John Ashlock was endentured to Archibald Archer in 1683. In 1690, he married Mary Rawlings in New Kent, Virginia. He was a sexton for the "Church". His family resided in King William's county, Halifax county, and Pittsylvania county, Virginia. His son, William married Mary Raut in 1695 in Philadephia, PA, and his son William (b.1721) married Susanne approximately 1741. William and Susanne had five boys, William, James, Jesse, Richard and Josiah. All of them fought beside their father in the Revolutionary War, except Josiah who was too young. William died during one of the battles, thus continuing our patriotic heritage of hundreds of Ashlock men. The family resided in western Virginia counties until their desire to moonshine caught them much attention and thus they moved to Lincoln County, Virginia which became Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1801. The family resided at Gilbert's Creek, just outside of Stanford, Kentucky, where they lived until 1920, when my grandfather desired city life.
Jacob Holtzclaw was one of the fourteen German ironworkers, totally 42 people, from the town of Siegen and Muesen in the principality of Nassau-Siegen, Germany. Who upon an agreement with Baron de Graffenreid to open the mines in Virginia. However, their arrival was early and surprised the Baron, as he had not had an audience with Queen. The families so valued their freedom, they refused to return to their homeland and instead found trades in Europe to support their families until Queen Anne opened the mines. These were master mechanics, and were an intelligent, progressive set of people, which turned Germanna into the first sector of industrialization for Virginia.
Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood wrote to the Board of Trade in London in May 1714 stating the Germans were invited to Virginia by Baron de Graffenreid. Queen Anne opened the mines of Virginia, and the fourteen families sailed to Virginia to settle the colony of Fort Germanna. They named it in honor of both Queen Anne, and for their homeland, Germany.
However, there was some debate to who be required to pay their passage. Her Majesty, Queen Anne's letter to the Governor to furnish them land after their arrival. Germanna, First Colony of 1714. Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood was forced to pay for their passageway to the colonies. The First Germanna Colony arrived in Virginia at Tappahannock in the spring of 1714, came up the Rappahannock River where they settled 20 miles west of Fredericksburg.
All of the American Holtzclaw's descend from, Jacob Holtzclaw, and we have every reason to be proud of our ancestor. A scholarly and pious man, who in an alien land, showed enterprise and initiative, accumulated a modest fortune, and was one of the first pioneers of Northern Virginia. He was a teacher and after the minister died, it is said, he became the lay reader. He, as well as, many of the Holtzclaws are of highly mechanical and of notable worth, but it is the charming characteristics that BC Holtzclaw lists in his book,The Geneology of the Holtzclaw Family p. 47-50, which are most exciting and charming.
