Askom History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancestors of the name Askom date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Askom family lived in parishes called Askham, or Ascham, in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Westmorland (now part of Cumbria). The name could have been derived from an Old English expression for a "dweller at the Ash-Tree field or enclosure." 1 Early Origins of the Askom familyThe surname Askom was first found in Yorkshire at Little Askham or Askham-Richard. :"In the 9th of Edward II. the priory of Burlington held this manor; the patronage of the church was exercised by the nuns of Monkton till the Dissolution." 2 However, we must look to the aforementioned Westmorland to find the first listing of the family. For it is there that the "Placita de Quo Warranto" listed Avice de Askum, 20 Edward I (during the 20th year of Edward I's reign.) Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 listed Thomas de Askam. 3 Early History of the Askom familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Askom research. Another 246 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1313, 1379, 1390, 1397, 1398, 1406, 1515, 1540, 1553, 1568, 1638, 1650 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Askom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Askom Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Askom are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Askom include: Askham, Askheam, Ascham, Askum, Askam and others. Early Notables of the Askom familyDistinguished members of the family include Anthony Ascham (fl. 1553), an English astrologer who studied at Cambridge, became M.B. in 1540, and in 1553 was presented by Edward VI to the vicarage of Burneston, Yorkshire.
Antony Ascham (d. 1650), was a parliamentarian and Ambassador at Madrid, "born of a genteel family, educated in Eton school, and thence elected into King's College, Cambridge, 1638." 4
Roger Ascham, (1515-1568), was an English author born in 1515 at Kirby Wiske, near Northallerton. "His family appears to have been of considerable antiquity, and to have taken its name from the villages known East and West Askham, near... Migration of the Askom familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Askom or a variant listed above: W.B. Askam, who sailed to San Francisco in 1850; and Charles, James and Luke Askam who journeyed to Philadelphia in 1854.
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