[1] The exact area of dense forest land is unknown, but is estimated
at fully 12,000 sq. m.
[2] An attempt was made late in 1875, by the despatch of Dr V.S.
Gouldsbury on a mission to Eastern Akim, Juabin and Kumasi, to repair
the effects of the previous inaction of the colonial government, but
without success.
ASH'ARI [Abu-l Hasan 'Ali ibn Isma'il ul-Ash'ari], (873-935), Arabian
theologian, was born of pure Arab stock at Basra, but spent the greater
part of his life at Bagdad. Although belonging to an orthodox family, he
became a pupil of the great Mu'tazalite teacher al-Jubba'i, and himself
remained a Mu'tazalite until his fortieth year. In 912 he returned to
the faith of his fathers and became its most distinguished champion,
using the philosophical methods he had learned in the school of heresy.
His theology, which occupied a mediate position between the extreme
views on most points, became dominant among the Shafi'ites. He is said
to have written over a hundred works, of which only four or five are
known to be extant.
See W. Spitta, _Zur Geschichte Abu 'l-Hasan al As'ari's_ (Leipzig,
1876); A.F. Mehren, _Expose de la reforme de l'Islamisme commencee par
Abou. 'l-Hasan Ali el-Ash'ari_ (Leiden, 1878); and D.B. Macdonald's
_Muslim Theology_ (London, 1903), especially the creed of Ash'ari in
Appendix iii. (G. W. T.)
ASHBOURNE, a market-town in the western parliamentary division of
Derbyshire, England, 13 m. W.N.W. of Derby, on the London &
North-Western and the North Staffordshire railways. Pop. of urban
district (1901) 4039. It is pleasantly situated on rising ground between
two small valleys opening into that of the Dove, and the most beautiful
scenery of Dovedale is not far distant. The church of St Oswald is
cruciform, Early English and later; a fine building with a central tower
and lofty octagonal spire. Its monuments and brasses are of much
interest. The town has a large agricultural trade and a manufacture of
corsets. The streams in the neighbourhood are in favour with trout
fishermen. Ashbourne Hall, an ancient mansion, has associations with
"Prince Charlie," who occupied it both before and after his advance on
Derby in 1745. There are also many connexions with Dr Johnson, a
frequent visitor here to his friend Dr Taylor, who occupied a house
opposite the grammar school.
ASHBURNHAM, JOHN (c. 1603-1671), English Royalist, was the son of Sir
John Ashburnham of Ashburnham in Sussex. He early entered the king's
service. In 1627 he was sent to Paris by his relative the duke of
Buckingham to make overtures for peace, and in 1628 he prepared to join
the expedition to Rochelle interrupted by the duke's assassination. The
same year he was made groom of the bedchamber and elected member of
parliament for Hastings, which borough he also represented in the Long
Parliament of 1640. In this capacity he rendered services by reporting
proceedings to the king. He made a considerable fortune and recovered
the Ashburnham estates alienated by his father. He became one of the
king's chief advisers and had his full confidence. He attended Charles
at York on the outbreak of the war with Scotland. In the Civil War he
was made treasurer of the royal army, in which capacity he aroused
Hyde's jealousy and remonstrances by infringing on his province as
chancellor of the exchequer. In 1644 he was a commissioner at Uxbridge.
He accompanied Charles in his flight from Oxford in April 1646 to the
Scots, and subsequently escaped abroad, joining the queen at Paris,
residing afterwards at Rouen and being sent to the Hague to obtain aid
from the prince of Orange. After the seizure of Charles by the army,
Ashburnham joined him at Hampton Court in 1647, where he had several
conferences with Cromwell and other army officers. When Charles escaped
from Hampton Court on the 11th of November, he followed Ashburnham's
advice in opposition to that of Sir John Berkeley, who urged the king to
go abroad, and took refuge in the Isle of Wight, being placed by
Ashburnham in the hands of Robert Hammond, the governor. "Oh, Jack," the
king exclaimed when he understood the situation, "thou hast undone me!"
when Ashburnham, "falling into a great passion of weeping, offered to go
and kill Hammond." By this fatal step Ashburnham incurred the unmerited
charge of treachery and disloyalty. Clarendon, however, who censures his
conduct, absolves him from any crime except that of folly and excessive
self-confidence, and he was acquitted both by Charles I. and Charles II.
He was separated with Berkeley from Charles on the 1st of January 1648,
waited on the mainland in expectation of Charles's escape, and was
afterwards taken and imprisoned at Windsor, and exchanged during the
second Civil War for Sir W. Masham and other prisoners. He was one of
the delinquents specially exempted from pardon in the treaty of Newport.
In November he was allowed to compound for his estates, and declared
himself willing to take the covenant. After the king's death he remained
in England, an object of suspicion to all parties, corresponded with
Charles II., and underwent several terms of imprisonment in the Tower
and in Guernsey. At the Restoration he was reinstated in his former
place of groom of the bedchamber and was compensated for his losses. He
represented Sussex in parliament from 1661 till the 22nd of November
1667, when he was expelled the House for taking a bribe of L500 from
French merchants for landing their wines. He died on the 15th of June
1671.
He had eight children, the eldest of whom, William, left a son John
(1656-1710), who in 1689 was created Baron Ashburnham. John's second
son, John (1687-1737), who became 3rd Baron Ashburnham on his brother's
death in 1710, was created Viscount St Asaph and earl of Ashburnham in
1730. The 5th earl (b. 1840) was his direct descendant. Bertram
(1797-1878), the 4th earl, was the collector of the famous Ashburnham
library, which was dispersed in 1883 and 1884.
_A Letter from Mr Ashburnham to a Friend_, defending John Ashburnham's
conduct with regard to the king, was published in 1648. His longer
_Narrative_ was published in 1830 by George, 3rd earl of Ashburnham
(the latter's championship of his ancestor, however, being entirely
uncritical and unconvincing); _A Letter to W. Lenthall_ (1647)
repudiates the charge brought against the king of violating his parole
(_Thomason Tracts_, Brit. Museum, E 418 [4]).
ASHBURTON, ALEXANDER BARING, 1ST BARON[1] (1774-1848), English
politician and financier, 2nd son of Sir Francis Baring (the founder of
the house of Baring Brothers & Co.) and of Harriet, daughter of William
Herring, was born on the 27th of October 1774, and was brought up in his
father's business. He was sent by the latter to the United States;
married Anne, daughter of William Bingham, of Philadelphia, and formed
wide connexions with American houses. In 1810, by his father's death, he
became head of the firm. He sat in parliament for Taunton (1806-1826),
Callington (1826-1831), Thetford (1831-1832), North Essex (1832-1835).
He regarded politics from the point of view of the business man, opposed
the orders in council, and the restrictions on trade with the United
States in 1812, and in 1826 the act for the suppression of small
bank-notes. He was a strong antagonist of Reform. He accepted the post
of chancellor of the exchequer in the duke of Wellington's projected
ministry of 1832; but afterwards, alarmed at the scene in parliament,
declared "he would face a thousand devils rather than such a House of
Commons," and advised the recall of Lord Grey. In 1834 he was president
of the board of trade and master of the mint in Sir Robert Peel's
government, and on the latter's retirement was created Baron Ashburton
on the 10th of April 1835, taking the title previously held by John
Dunning, his aunt's husband. In 1842 he was despatched to America, and
the same year concluded the Ashburton or Webster-Ashburton treaty. A
compromise was settled concerning the north-east boundary of Maine, the
extradition of certain criminals was arranged, each state agreed to
maintain a squadron of at least eighty guns on the coast of Africa for
the suppression of the slave trade, and the two governments agreed to
unite in an effort to persuade other powers to close all slave markets
within their territories. Despite his earlier attitude, Lord Ashburton
disapproved of Peel's free-trade projects, and opposed the Bank Charter
Act of 1844. He was a trustee of the British Museum and of the National
Gallery, a privy councillor and D.C.L. of Oxford. He published, besides
several speeches, _An Enquiry into the Causes and Consequences of the
Orders in Council_ (1808), and _The Financial and Commercial Crisis
Considered_ (1847). He died on the 13th of May 1848, leaving a large
family, his eldest son becoming 2nd baron. The 5th baron (b. 1866)
succeeded to the title in 1889.