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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Other Subjects

Chiswick Parochial Charities

Chiswick Parochial Charities

Comprising The Almshouse Charity (managing an almshouse in Chiswick) and The Lying-In Charity (offering an annual grant to benefit pregnant women in the London Borough of Hounslow).

Group, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Ada Lewis-Hill

Ada Lewis-Hill

Ada Hannah Lewis-Hill, philanthropist. Born Liverpool but brought up in a large family in Dublin where she married Samuel Lewis in 1867. They lived in Grosvenor Square until his death in 1901, when...

Person, Philanthropy, Ireland

1 memorial
Sir Julius Wernher

Sir Julius Wernher

Co-founder and funder (with Alfred Beit) of the Royal School of Mines building. Born Damstadt, Germany, came to London in 1871, and, acting as a diamond agent, went to Kimberly in South Africa. Re...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy, Race Issues, Germany, South Africa

1 memorial
Sir John Kirk

Sir John Kirk

J.P., Christian philanthropist, the children's friend.  Not to be confused with Sir John Kirk (1832-1922), the African explorer.  Sir John's great great grandson, Peter Mitchell, contacted us to sa...

Person, Children, Education, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Erasmus Wilson F.R.S

Erasmus Wilson F.R.S

Surgeon, dermatologist and philanthropist.  Born Marylebone High Street. Died at home in Kent.

Person, Medicine, Philanthropy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Hazel Reeves

Hazel Reeves

Our picture comes from the video of the unveiling of the Gresley statue, on Reeves' website.

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial
Hoxton Hall

Hoxton Hall

N1, Hoxton Street, Hoxton Hall, 130

Hoxton Hall. Built 1863 as a music hall. Owned since 1893 by Bedford Institute The Society of Friends (Quakers). Community activities ex...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Gandhi statue - Parliament Square

Gandhi statue - Parliament Square

SW1, Parliament Square

Locating this statue so close to the British Parliament is controversial given that Gandhi led the successful campaign for India to be fr...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Millicent Fawcett statue

Millicent Fawcett statue

SW1, Parliament Square

The 'courage' quote is from a speech Fawcett gave after the death of fellow suffrage campaigner Emily Davison.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Sam Bartram

Sam Bartram

SE7, Floyd Road, 'The Valley'

The plaques are on the wall behind the statue.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators