Totaling 78 relatives from as far away as England and Hawaii, a one-time prominent Watkinsville family gathered at Ashford Manor for dinner July 12.

Hosted by the current owners of Ashford Manor, Dave Shearon, Jim Shearon and Mario Castro, the Saturday dinner was the second of three official reunion functions over the weekend. Descendents of Alexander Woodson (A.W.) Ashford also had lunch at Ashford Farm Saturday and brunch at the Botanical Gardens in Athens Sunday.

“We’re thrilled and honored to have so many Ashfords back; folks that grew up here or whose fathers and grandfathers grew up here and were prominent citizens in Watkinsville at the turn of the century,” said Dave Shearon. “It is a great honor to be able to provide guests with the information added this weekend.”

Dr. Clinton Ashford, the last member of the family to own Ashford Manor, speaks during the reunion.

Born in 1852 to William Henry Ashford and Louisa Booth Ashford, A.W. Ashford grew up in Watkinsville and built Ashford Manor in 1893. He and his wife Elizabeth Loula Ashford had nine children, five of whom had descendents present at the reunion (the other four died either without children or grandchildren).

The house and surrounding property remained in the Ashford family for more than 100 years until Dr. Clinton Ashford sold it in 1995.

“There has never been a greater blessing than to meet the current owners, David, Mario and Jim,” said Ashford. “They run the most fantastic bed and breakfast in the United States. For years after we sold the house, I had people telling me, ‘I slept in your bed last night.’”

Shearon expressed mutual admiration for the Ashford family.

“We are the first non-Ashfords to live here in over 100 years, but I want to assure the Ashfords that the Ashford family legacy lives on as a social gathering place for the town,” said Dave Shearon. “Literally tens of thousands of people have enjoyed the property through concerts, weddings and more.”

At age 91, the oldest living member of the family and granddaughter of A.W. Ashford, Virginia Ashford Elliot had a few stories to tell after dinner. Asked to speak about her grandparents, Elliot told of a grandfather who often told her that her dress was too short and a grandmother who loved to sweep.

“My grandmother never said a bad thing about anyone,” said Elliot. “She always found something good to say about everyone.

“We decided to try to get her to say something bad about this man in Watkinsville that no one liked. She thought for a minute and said, ‘He’s got a good appetite.’ So, that became our mantra. If we couldn’t think of anything nice to say about someone, we’d say, ‘He’s got a good appetite.’”

Elliot also offered some history of the property at Ashford Manor.

“Uncle George made and lost at least two fortunes and Grandpa let him live in the pool room for a while,” explained Elliot. “Grandpa always had someone living there who was down on their luck or having a hard time.”

One notable ancestor in the Ashford family is Admiral William Henry Ashford, aid to Admiral William Halsey, Captain of the USS Enterprise during World War II. According to his daughter, Pam Ashford, Admiral Ashford later became the Captain of the Enterprise himself after the war.

In recorded comments shared by his descendants, the late Admiral commented that “No child ever had a better life than I had in the little village of Watkinsville. It was perfect.”

According to Wes Ashford, A.W. Ashford’s mother, Louisa Booth Ashford, may have been a second or third cousin of John Wilkes Booth. He emphasized that his family would only share a common ancestor with the notorious assassin of Abraham Lincoln rather than a direct lineage. He also noted a possible relation to Blackbeard the Pirate.

According to Pam Ashford, about 35 or 40 of those in attendance live as close as Atlanta. Even so, several of those that spoke made it clear that much of the family still considers Watkinsville home.

“I still love Watkinsville,” said Elliot. “I’m happy to meet those of you I didn’t know, I’m proud to be an Ashford and I’m proud to know all of you.”

Mike Sprayberry is a reporter for The Oconee Leader. He can be reached at 706-310-1104 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

photos by MIKE SPRAYBERRY/Oconee Leader

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