Background
Ashe was the son of James Ashe of Freshford, Somerset and his wife Grace Pitt, daughter of Richard Pitt of Melcombe Regis.
Ashe was the son of James Ashe of Freshford, Somerset and his wife Grace Pitt, daughter of Richard Pitt of Melcombe Regis.
He entered the cloth trade and became on the "greatest clothier in his time". He spent time in jail as an opponent of the ritualist side of Laudianism. In fact Ashe was important in distributing widely the News from Ipswitch of William Prynne, with Rice Boye.
He was re-elected Member of Parliament for Westbury for the Long Parliament in November 1640.
During the Commonwealth, Ashe received much favour from Oliver Cromwell, but could not be persuaded to be one of the king"s judges. Ashe pioneered new techniques in textile manufacturer and in 1650 brought Dutch technicians to Freshford to teach new methods to perfect the Spanish warp.
By this innovation, the amount of cloth produced from an amount of wool was doubled, and Ashe profited accordingly. He was elected Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1654 for the First Protectorate Parliament and in 1656 for the Second Protectorate Parliament.
On 19 January 1657, John Ashe proposed an amendment to the Speaker"s debate congratolating Cromwell on surviving an assassination attempt and adding a hope that Cromwell “take upon him the government according to the ancient constitution”, by which he intended the Crown.
Ashe died at the age of 61 leaving a landed estate valued at £6000 a year. He was the brother of Edward Ashe Member of Parliament for Heytesbury.
Short Parliament]
In April 1640, Ashe was elected Member of Parliament for Westbury in the Short Parliament.