Ashcroft Family

Ashcroft: of Anglo-Saxon origin, from the Olde English 'oesc' (ash) and 'croft' (paddock or enclosure) [1]

This family is still being researched but a brief outline appears below:

* * *

John Ashcroft (c1816 - ?) was born in Lancashire, England. He married Jane Christopher 25 September 1848 at St Mary the Virign Church, Eccleston. They had eight known children: Richard, John, Thurston, Nancy, Charles, Philip, Nicholas and Thomas.

Philip Ashcroft (1860 - ?) was a collier. He married Ann Critchley 01 January 1887 at Adlington Parish Church, Lancashire. They had four children: John William (1887 - 1887), Thomas (1891 - 1917), Charles (1896 - 1900) and William (1898 - 1898). Thomas, the only sibling to survive infancy, enlisted in the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment (known as the 'Ashton Pals') 06 August 1914, just two days after Britain declared war. He was later made an acting Lance Corporal and was killed in action 03 June 1917. His gravestone lies in Neuville-Bourjonval British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

Neuville-Bourjonval British Cemetery

350567 Lance Cpl T. Ashcroft, 
Manchester Regiment
3rd June 1917

Footnotes

[1] www.surnamedb.com/Surname