MD Leyden 1832; LRCP Lond 1841; LL D Honoris Causa 1895.
Ashton was born in Manchester in 1800. After an apprenticeship to John Ransome, Ashton was admitted as Physician's Clerk at MRI in 1820, he resigned in 1823. Ashton was appointed Resident Medical Officer at MRI. He was in private practice as a surgeon from 1825 and retired c.1850. Ashton was a president of Manchester Medical Society in 1849. He was well known in literary and scientific circles and collected a large number of medical books, some of which he gave to Manchester Medical Society on his retirement. Ashton died in Altrincham on 15 Dec 1883.