Ancestors lost in the crowd?
New to family history research?
Perhaps these articles on our website may help:
Census 1841 - 1911
Birth, Death and Marriage Registration
The London Gazette
Newspaper archives
Trade Directories
History of Ashen
St. Augustine of Canterbury church, Ashen
©Robert Edwards
Photograph by kind permission of Robert Edwards,
contributor to the Geograph Project
Welcome to the home page for the History of Ashen and its inhabitants.
Below you find links to a range of sources transcribed by History House. Further below under 'more local history sources' you will find to links to other places on the web where you can continue your research.
For other locations in Essex see our alphabetical list of Essex towns and villages.
Poll of Voters 1847
Ashen inhabitants who voted in the 1847 general election.
White's Directory of Essex 1848
ASHEN, a small village on the bold acclivity on the south side of the river Stour, 2½ miles South West of Clare, has in its >>more.
White's Directory of Essex 1848 - list of inhabitants.
White's Directory of Essex 1863
White's Directory of Essex 1863 - list of inhabitants.
Post Office Directory of Essex 1874
Post Office Directory of Essex 1874 - list of inhabitants.
Description of Ashen in 1933
Ashen (or Esse) is a parish on the borders of Suffolk, from which it is separated by the Stour, and is 1 mile >> more.
Ashen Criminal Cases
Court cases involving Ashen residents - ongoing project >>more.
Education in Ashen
Reports and returns on schools and education in Ashen.
Ashen Poor
Under the Poor Law of 1834, Ashen became part of the Risbridge Union. See our article on researching your workhouse and pauper ancestors.
My Ashen Ancestors
Are your ancestors from Ashen? Why not tell us their story: My Ancestors.
More local history sources
Discover how to explore newspaper archives. With millions of pages now online, there is always the possibility of finding articles featuring your ancestors.
Ebay is now a great source for old images of Essex towns and villages. If you're looking for pictures to add to your family tree album, then try one of the auctions, or there are several 'Buy It Now' shops offering postcards which have been touched up and improved - so if you're unsure about bidding, try these. Link already formatted for Essex. Browse through or type the name of the location in the Ebay search box. >>
Also on Ebay are legal documents on vellum. This link is formatted for Essex. (Sometimes I think these should be in an archive.) >>
Books featuring Ashen from Abebooks. Just click the logo. The search terms are already formatted for Ashen.
Search for Ashen census returns at ancestry.co.uk.
1841 England Census | 1851 England Census
| 1861 England Census
1871 England Census | 1881 England Census
| 1891 England Census
1901 England Census |
1911 England Census
The Essex Record Office 'ERO' is an excellent starting point for research. The ERO has an online catalogue by the name of SEAX and many of the parish registers are now available online. Access to both via the ERO's homepage.
If you are unable to travel to the ERO, we provide a professional archival research service.
Haverhill Family History's transcription of the 1891 census for Ashen.
1881 Ordnance Survey Map from the British History Online web site (Essex: 005, Ordnance Survey 1:10,560: Epoch 1.0).
Ordnance Survey - type the place name in the gazetteer search box to view detailed map of Ashen.
Heritage Gateway. Database of national and local records of England's historic sites and buildings. Includes records and photographs of all listed buildings, and historical and archaeological information on locations throughout England.