HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS, E. Polk Johnson, three volumes, Lewis
Publishing Co., New York & Chicago, 1912. Common version, 
Vol. III, pp. 1289-90-91.   [Harrison County]

JAMES C. DEDMAN, commonwealth attorney for the eighteenth judicial
district, is one of the leading members of the legal fraternity in his part
of Kentucky and in every department of life, one of the most valued factors
in the citizenship of Cynthiana.  He is the scion of one of the fine old
families of the south and by his own fine record upholds the prestige of
his race.  James C. Dedman was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, near
Midway, October 23, 1869, and is the son of Robert Dedman, of Fayette
county, this state.  The life of the elder gentleman was coincident with
that of General Ulysses S. Grant, his birth occurring April 27, 1822, the
same day that the great general was born, and his death in August, 1885, a
few weeks after Grant died.  His wife, Mary Remington, born in Harrison
county, Kentucky, in 1839, survived him for more than a score of years, her
demise taking place January 17, 1907.  They were the parents of three
children, the subject and a sister,--Bessie, wife of R. E. Lair, of
Cynthiana, Kentucky, surviving.  By a previous marriage to a Miss Kay, of
Fayette county, Robert Dedman became the father of seven children, but one
of the number being deceased.
     Mr. Dedman's grandfather Dedman was a native of the state of Virginia,
who came to the Blue Grass state and located in Fayette county.  There his
son Robert was reared and received a common school education. While still a
young man he decided upon a change of residence and removed to Woodford
county where he engaged for six or eight years in the distilling business.
He eventually turned his attention to farming, being variously located in
Bourbon, Mercer and Woodford counties, and dying in Mercer county.  After
his death his widow removed to Cynthiana where she lived for the residue of
her life.
     James C. Dedman was reared amid the pleasant rural surrounding of his
father's farm in Mercer county and attended the district school,
supplementing his educational discipline with attendance at the high school
of Cynthiana.  While still a youth he concluded to adopt the profession of
law as his own and he began his preparation under Hon. A. H. Word and
Judge Kimbrough, noted members of the Kentucky Bar, and then entered the
Cincinnati Law School from which he was graduated in June, 1892.  He
immediately located in Cynthiana in the same office he occupies at the
present time and there went through the usual experiences of the young
lawyer, no matter how briliant [sic] and well equipped, while awaiting a
clientage.  He proved successful and in the fall of 1904 signal mark of the
confidence he had inspired in the community was given in his election to
the office of commonwealth attorney for the eighteenth judicial district,
comprising the counties of Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson. He
first assumed the duties of his office January 1, 1905, was subsequently
re-elected, and is now serving his second term.  He is one of the stanchest
and truest of Harrison county Democrats, and has subscribed to the articles
of faith of the party since his earliest voting days.  He and his wife are
members of the Christian church and fraternally he is affiliated with the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 438.
     On December 2, 1897, Mr. Dedman inaugurated a happy life companionship
by his union with Mary E. Ashbrook, born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, September
23, 1870.  They are the parents of three children, namely: Thomas Ashbrook,
born January 12, 1899; Sarah, born October 4, 1900; and Helen H. born
January 17, 1904.
     Mrs. Dedman is a daughter of Thomas Veach Ashbrook, born near
Cynthiana, Kentucky, August 22, 1828, and died September 30, 1874.  He was
educated in the district schools of his native county and reared upon a
farm, becoming familiar with all the detail of agricultural work under the
guidance of his father and in the school of practical experience.  He
continued engaged in the occupation until some few years after the
termination of the Civil war, when he removed to Cynthiana and there he and
his brother, Felix G. Ashbrook, embarked in the distillery business, the
plant built by them being known as the Ashbrook Distillery Company.  They
built up a large and flourishing business, which still exists, it being
known at the present time under the same name.  T. V. Ashbrook was a man
of much prominence in this community and he was several times elected mayor
of Cynthiana.  He was for several years president of the school board and
for years he was an active member of the Christian church.  As a farmer,
business man, city official, church member and official, and husband and
father, he was reliable, honest and true.  In politics he was Democratic
and very faithful to his party.  He had plenty of courage and pluck and
when threatened with arrest if he dared to vote at the time of the Civil
war, he fearlessly walked to the polls and cast his ballot.  He was placed
under arrest with a negro guard, but was soon released.
     September 3, 1857, Mr. Ashbrook married Artemesia Belles, a native of
Indianapolis, Indiana, in which city her birth occurred February 10, 1832.
This worthy lady passed on to her reward October 7, 1904, at her home in
Cynthiana, her age at the time of her demise being seventy-two years.
They were the parents of the following seven children: Sallie Veach,
residing in Cynthiana; Dorcas Sanders, wife of R. B. Hutchcraft, of Paris,
Kentucky; Felix Sterling, Sudie, Elizabeth and Earl, all deceased; and
Mary E., wife of Mr. Dedman.  Mrs. Ashbrook was a daughter of John James
Belles, who was born October 26, 1781, and died June 5, 1839.  Her mother
was Dorcas Sanders and she was a daughter of John and Sarah (Grant)
Sanders, the latter in turn being a daughter of William Grant and Elizabeth
Boone, the latter a sister of the famous Daniel Boone.
     William Grant was a son of William Grant I, of Scotland, who married
Margery Varnon, of Ireland, a widow with one son.  Her father was a rich
man with an elegant household and many servants and she, being badly
treated at home, ran away to America, where she met the young Scotchman,
William Grant, and married him.  Young Grant's name was in reality Douglas.
In the land of the thistle he had had bestowed upon him a grant of land for
a deed of bravery and was thenceforth called the "Grant" Douglas, to
distinguish him from others of the same name, and when he came to America
he assumed the name of Grant.  William Grant II was born in Pennsylvania,
in February, 1726, and died in Fayette county, Kentucky, in 1804.
     Thomas V. Ashbrook's father, Aaron Ashbrook, was born in Fayette
county, Kentucky, in 1796 and died in 1855 from cholera in Harrison county,
Kentucky.  He was married February 18, 1817, his wife, Sallie Veach, having
been born in Harrison county, Kentucky in 1798, and died November 16, 1851.
They were the parents of seven children.  Aaron Ashbrook began life in
moderate circumstances as a farmer on Indian Creek.  He remained there
until 1821 when he removed to Mill Creek, Harrison county, and there lived
until his death.  By thrift, industry and excellent management he
accumulated an exceedingly large property and gave to each of his children
four hundred and fifty acres, while at his death seven hundred more were
divided among them by the terms of his will.  His wife, Sallie Veach, was a
daughter of Thomas and Jane (Huff) Veach, and Thomas Veach was a son of
John Veach, and his wife, Jane Stewart.  Aaron Ashbrook's father, Felix
Ashbrook, was born in Virginia and died in Harrison county in 1843 at the
age of seventy-five years.  His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Todd,
was born in Maryland, and died September, 1838, at the age of seventy
years.  Aaron Ashbrook was born, lived and died in the Old Dominion.  Felix
Ashbrook was one of the valiant soldiers who held the fort at Boonesburg
in the war of 1812.

Dedman Remington Lair Kay Word Kimbrough Ashbrook Belles Hutchcraft
Sanders Grant Boone Varnon Douglas Veach Huff Stewart Todd
=
Woodford-KY Fayette-KY Bourbon-KY Mercer-KY Cincinnati-Hamilton-OH
Indianapolis-Marion-IN PA VA MD Scotland

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/harrison/dedman.jc.txt