A Brief Family History

How we all got here...About 1500 AD the Ascue, Ayscough, or Askew family moved to Hopwas, near Tamworth,

England

. In order to distinguish themselves from their original family line, they took the H from Hopwas and added it to their name. So the story goes, that the name Haskew was first conceived.

The first written evidence is in the will of Henry Haskew in 1509. Later wills are of John Haskew (21/4/1544: Richard Haskew 12/10/1544: and John Haskewe 1558.
(6th edition- Patricia Ann Haskew (Van Der Valk) a compilation of information on Askew/Haskew origins. At Family History Center-Salt Lake City , Utah)--Patricia Haskew and Domonic Haskew of England have given most of the main English line information and pictures, beginning with Mathew Haskew abt 1707.

In her notes , Patricia mentions that religion eventually separated the family members. The Haskews were responsible for hiding priests when the Catholic religion was out of sorts. By doing so, many lost their wealth and lands. In her family line, the Catholic faith is still predominant while the early

Haskews were mostly Methodists.

The Haskews of

England

appear to be the source of the

Haskew lines. It is not currently known how or where the Haskews arrived in the

. There is one story that says 6 brothers arrived in the

and had some kind of disagreement. That 3 of them decided to spell their name Hascue instead of Haskew.

One of the earliest Haskews mentioned in the

is Phillip Haskew marrying Eliza Cox, 29 July 1716 in Boston, Mass. He had a son (John) who married Rachel Welsh 6 Jan.1741, in Boston also. No more is known about them at this time.

The earliest land records indicate that the Haskews were in King and Queen County, Virginia early on . John Haskew born 1696 , purchased land in 1733.

John Haskew of St. Geo.Parish, Spotsylvania Co; 400 acres in St. Marks Parish in said Co., in great fork of Rappahonnick River, by blew Cowslip run; adj. David Mitchell and John Gordon; 20 June 1733. Cavaliers and Pioneers vol 4 page.5.

The area where John purchased land went through several changes. It started out as a part of King and Queen County; then changed to Spotsylvania county; and lastly to Orange County, Virginia. The first white settlers into the area came in 1700. Rachel Warren was born there and John met and married her there.

The Haskews of the US have been mostly Methodists in the early 1800's. There have been a lot of Sheriff's, Preachers, Teachers, Farmers, and Cowboys in the families over the years. Many early Haskews owned slaves. Some Haskews in the

may have taken their last names from their Owners. (see Haskews of the plantations) Family members fought on both sides of the Civil War about half on each side.