Asquith family

The Asquiths were originally a middle-class family from the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. They were members of the Congregational church, whose family name derived from the village of Askwith. The first prominent member of the family was H. H. Asquith, who was prime minister from 1908 to 1916. In 1925, Asquith was raised to the peerage as Earl of Oxford and Asquith. His great-grandson Raymond is the present Earl.

H. H. Asquith

All of H. H. Asquith's seven children achieved some prominence in national affairs. By his first wife Helen Kelsall Melland (d. 1891), he had four sons and one daughter. All of the sons volunteered for the Front early in the war. The eldest son, Raymond, a barrister and poet, was killed in action in 1916. The second son, Herbert, was a poet who married Lady Cynthia Charteris, a writer and anthologist. The third son, Arthur, became a Brigadier. The fourth son, Cyril (1890–1954), became a Law Lord. The daughter, Violet (1887–1969), became a Liberal politician and a Life Peeress in her own right in 1964.

By his second wife, the former Margot Tennant, Asquith had two more children. His daughter Elizabeth (1897–1945) was a writer who married a Romanian prince, becoming Princess Antoine Bibesco. His youngest son Anthony (1902–1968) became a well-known film director.

Prominent members

Living descendants are omitted unless they are notable and/or have a separate Wikipedia entry.

  • H. H. Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), married firstly (1877) Helen Kelsall Melland (18561891), issue 4 sons and 1 daughter
    • Raymond Asquith (6 November 1878 – 15 September 1916; killed in action), barrister and poet;[1] married 1907 Katharine Horner (18851976); 1 son and 2 daughters.
      • Helen Asquith OBE (19082000) who was a teacher and school inspector. She was appointed OBE in 1965 and in 1989 she was awarded the papal medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, for her charitable work. She did not marry. [2]
      • Perdita Asquith (19101996) who married William Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton (d. 1967) and had issue two sons (including the present incumbent) and one daughter
        • Raymond Jolliffe, 5th Baron Hylton (b. 13 June 1932), married 1966 Joanna de Bertodano, issue 4 sons and 1 daughter
        • John Jolliffe (15 July 1929 – 30 March 1985), Bodley's Librarian from 1982 to 1985
        • Mary Jolliffe (d. 2009), married John Paget Chancellor (b. 1927), issue 1 son and 3 daughters
          • Katherine Chancellor, or Kate Chancellor (b. 1961) formerly married 1989-97 to novelist Will Self, issue 1 son and 1 daughter.
          • Anna Chancellor (b. 27 April 1965), actress, issue 1 daughter
      • Julian Asquith, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith (22 April 1916 – 16 January 2011) married Anne Palairet (14 November 1916 – 19 August 1998); issue 2 sons and 3 daughters.[3]
    • Herbert Asquith (11 March 1881 – 5 August 1947), poet and lawyer; married to Lady Cynthia Charteris (27 September 1887 – 31 March 1960), writer, a daughter of the Hugo Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss and 7th Earl of March; issue 3 sons
      • John Michael Asquith (9 May 1911 – May 1937)
      • Michael Henry Asquith (25 July 1914 – 19 January 2004); twice married and had issue 2 sons and 1 daughter.
      • Simon Roland Anthony Asquith (20 August 1919 – 18 December 1973); m. 1 October 1942 Vivien Lawrence Jones; they had issue 2 sons and 1 daughter.
    • Brigadier-General Arthur Asquith (24 April 1883 – 25 August 1939); married to Betty Manners, a daughter of John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Baron Manners, and had issue.
      Violet Bonham-Carter, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury.
    • (Lady) Violet Asquith, later Bonham Carter (15 April 1887 – 19 February 1969), who became Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury in 1964; married 1916 Sir Maurice Bonham Carter (11 October 1880 – 7 June 1960), her father's private secretary, and had issue 2 sons and 2 daughters
    • Cyril Asquith, Baron Asquith of Bishopstone (5 February 1890 – 24 August 1954); married 1918 Anne Stephanie Pollock (27 April 18961964),[4] of the Pollock Baronets; they had issue 2 sons and 2 daughters.
      • Luke Asquith (b. 1919),[5] whose daughter Anne (b. 1965)[6] is married since 1989 to Roderick Cavendish (b. 1959), son and heir of Frederick Caryll Philip Cavendish, 7th Baron Waterpark and has issue two sons.
      • Paul Asquith (4 January 19271984)[7][8] married 1953 (div 1963) as her first husband Helena Mary Bridgeman (b. 1932) and has issue two children. He married 1963 Caroline Anne Carew Pole and had further issue, two children. All four children are married with issue.
      • (Frances) Rose Asquith (b. 1925)[8][9] married Sir John Frederick Eustace Stephenson, Lord Justice of Appeal (d. 1998), son of Sir Guy Stephenson, and had issue.[10]
  • H. H. Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), married secondly 1894 Margot Tennant (2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), surviving issue 1 son and 1 daughter.

See also

References

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