Ainscough

Ainscough is an old Cumberland family name, also spelled Ayscough, Aiskew, Askew, Ascough and Aynscough.

It is thought that the name is derived from the Norse words "ask skog". Although other sources suggest that Aiskew is a corruption of the words "Eiki Skogr" translating to Oak Wood. An alternative Swedish translation for the name “enskog” is “juniper forest”, with the “en” pronounced “ain”. The "ain" part of the word meaning juniper, "skog" meaning wood or forest. In Medieval English the name was pronounced 'Akeskeugh' or as SAMPA suggests 'eInsk@U'. Today the name is pronounced 'Ains/co'.

Name variations are: Ainscough, Ayscough, Ayscue, Ascough, Askew, Anscow, Askow, Ascow, Ascoe, Arscow, Anescoe, Aniscoe, Anscow, Ascoughe, Aynstowe, Askoes, Asckoe, Askoe, Askowes, Aynscow, Ainscow, Ainscowe, Ainscoe, Asque, Eskew, Escue and Insker.

1. William Ayscough (or William Aiscough) (?-d.1450), Bishop of Salisbury and Confessor to King Henry VI - of the Bedale/ Lincolnshire Ayscough line. He was nominated on 11 February 1438 and consecrated on 20 July 1438. “Many of his tenants intending to joyne with Jack Cade, came to Edendon, took him from masse and drew him-to ye top of a hill, where they cleft his head as he kneeled and prayed, not farre fro Edendon and spoyl’d him to ye skin June ye 29, 1450.”

2. Anne Askew (Ayscough) Kyme (1521–1546), English Protestant and persecuted heretic, daughter of Sir William of Stallingborough, Lincolnshire. In 1546 Anne was arrested three times for heresy, committed to the Tower, subjected to the rack, and burnt at Smithfield 16 July 1546.

3. Sir William Ayscough of Stallingborough (1497–1541), knighted in 1513 by Henry VIII at the siege of Tournai. Alabaster busts and brasses dated c.1612 of Sir Edward, Sir Francis and Sir William can be found in the church of St Peter & St Pauls, Stallingborough.

4. Sir Francis Ayscough (c1509-1564) son of Sir William was knighted "at the wining of Boulogne", Sheriff of Lincoln in 1545, 1549 and 1554. Buried at St Mary's Church, South Kelsey, Lincolnshire.

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