0 3 – 1 6 4 1 ), ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁dé class é ▁Ch esh ire ▁arist ocr atic ▁family , ▁who ▁died , ▁while ▁pre gn ant , ▁only ▁three ▁years ▁later ▁on ▁ 6 ▁December ▁ 1 6 4 1 . ▁Still ▁in ▁his ▁early ▁tw ent ies , ▁Ash m ole ▁had ▁taken ▁the ▁first ▁steps ▁towards ▁status ▁and ▁wealth . ▁He ▁also ▁became ▁al lied ▁with ▁Major - General ▁Charles ▁W ors ley ▁( who ▁died ▁ 1 2 ▁June ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁and ▁was ▁buried ▁at ▁West min ster ▁Ab bey ), ▁brother - in - law ▁of ▁his ▁sister , ▁Mary ▁Ash m ole , ▁who ▁married ▁John ▁Bo oth , ▁of ▁S alf ord . ▁ ▁Ash m ole ▁supported ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁Charles ▁I ▁in ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁At ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁fighting ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 2 , ▁he ▁left ▁London ▁for ▁the ▁house ▁of ▁his ▁father - in - law , ▁Peter ▁Main w aring ▁of ▁Small wood , ▁Ch esh ire . ▁There ▁he ▁lived ▁a ▁retired ▁life ▁until ▁ 1 6 4 4 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁King ' s ▁Commission er ▁of ▁Ex c ise ▁at ▁L ich field . ▁So on ▁afterwards , ▁at ▁the ▁suggestion ▁of ▁George ▁Wh art on , ▁a ▁leading ▁ast ro lo ger ▁with ▁strong ▁court ▁connections , ▁Ash m ole ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁military ▁post ▁at ▁Oxford , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁ord n