Profile
John Aspinall
Politician + Owner + Zoo Keeper
Male
Born
Jun 11, 1926
Hometown
British Raj
Died
Jun 29, 2000
Death Place
London
Political Party
Referendum Party
Nationality
British People
Alma Mater
Jesus College
John Victor Aspinall was a British zoo owner and gambling club host. From middle class beginnings he used gambling to move to the centre of British high society in the 1960s. He was born in Delhi during the British Raj, and was a citizen of the United… Read More
Photos
View newly released photos of John Aspinall.
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Nov 6, 20001 Photo -
May 19, 19971 Photo -
COMING SOON -
COMING SOON
Family
Discover the family history of John Aspinall.
John Aspinall
d.2000
children
News + Updates
Browse recent news and stories about John Aspinall.
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Rain Halts Trophy FinalBakewell Today - Sep 01, 2012
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Matlock Ready For A Promotion PushBakewell Today - Apr 20, 2012
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Aussie Dairy Farmers Refuse To Meet Community Otago Daily TimesGoogle News - Aug 27, 2011
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Guthrie Puts Matlock To The Sword Derbyshire TimesGoogle News - Aug 26, 2011
Timeline
Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of John Aspinall.
CHILDHOOD
1926
Birth
John Victor Aspinall, known to all his friends as 'Aspers', was born in Delhi, India, on 11 June 1926, the son of Dr. Robert Stavali Aspinall, a British Army surgeon, and wife, whom he married before 1926, Mary Grace Horn (died 1987), daughter of Clement Samuel Horn, of Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex, Sussex.
… Read More
THIRTIES
In 1956 he married Jane Gordon Hastings, and had one son, Damian Aspinall.
1958
32 Years Old
In 1958, he lived at Howletts Zoo, Kent; at this point his mother had forgotten to pay off corrupt police officers, so they raided his game that night.
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1960
34 Years Old
In response to Aspinall's legal win, the UK Government passed the Betting and Gaming Act 1960, which allowed commercial bingo halls to be set up, provided they were established as members-only clubs and had to get their take from membership fees and charges rather than as a percentage of the gaming fees.
… Read More
FORTIES
1966
40 Years Old
Aspinall divorced his first wife in 1966 and on 13 December of that year he married secondly Belinda Mary Musker (b. 27 November 1942), daughter of Major Anthony Dermot Melloney Musker (killed in a motor racing accident on 8 August 1959) and wife (m. 2 November 1940) The Hon.
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1968
42 Years Old
The passing of the 1968 Gaming Act boosted profits, and he sold The Clermont in 1972.
1972
46 Years Old
In 1972 he divorced his second wife and married thirdly Lady Sarah-Marguerite "Sally" Curzon (b. 25 January 1945, living in 2003 at 64 Sloane Street, London), daughter of Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, and Sybil Boyter Johnson. She was a widow who had previously married 29 March 1966 the racing driver Piers Raymond Courage.
1973
47 Years Old
In 1973, because of need for further space for his animal collection, Aspinall bought Port Lympne near Hythe, Kent.
1975
49 Years Old
He opened Howletts to the public in 1975, and Port Lympne Zoo in 1976.
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LATE ADULTHOOD
1990
64 Years Old
Aspinall claimed that Lord Lucan, whose disappearance had remained a mystery, had committed suicide by scuttling his motorboat and jumping into the English Channel with a stone tied around his body. According to the journalist Lynn Barber, in an interview in 1990 Aspinall made a slip of the tongue that indicated Lord Lucan had remained Aspinall's friend beyond the date of the alleged suicide.
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1998
72 Years Old
John and Sally had a son Bassa Wulfhere Aspinall (b 1972), who married in 1998 Donne Ranger.
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2000
74 Years Old
Aspinall died of cancer, in Westminster, London, on 29 June 2000, aged 74.
Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Aspinall_(zoo_owner).
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.