John Rowland Ashton

John R. Ashton MBE (1917–2008) was an English writer, lecturer, local historian and educationist active in Sweden. He was the former chairman of the British Factory. He resided in Gothenburg, Sweden, with his Swedish wife Torborg.

Biography John Rowland Ashton was born in Manchester, England, in 1917.

In his early life he studied law in London. He was employed by the Gothenburg Education Authority as English language teaching consultant in 1952, a post he held until 1982. During this time he co-authored several English language teaching series, published in Sweden and Norway. He also edited English texts for older students in Sweden, Germany and Holland. In 1957 he pioneered an English language teaching series on local television which he wrote and presented. He has also been active in the social life of the British community in Gothenburg being the vice-chairman of the English school (1960–1979) and a member of the English Church (St. Andrew's) Council (1974–1998). He was elected a member of the ancient British Factory in 1980 and soon became chairman. He was appointed MBE in the 1979 New Year Honours "For services to the teaching of English in Sweden".

John Ashton died in Gothenburg in 2008.