William Adolphus Ashton, textile designer and physician, was born in England in 1803. He was a member of the Manchester Social Community Company, Manchester, England, and under its auspices emigrated to America in 1834 and established a cooperative community in Franklin County, Indiana. When the community failed in 1836, Ashton got a job designing patterns for oilcloth and table covers, work he continued in various capacities for many years. In the early 1850's he studied medicine and eventually practiced medicine in Cincinnati. In 1862 he moved to his farm in Whitewater Township, Franklin County, Indiana where he practiced medicine and supervised his farm until his death in 1870.
From the description of [Miscellaneous uncataloged materials from the papers of William Ashton] 1798-1880 (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 61233869
