Person    | Male  Born 24/2/1619  Died 27/1/1689

Robert Aske

Categories: Philanthropy, Race Issues

Son of a draper. Worked as a haberdasher; 1643 became a Freeman of the Haberdashers Company; 1666 elected an Alderman of the City of London. He became Master of the Haberdashers' Company. But the reason he's remembered is that, though married he had no children and thus was free to leave a significant bequest to the founding of a Hospital, out of which grew a number of schools all with the tongue-twisting moniker of Haberdashers' Aske's. But at least the pupils learn to manage their apostrophes.

2021: Southwark News reported that "The Haberdashers’ Aske’s chain of schools will remove the surname of their 17th century benefactor Robert Aske from their names, in recognition of his investment in the slave trade." Aske invested a relatively small amount in the Royal African Company in 1672, becoming one of its founding members. the future of the statue of Ask at Hatcham College in New Cross is also looking doubtful.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Robert Aske

Commemorated ati

Aske's Hospital - right - 1875

This plaque summarises the history of the Hospital and celebrates the opening...

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Morden College

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National Theatre Foundation

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Joseph and Mary Knight

Joseph and Mary Knight

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Duke of Buckingham's house

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