Nat Gould

Thomas Askey 1803-1867

Ashbourne Chuirch

Thomas Askey was born on 23 December 1803 at Ashbourne in Derbyshire, the son of Richard Askey 1758-1820 and his wife nee Frances Fernihough, and was baptised there on 15 January 1804 (1).

He married Hannah Hambleton 1807-1867 on 29 September 1834 at Ellastone in Staffordshire. She was was born in 1807 at Milldale in Alstonefield parish in Staffordshire, the daughter of William Hambleton and his wife nee Martha Sheldon.

They lived all their married life in Milldale, and had the following children, all born in Milldale and buried at Alstonefield:

Milldale

Frances Askey. She was born in 1835, and died in in the following year.
She was buried on 29 August 1836.

Martha Anne Askey. She was born in 1837, and baptised at Alstonefield on 31 December 1837. She died in 1840 aged three years, and was buried on 13 April 1840.

Eliza Askey. She was born in 1839, and baptised at Alstonefield on 21 April 1839. She died in the following year, and was buried on 30 April 1840.

Hannah Askey. She was born in 1841, and baptised at Alstonefield on 14 November 1841. She died in 1860 aged eighteen years, and was buried on 25 July 1860.

Thomas Askey. He was born in 1843, and baptised at Alstonefield on 9 April 1843. He died in the following year, and was buried on 8 March 1844.

William Askey. He was born on 18 December 1844, and baptised at Alstonefield on 12 January 1845. He married Jane Berisford, and died on 15 March 1917.

Thomas Askey died on 1 January 1867 while working for Thomas Gould at Hanson Grange (2). He was buried on 4 January 1867 at Alstonefield.

His widow Hannah Askey died later in the same year aged 60 years, and was buried on 12 October 1867 at Alstonefield.

(1) The Ashbourne register of this period gives dates of birth as well as dates of baptism.

(2) A report of the Inquest held on 3 January at Hanson Grange was published on 9 January 1867 in the Derby Mercury, as shown in the illustration.

It was midwinter, and Thomas Askey would have climbed the steep hillside from his home in Milldale to reach Hanson Grange before starting the arduous work of feeding young cattle with stored hay after having assisted in the milking.

The newspaper report incorrectly gives his surname as Askew and his age as 59. The same date is stated in the Alstonefield burial register. He was in fact 64 years old according to his birth date stated in the Ashbourne baptism register.