{{short description|British civil servant in India}} thumb|Ashe and his family. right|thumb|250px|Maniyachi railway station, where Ashe was assassinated (currently renamed as Vanchi Maniyachi after Vanchinathan)
'''Robert William d'Escourt Ashe''' (23 November 1872 – 17 June 1911) was the acting Collector and District magistrate of Tirunelveli district in Madras Presidency during the British colonialism. On 17 June 1911 Ashe was assassinated by Vanchinathan at the Maniyachi railway junction, between Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.<ref>[http://www.thoothukudi.tn.nic.in/upinfo/tourism/vanchimaniyachi.html Vanchi Maniyachi]. {{Archive url|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031211103042/http://www.thoothukudi.tn.nic.in/upinfo/tourism/vanchimaniyachi.html|date=2003-12-11}}</ref> After the shooting, Vanchinathan ran along the platform and took cover in station masters room. Some time later he was found dead, having shot himself in the mouth. Vanchi was accompanied by a youth named Sankara Krishna Aiyar who ran away, but was afterwards caught and convicted.<ref name="aurobindo">[http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/research/show.php?set=doclife&id=25 Documents in the Life of Sri Aurobindo]. {{Archive url|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311020848/http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/research/show.php?set=doclife&id=25|date=2007-03-11}}</ref> Ashe was the first and only colonial official to be assassinated in South India during the Indian independence movement.<ref>[http://www.kalachuvadu.com/issue-118/page12.asp In The Foot Steps Of Ashe] {{Archive url|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017111658/http://www.kalachuvadu.com/issue-118/page12.asp|date=2009-10-17}}</ref> The British government built a memorial for him at Tuticorin in 1913.<ref>{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100814130802/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2619/stories/20090925261908500.htm An Irish Link]}}</ref> That memorial is currently in dilapidated condition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-11-04 |title=Memorial to man shot by Vanchinathan lies dilapidated - Times Of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Memorial-to-man-shot-by-Vanchinathan-lies-dilapidated/articleshow/5233611.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104000414/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-16/chennai/28111697_1_memorial-tirunelveli-district-civil-servant |url-status=live |archive-date=2012-11-04 |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=The Times of India}}</ref>
== Personal life == Ashe was a Protestant from Ireland. He attended The High School, Dublin, where a plaque commemorated his death, erected by "School fellows and other friends" soon after his passing. He had two sons and two daughters. One of his sons was killed in the Second World War while the other joined the Indian Army and served until 1947. His daughters died childless.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Venkatachalapathy |first1=A.R. |title= In search of Ashe. |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |pages=37–44 |date= January 2010|volume=45 |issue=2 |jstor=25663988 }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashe, Robert William d'Escourt}} Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers Category:Assassinated British people Category:1872 births Category:1911 deaths Category:People assassinated in the 20th century