his worldly circumstances were limited, contemporary accounts remembered him as one of the most effective ministers in his part of the state.
Ashley’s effectiveness did not rest upon formal education or polished eloquence. Instead, it arose from what his contemporaries described as deep piety, earnest preaching, extraordinary energy, and a willingness to sacrifice for the spiritual welfare of others. Long after his death, people in Licking and neighboring counties remembered him with unusual affection. His ministry exemplified the character of the early Christian Connection preacher: itinerant, personally devout, closely connected to local congregations, and prepared to endure hardship in order to carry the gospel into developing communities.
Records published in the Christian Palladium provide glimpses of Ashley’s ministerial activities during the final years of his life. When the Ohio Central Christian Conference assembled at Christian Chapel in Licking County on October 7, 1835, Ashley and Elder D. Long were assigned to the Licking Circuit. This appointment placed him directly within the county that became the center of his ministry.
At the conference held at Bethlehem Chapel in Bennington Township, Licking County, on August 23, 1836, Ashley was listed among the elders present and assigned to ride the Scioto Circuit. He received the same assignment at the conference held at Bethlehem Chapel in Appleton on August 22, 1837. These appointments show that his work extended beyond a single congregation. As a circuit preacher, he would have traveled among several communities, preaching, encouraging believers, and supporting developing churches.
Ashley also participated in the governing and disciplinary responsibilities of the Ohio Central Christian Conference. In February 1838, the Christian Palladium reported that he had served with three other ministers on a committee appointed to hear charges of immoral conduct against Elder Josiah Fisher. When Fisher failed to appear for the hearing, the committee determined that he should no longer be recognized as a member of the conference. Ashley’s appointment to such a committee suggests that fellow ministers regarded him as a trusted elder capable of exercising sound judgment in matters affecting the integrity of the ministry.
He remained active in important gatherings of the Christian Connection. On October 26, 1839, Ashley attended a special session of the Ohio Central Christian Conference at which Shelton Rilen was publicly ordained. A revival accompanied the gathering, and five converts were baptized in a branch of the Licking River. Ashley was again present when the conference met at Mount Liberty in Knox County on August 18, 1840. These notices place him among the recognized elders of central Ohio almost to the end of his life.
During his latter years, Ashley resided near Appleton in Licking County and remained an honored member of the Ohio Central Christian Conference. His home and ministry were situated in an important field for the Christian Connection, and his energy and self-denial reportedly brought considerable success. According to the family account, “there was no sacrifice too great for him to make that he might win souls to Christ.”
Harry Ashley died at his residence in Appleton in 1841, following an illness of twenty-one days. He was in his forty-third year and had spent approximately twenty-two years in the ministry. His life was short when compared with those of his brothers, yet nearly all of his adult years had been devoted to preaching.
Ashley left no reputation as a scholar, wealthy churchman, or celebrated orator. His legacy was instead preserved in the congregations he served and in the memories of those who heard him preach. The early historian, E. W. Humphreys, who wrote of the Ashley brothers, said that Harry’s name remained “embalmed in the affections of thousands.” Among the pioneer ministers of the Christian Connection in Ohio, he was remembered as a faithful, energetic, and self-sacrificing servant whose influence extended throughout Licking County and the surrounding region.
-Scott Harp, 08.24.2026
Directions To Grave
Harry Ashley is buried in a cemetery in rural NE Columbus, Ohio. Take Hwy. 62 out of Columbus past Johnstown. Turn left on Appleton Rd. and head toward town. Take Hwy 4, Van Fossen Rd., and head out of Appleton about a mile and turn right onto a dirt road heading toward a very nice horse barn. Before you come to the barn you will pass a hedge row of trees. Leave the little road and head up the headge row. You will then come to the very old cemetery that is nearly abandoned. I could quickly see that a number of the markers had been vandalized, probably with allowing cattle in for grazing. Cattle will destroy cemeteries. It was a small wonder that I found Ashley's grave as will be seen in the photos below. But the GPS below is taken from the actual grave location.
GPS Location
40°12'48.7"N 82°36'22.3"W
or D.d. 40.213537,-82.606187
Entrance To Appleton Cemetery
From The Side Of The Cemetery
Cleaning Up Around The Grave
Marker
Eld. Harry Ashley
Died
June 30, 1841
Aged 42y. 7m. 21d.
Photos Taken 04.20.2026 - 9:22am
Webpage produced - 08.24.2026
Courtesy Of Scott Harp
www.TheRestorationMovement.com
Special Recognition: It was an extreme pleasure for your webeditor to spend April 16-22, 2026 in the state of Ohio. Hundreds of miles were traversed and a good number of graves of gospel preachers of yesteryear were located. Also, while in the state, I thorough enjoyed preaching a Gospel Meeting at the Alkire Road church of Christ in SW Columbus.