Dingley Askham (died 12 July 1728) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

attorney, latterly Principal of

Barnard's Inn Barnard's Inn is a former Inn of Chancery in Holborn, London. It is now the home of Gresham College, an institution of higher learning established in 1597 that hosts public lectures. History Barnard's Inn dates back at least to the mid-thirt ...

in London.Christopher Brooks: "The Admissions Registers of Barnard's Inn 1620-1869" (1995; Selden Society Supp. Series 12)

Biography

Askham was a native of St. Ives,

Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popul ...

, and was admitted to Barnard's Inn on 26 June 1694. He served as Principal of the Inn from 16 July 1722 until his death on 12 July 1728. He is commemorated by an armorial window in the Hall of the Inn and by a memorial in All Saints' Church in St. Ives.

Dingley Askham junior

Askham is often confused with his son of the same name, Dingley Askham junior (born c. 1695, also in St. Ives, and died 26 April 1781, aged 86). He was likewise admitted to Barnard's Inn, on 19 June 1725, to undertake legal study. However, in 1729 he eloped with and married the daughter and heiress of Thomas Cotton of Conington,

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

, who reportedly died of rage on hearing of the marriage, because of the low social status of his attorney son-in-law. Askham and his wife subsequently lived at the property she inherited, Conington Hall. He was involved in restoring Conington church in 1737.British History Online: VCH Cambridgeshire vol 9: Conington
/ref> Later in life, he was a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and a well-respected huntsman.

References

Year of birth unknown English lawyers 1728 deaths People from St Ives, Cambridgeshire {{England-law-bio-stub