Earl of Shaftesbury-Anthony Ashley Cooper Amy Capers (_View posts_ (http://boards.ancestry.com/authorposts.aspx?uname=Amy+Capers&uid=&uem=OROgdzEXZk6iB-AKcn8HnbcC0chVdvvO&rurl=http://boards.anc estry.com/surnames.ashley/43/mb.ashx) ) Posted: 20 Oct 1999 6:18PM GMT Classification: Query Edited: 20 Nov 2001 4:43AM GMT Surnames: Ashley My great-grandfather was Edward Ashley of the Chicago area, retired to Florida. He lived to be 99 and died in 1971 or 1972. He was of decendant of the Earl of Shaftesbury, whom I have found in the Encyclopedia . I had heard family rumor that the Earl (perhaps the 7th one) came to the states because he fell out of favor with the English Monarchy of the moment. Given that the Encyclopedia indicates that Earls 1-7 were in and out of England throughout their titled history due to the changing religious climate of the English Monarchy, this is a plausable explanation for what may have been the seventh Earl coming to the US. I have also heard that he began life hear in a Southern State, although I don't know which one. The Earls all Carried the Surname of Cooper, but I surmise that Earl of Shaftesbury-Anthony Ashley Cooper Amy Capers (_View posts_ (http://boards.ancestry.com/authorposts.aspx?uname=Amy+Capers&uid=&uem=OROgdzEXZk6iB-AKcn8HnbcC0chVdvvO&rurl=http://boards.anc estry.com/surnames.ashley/43/mb.ashx) ) Posted: 20 Oct 1999 6:18PM GMT Classification: Query Edited: 20 Nov 2001 4:43AM GMT Surnames: Ashley My great-grandfather was Edward Ashley of the Chicago area, retired to Florida. He lived to be 99 and died in 1971 or 1972. He was of decendant of the Earl of Shaftesbury, whom I have found in the Encyclopedia . I had heard family rumor that the Earl (perhaps the 7th one) came to the states because he fell out of favor with the English Monarchy of the moment. Given that the Encyclopedia indicates that Earls 1-7 were in and out of England throughout their titled history due to the changing religious climate of the English Monarchy, this is a plausable explanation for what may have been the seventh Earl coming to the US. I have also heard that he began life hear in a Southern State, although I don't know which one. The Earls all Carried the Surname of Cooper, but I surmise that the Cooper was dropped in favor of my g-grandfather's name of Ashley in order to hide from the English. Does any other Ashley know of a connection to the Earl of Shaftesbury? in order to hide from the English. Does any other Ashley know of a connection to the Earl of Shaftesbury?