William Ashurst (Roundhead)

For other politicians of this name, see William Ashurst (disambiguation).

William Ashurst (1607–1656) of Ashurst's Hall, Dalton, Lancashire was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1649 and 1654. He fought in the Parliamentarian army in the English Civil War.

Ashurst was the son of Henry Ashurst of Ashurst's Hall, where his ancestors were seated after the Norman conquest.^[1] His brothers included Henry Ashurst, a successful London merchant and John Ashurst, a Parliamentarian lieutenant-colonel and Governor of Liverpool.

In November 1640, Ashurst was elected Member of Parliament for Newton in the Long Parliament.^[2] He was a major in the parliamentary army and a zealous puritan.^[1] In 1654 he was elected MP for Lancashire in the First Protectorate Parliament.

He married Dorothy Ellis and had a son Thomas.

References

1. William Duncombe Pink, Alfred B. Beaven The parliamentary representation of Lancashire, (county and borough), 1258-1885, with biographical and genealogical notices of the members, &c. (1889)
2. Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.

Parliament of England
Preceded by Sir Richard Wynn, 2nd Baronet William Sherman	Member of Parliament for Newton 1640–1653 With: Peter Legh 1640–1642 Sir Roger Palmer 1642–1644 Peter Brooke 1645–1648	Succeeded by Not represented in Barebones Parliament
Preceded by William West John Sawry Robert Cunliffe	Member of Parliament for Lancashire 1654 With: Gilbert Ireland Richard Standish Richard Holland	Succeeded by Gilbert Ireland Richard Standish Richard Holland Sir Richard Hoghton, 3rd Baronet