Nat Gould

William Askey 1844-1917

William Askey was born on 18 December 1844 at Milldale near Alstonefield in Staffordshire, the son of Thomas Askey 1803-1867 and his wife nee Hannah Hambleton 1807-1867. He was baptised on 12 January 1845 at Alstonefield.

Church Street

When the Census was taken in 1861 he was working as a groom for Thomas Gould at Hanson Grange in Staffordshire (1).

He married Jane Berisford on 11 July 1867 at Alstonefield church. They lived in Church Street in Alstonefield village, and had the following children:

Thomas Askey 1868-1952. He was born in 1867 at Milldale. He married Eliza Hill at Ashbourne in 1893, and lived at Harpur Hill, Buxton in Derbyshire. He died in 1952.

Hannah Askey. She was born in 1871, and baptised on 14 November 1871 at Alstonefield. She was married to William Henry Parry in 1892, and lived at Swadlincote in Derbyshire.

Jane Ann Askey. She was born in 1873. She was married to George William Wardle in 1898. They lived at first at Quarnford in Staffordshire, but later moved to Burbage, Buxton.

William Askey 1874-1952. He married Ann Ellen Phillips at Alstonefield church on 7 September 1897. They lived at Alstonefield.

Martha Askey. She was born in 1877, and was Known in the family as Patty. She was married to Ernest Bagshaw in 1904. She died in 1911.

Mary Eliza Askey 1878-1878. She was born in October 1878 and died aged only two months. She was buried at Alstonefield on 23 December 1878.

Samuel Askey. He was born in 1880, and died in 1952. He married Mary Ann Allen in 1907.

Albert Askey. He was born in 1887, and died in 1921. He married Lydia Alice Gilman in 1914, and they lived in Alstonefield.

Milldale Chapel in 1970

William Askey worked for Staffordshire County Council repairing the road through Alstonefield village from Lode Mill on the river Dove to Hulme End on the river Manifold. He was a Methodist local preacher and officiated at the tiny chapel in Milldale. He never retired. On the last evening of his life he came home from work, had his tea, told his wife that he felt unwell, went up to bed, and died. He was 72 years of age.

William Askey died on 15 March 1917. He was buried at Alstonefield, where there is a gravestone inscribed to his memory and that of his wife.

Signature on 1911 Census Return

(1) Working there with him was James Austin. In 1888 he married Mary Hambleton 1854-1928, a cousin of William Askey. Her father Samuel Hambleton was the brother of Hannah Hambleton 1807-1867 the mother of William Askey.