The surname of ASKQUITH is an ancient English surname, a habitation name from Askwith in North Yorkshire. The name was derived from the Old English word ASKVIOR, literally meaning the dweller in or near the ash-wood. Almost every city, town or village extant in the Middle Ages has served to name one or more families. While a man lived in a town or village he would not be known by its name, as that would be no means of identification - all in the village would be so named. But when a man left his birthplace or village where he had been known and went elsewhere, people would likely refer to him by the name of his former residence or by the name of the land which he owned. Some had the name of a manor or village because they were lords of that place and owned it, but the majority descend from vassals of freeman who once had lived there. Early records of the name mention Ulf de Askwith, who was documented in 1219 in County Yorkshire, and Adam de Askequith appears in 1297 in County Surrey. Edward Asquith of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. A notable member of the name was Herbert Henry Asquith. 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (1852-1928) the British Liberal statesman, born in Yorkshire. He was called to the bar in 1876, and was Liberal member for east Fife from 1886 until 1918. He became Home Secretary in 1892, and Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1905 until 1908, and became Prime Minister in April 1908. It was not until the 10th century that modern hereditary surnames first developed, and the use of fixed names spread, first to France, and then England, then to Germany and all of Europe. In these parts of Europe, the individual man was becoming more important, commerce was increasing and the exact identification of each man was becoming a necessity. Even today however, the Church does not recognise surnames. Baptisms and marriages are performed through use of the Christian name alone. Thus hereditary names as we know them today developed gradually during the 11th to the 15th century in the various European countries.