Life

Ashwood was born in Axminster

Axminster

Axminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of Devon in England. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth, and is in the East Devon local government district. It has a population of 5,626. The market is still...

 in 1657, and was the son of Bartholomew Ashwood

Bartholomew Ashwood

Bartholomew Ashwood was an English puritan divine.-Life:Ashwood was 'a Warwickshire man,' son of a clergyman of the same name . He became a batter or commoner of St. Alban's Hall in the latter end of 1638, aged 16 years, and so was born 1621-2...

. In his youth he was extremely delicate. He was educated by his father, and admitted "as a member of his father's church." Soon after he was sent to London, where he was received into the family of the learned Theophilus Gale

Theophilus Gale

Theophilus Gale was an English educationalist, nonconformist and theologian of dissent.-Early life:Gale was born at Kingsteignton, Devon, the son of Bridget Gale and Theophilus Gale D. D....

, who acted as his instructor. Before he began to preach he taught a school at Axminster, and afterwards at Chard, Somerset

Chard, Somerset

Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...

. Driven from Chard as a conscience-ruled nonconformist by high-church intolerance, he decided with some friends to emigrate to Carolina

Province of Carolina

The Province of Carolina, originally chartered in 1629, was an English and later British colony of North America. Because the original Heath charter was unrealized and was ruled invalid, a new charter was issued to a group of eight English noblemen, the Lords Proprietors, in 1663...

 in January 1683; but was prevented by a sudden attack of smallpox.

He then appears to have resided successively at Ilminster

Ilminster

Ilminster is a country town and civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4,781. Bypassed a few years ago, the town now lies just east of the intersection of the A303 and the A358...

, Haveland, and Buckland

Buckland

-People:*Francis Trevelyan Buckland , English zoologist and natural historian*Frank Buckland , Canadian sports administrator*Herbert Tudor Buckland , British architect*James Buckland , English rugby union player...

, until he received a call to Exeter

Exeter

Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...

, where he was a minister for about ten years. He subsequently returned to London. For about two years he was evening lecturer at Spitalfields

Spitalfields

Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...

, and morning preacher at Hoxton

Hoxton

Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...

, when he received a call from a congregation at Peckham

Peckham

Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...

, Surrey. He died there on 22 September 1706.

Works

His Life was for long a favourite fireside companion among devout nonconformists, circulating as a chap-book, Some Account of the Life, Character, and Death of the Rev. Mr. John Ashwood, by Thomas Reynolds (1707). Added to the Account are two sermons preached shortly before he died.