Robert Aske (merchant)
Encyclopedia
Robert Aske was a merchant in the City of London
. He is chiefly remembered from the charitable foundation created from his estate, which operates two schools in Hertfordshire, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
and Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
.
Aske was the son of an affluent draper
. Aske was apprenticed to John Trott, a haberdasher
(dealer in raw silk
) and East India Company
merchant. Aske became a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
in 1643 and an alderman
of the City of London Corporation in 1666. He became Master of the Haberdashers Company, but was removed from that position by James II
in 1687 when the Catholic
king lost faith in Aske, a Protestant.
Despite marrying twice, Aske had no children and left the bulk of his sizable estate, £
32,000, to the Company for charitable
purposes. He directed that £20,000 was to be used to buy a piece of land within one mile
of London
upon which was to be built a "hospital
" (almshouses) for 20 poor members of the Company and a school for 20 sons of poor freemen of the Company. The remaining £12,000 was left to form the Haberdashers' Aske's Foundation, of which the Company is trustee
. The charity was incorporated
by a private Act of Parliament
in 1690.
An almshouse and school, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, were built on 21 acre
s in Hoxton
in 1690 to a design by Robert Hooke
. A further 1,500 acres (6 km²) in Kent
were acquired to provide an annual income of over £700. The buildings were demolished in 1824 and reconstructed in 1825 to a design by D. R. Roper. The almshouses closed to allow the school to expand in 1874 to take 300 boys and 300 girls, and a second and third school were opened in Hatcham
in 1875. The Hoxton school move to two sites, in Hampstead
for the boys and Acton
for the girls, in 1898, and both schools are now reunited in Elstree
. The Hatcham schools are now merged as a single state school, an Academy
known as Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
.
Aske shares his name with another Robert Aske
, who was executed for treason
in 1537. The first Robert Aske was unmarried and is unlikely to be a direct ancestor of the second, although they are likely to be a member of the same family from Yorkshire
.
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He is chiefly remembered from the charitable foundation created from his estate, which operates two schools in Hertfordshire, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a British independent school for boys aged 4–19. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Haileybury Group....
and Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls is an academically high-achieving British independent school in Elstree, near Borehamwood, in the county of Hertfordshire. It is often known as "Habs" or "Habs girls", to distinguish it from the neighbouring Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School...
.
Aske was the son of an affluent draper
Draper
Draper is the now largely obsolete term for a wholesaler, or especially retailer, of cloth, mainly for clothing, or one who works in a draper's shop. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. The drapers were an important trade guild...
. Aske was apprenticed to John Trott, a haberdasher
Haberdasher
A haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zips, and other notions. In American English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.-Origin and use:The word appears in...
(dealer in raw silk
Raw Silk
Raw Silk was an American dance band, originated in New York. Raw Silk is best known for their garage-boogie song "Do It to the Music". The group is consisted of two Crown Heights Affair members, Ron Dean Miller and Bert Reid, and three female vocalists Jessica Cleaves, Sybil Thomas, Tenita Jordan...
) and East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
merchant. Aske became a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the senior Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdashery, received a Royal Charter in 1448...
in 1643 and an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the City of London Corporation in 1666. He became Master of the Haberdashers Company, but was removed from that position by James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
in 1687 when the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
king lost faith in Aske, a Protestant.
Despite marrying twice, Aske had no children and left the bulk of his sizable estate, £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
32,000, to the Company for charitable
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
purposes. He directed that £20,000 was to be used to buy a piece of land within one mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
upon which was to be built a "hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
" (almshouses) for 20 poor members of the Company and a school for 20 sons of poor freemen of the Company. The remaining £12,000 was left to form the Haberdashers' Aske's Foundation, of which the Company is trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
. The charity was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
by a private Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1690.
An almshouse and school, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, were built on 21 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s in Hoxton
Hoxton
Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...
in 1690 to a design by Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS was an English natural philosopher, architect and polymath.His adult life comprised three distinct periods: as a scientific inquirer lacking money; achieving great wealth and standing through his reputation for hard work and scrupulous honesty following the great fire of 1666, but...
. A further 1,500 acres (6 km²) in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
were acquired to provide an annual income of over £700. The buildings were demolished in 1824 and reconstructed in 1825 to a design by D. R. Roper. The almshouses closed to allow the school to expand in 1874 to take 300 boys and 300 girls, and a second and third school were opened in Hatcham
Hatcham
Hatcham was a manor and later chapelry in what is now London, England. It corresponds to the area around New Cross Gate station in the London Borough of Lewisham....
in 1875. The Hoxton school move to two sites, in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
for the boys and Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
for the girls, in 1898, and both schools are now reunited in Elstree
Elstree
Elstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road, about 10 miles north of London. In 2001, its population was 4,765, and forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree....
. The Hatcham schools are now merged as a single state school, an Academy
Academy (England)
In the education system of England, an academy is a school that is directly funded by central government and independent of control by local government in England. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind...
known as Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College is an Academy secondary school located. in New Cross. The school was formerly a Grammar school, then a comprehensive City Technology College and now an Academy operating between two sites near New Cross Gate in South-East London...
.
Aske shares his name with another Robert Aske
Robert Aske (political leader)
Robert Aske was an English lawyer who became the leader of rebellion in York. He led the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 and was executed by Henry VIII for treason in 1537.-Biography:...
, who was executed for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
in 1537. The first Robert Aske was unmarried and is unlikely to be a direct ancestor of the second, although they are likely to be a member of the same family from Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.