Anthony Askew facts for kids
Anthony Askew (born 1722, died 1774) was an English doctor. He is most famous for being a huge book collector. His amazing collection of books was bought by the British Museum. Some books were also bought by George III of Great Britain for his special King's Library.
Who Was Anthony Askew?
Anthony Askew was born in 1722 in Kendal, Westmorland, England. His father, Dr. Adam Askew, was a well-known doctor in Newcastle. Anthony was baptized in Kendal on May 7, 1722. His family moved to Newcastle in 1725.
He went to school at Sedbergh School and The Royal Free Grammar School in Newcastle. A fellow doctor said that Anthony was quite scared of his headmaster, Richard Dawes.
Anthony Askew was married two times. His first wife was Margaret Swinburn, and they did not have any children. His second wife was Elizabeth Holford. They had twelve children together, six girls and six boys. Elizabeth was born in 1734 and passed away on August 2, 1773.
Becoming a Doctor
Anthony Askew studied medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He earned his first medical degree in December 1745.
He spent a year studying at Leiden University in Holland. After that, he traveled to many countries. He visited Hungary, Athens, Constantinople, and Italy. During his travels, he started collecting valuable books and old manuscripts. This was the beginning of his huge library, called the Bibliotheca Askeviana.
He began working as a doctor in Cambridge in 1750. In the same year, he earned his advanced medical degree. Later, he moved his practice to London. He worked as a doctor at St. Bartholomew's and Christ's Hospital. He was also the Registrar for the College of Physicians from 1767 to 1774.
On February 8, 1749, he became a member of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists. A few years later, in 1752, he joined the Royal College of Physicians. He became a full member a year after that. In 1758, he gave an important speech there called the Harveian Oration.
A Passion for Books
Anthony Askew is best known today as a classical scholar and a bibliophile. A bibliophile is someone who loves and collects books. He especially loved the ancient Greek writer Aeschylus.
He built up a massive library, the Bibliotheca Askeviana. This collection helped make collecting rare books popular. Askew's house was filled with books, from the basement to the attic! His collection mainly focused on classical books. He wanted to own every version of every Greek author's work.
Alain Besson, a writer, said that Askew's library had "rare manuscripts and choice editions in exquisite bindings." This means his books were very old, special, and had beautiful covers. Besson also said that Askew made "bibliomania" (a strong love for books) fashionable.
His Legacy
Anthony Askew passed away on February 28, 1774, in Hampstead, London, England. He was buried at Hampstead church. After his death, Anthony's brother, Henry Askew, took care of his twelve children.
After Askew died, his library of nearly 7,000 books was sold. The auction happened from February 13 to March 7, 1775. It lasted for 19 days! The list of books for sale cost a small amount of money. More than 80% of the books were classical texts in Latin and Greek.
Many important people and places bought books from Askew's collection. These included the anatomist William Hunter, the British Museum, and even the kings of England and France. Some books bought by George III of England were added to his King's Library.
Askew also had a large collection of copied ancient writings. These are now kept at the British Museum. One special book from his collection is called the Askew Codex.
See Also
- Askew Codex
