Ainscough is an Old Norse, Scandinavian surname,. also spelled Ayscough, Aiskew, Askew, Ascough and Aynscough.
Origins and variants 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". The "en" part of the word meaning juniper, "skog" meaning wood or forest. Today the name is pronounced .Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.).
Other suggestions indicate that the name Ainscough is of French origin. When William the Conqueror invaded England, he brought his army of knights. These knights from Normandy were given land for their effort during the invasion and were placed as his head of government in each Shire. Wikipedia has information about a plaque placed in Normandy Cathedral before leaving for England. This plaque has a list of knights. There are two knights listed as "Ansgot" which would have been the French spelling for Ainscough. However, further evidence is required to support this translation of the name.
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.A Dictionary of British Surnames by Percy Hide Reaney, William Alexander Francis Browne, Richard Middlewood Wilson. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1958.
Notable Ainscoughs
William Ayscough (or Aiscough; died 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. Murdered at Edington, Wiltshire, on 29 June 1450 by an angry mob during Jack Cade's Rebellion."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." Anne Askew (Ayscough) Kyme (1521–1546), English Anabaptist, 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. Sir William Ayscough of Stallingborough (1497–1541), knighted in 1513 by Henry VIII at the siege of Tournai. Alabaster busts and brasses dated circa 1612 of Sir Edward, Sir Francis and Sir William can be found in the church of Ss Peter & Paul, Stallingborough. Sir Francis Ayscough (-1564), son of Sir William, was knighted "at the winning of Boulogne", Sheriff of Lincoln in 1545, 1549 and 1554. Buried at St Mary's Church, South Kelsey, Lincolnshire. Sir Edward Ayscough (died 1558), youngest son of Sir William, and cup-bearer to Henry VIII from 1539 to 1547. Buried at Keelby, Lincolnshire. Hannah Ayscough (1623–1679), mother of Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727). Hannah was born in Market Overton in Rutland in 1623. Her father was James Ayscough. Isaac Newton the elder (1606–1642) married Hannah Ayscough in April 1642 in Woolsthorpe, a hamlet within the Parish of Colsterworth. Francis Ayscough (1700–1763), Dean of Bristol; tutor to George III. In 1756, Ayscough became the Canon for Winchester Cathedral (1756–1763). Ayscough's children included Augusta (Lady Cockburn) and George Edward, a Guards officer. Augusta Anne Ayscough (1749–1837), the daughter of Francis Ayscough. The second wife of Sir James Cockburn and became Lady Cockburn of Langton in 1769. James Ayscough (died 1759) scientist and optician, an English designer and maker of scientific instruments. He became known for his microscopes. His shop was in London between 1740 and 1759. In 1752, he designed the first spectacles with double-hinged side pieces.
Lancashire Ainscoughs Recent research'Townships: Scarisbrick', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3 (1907), pp. 265–276. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41332&strquery=Aykescough Date accessed: 11 June 2009 shows that there are references to Ainscoughs in the Ormskirk area as early as the 13thC – William of Ainscough was a beneficiary to the church in Ormskirk; and there is a reference in 'The Cartulary of Burscough Priory' (1199-) to a piece of land in the Scarisbrick estate called Aykescogh (Oak Wood) in the 12thC. In the same document the spelling of the name changes, in 1199 this is referred to as a place called 'Ayscogh', but then changes just 50 years later to 'Aykescogh' (1245-).
Some genealogical sources give the English-Scottish borders as the origin of the family, others claim Cumberland as the source. Given the various theories on the derivation of the name, it is possible that there were other, independent lineages with the same surname.
Ralph Ainscough (b. 1899 in Horwich) recorded his grandfather Ralph (b. 1841 in Aspull) telling him that older generations of the Ainscoughs – e.g. William (b. 1816 in Blackrod) had pronounced the name as "Ainsker". There is some documentary evidence for this as William's younger brother Charles (b. 1818 in Blackrod) gave his name as "Insker" on moving to Staffordshire in the 1840s. Some Yorkshire names acquired an internal "n" when crossing the Pennines into Lancashire. "Ainsker" may well have originated as "Aisker" – which is not far removed from the Anglo-Saxon "Aiks keogh" or oak wood. Given the common nature of places as surname origins, it is possible that there was more than one distinct line with the same surname.
Evidence of origin from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) is mixed and inconclusive. The IGI itself is a valuable but flawed resource. The current online database – which I shall term "IGI 2" – contains records contributed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), many of which are questionable. The original pass through Britain's parish records by LDS members was free of personal contributions and was available on microfiches in such centres as the library of the Society of Genealogists. I shall term this database "IGI 1". This original database excluded many Catholic records, owing to the reluctance of Catholic priests to allow their records being transcribed by the LDS. It also failed to record some nonconformist register entries. Given these caveats, an examination of the 1,623 records of Ainscoughs in Lancashire in the original IGI 1 shows that the earliest recorded event was the christening of Thomas Ainscough – son of John – on 27 April 1549 in Chorley. The next was the marriage of Kateryn Aynscow to John Brindill (Katherine Ainscough & John Brindle) on 17 January 1550 in the parish of Chorley. In the same year, on 20 January and in the same parish, Richard Aynscow married "Jone Leeds". John, Katherine and Richard may have been siblings and quite possibly were born in the 1520s. The records in IGI 1 are drawn almost exclusively from Anglican records, but these three Ainscoughs may well have come from the Lincolnshire connection.
Notable Lancashire Ainscoughs
Hugh Ainscough (1816–1894) & Richard Ainscough (1818–1877), prosperous corn merchants, owners of two flour mills, Burscough (OS grid reference SD4411). Benefactors of Our Ladys and All Saints RC church, founded in 1884 (OS grid reference SD494109) and of the Catholic school in Parbold. Thomas Ainscough (1865–1927) first class cricketer. Major team Lancashire. Batting style Left-hand bat. Born 23 February 1865, at Lancaster House, Parbold. Died 20 November 1927. Captain of the Second Eleven and a member of the committee. Many times he appeared in big matches for Liverpool and District teams, and in games against Yorkshire made scores of 61 not out, 50 and 61. 7th child of Hugh AINSCOUGH (1816–1894) and Susan (FAIRCLOUGH) AINSCOUGH (1830–1923). Sir Thomas Martland Ainscough KBE (1886–1976), Colonial administrator. A native of Wigan, and son of a former Mayor of the Borough. 37 years of public service in the Department of Overseas Trade, the last 26 of them as H.M. Senior Trade Commissioner for India, Burma, and Ceylon. His parents were James and Margaret Ainscough, of Parbold, Mayor and Mayoress of Wigan in 1922–23. Sir Thomas married Marjorie Jones, who became Lady Ainscough, they remained married until his death, Lady Ainscough died in 1981, Her grandson Simon Martin resides quietly on the Isle of Wight. Captain Cyril Ainscough (1893–1915), 5th Bn, Manchester Regiment (Territorial), was killed in action in the Dardanelles on 7 August 1915 age 22 at Cape Helles Gallipoli, Turkey. Family home: Fairhurst Hall Parbold, Wigan. Listed in Burke's Landed Gentry Vol 2, 1969 pages 5 & 6. Anthony Lawrence Ainscough (1906–1986), Roman Catholic priest, later Prior of Ampleforth College. Born at Woodlands in Parbold, Wigan on 10 May 1906, he was the third and youngest son of Thomas and Jane Ainscough. Gerald Ainscough (1919–1985) – Founded Ainscough Crane Hire in 1976, Standish, Wigan, a crane hire company which employs 1,000 people. Martin Ainscough CBE (born 1952) – businessman who grew Ainscough Crane Hire until its sale in 2007 and the chairman of the Ainscough Group. The High Sheriff of Greater Manchester in 2025 and Deputy Lieutenant for the metropolitan county. John Whitwell Ainscough (1908–1992) engineer and Director of H&R Ainscough Major Oswald Whitwell Ainscough (1906–1995) of Casterton Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland, served in World War II 1939–45 as Major, 1st and 8th Bn Kings Regt in India and Burma. Director H. & R. Ainscough Ltd 1936–64; Director Liverpool Corn Trade Associate 1953–55; and Grain Contract Insurance Co 1953–55; Vice-Pres L.C.TA 1962; member Council N.F.C.TA 1962; Director Palace Hotel Co Southport 1934–50; and Casterton Estates Ltd from 1965; Gerry Ainscough born Wigan 1964, played Rugby Union for Orrell (1983 to 1992 and 1993 to 1995), Leicester (1992/93) and Leeds Tykes (1996 to 1998). Represented Lancashire, North of England, England 'B' and England VII's. Made history in 1988 when he played Rugby Union at Twickenham (County Championship Final) after first playing Rugby League at Wembley (under 11's schoolboy "curtain-raiser" to the 1975 Challenge Cup Final). Shaun Ainscough (born 27 November 1989 in Higher End, England) is an English professional rugby league player, currently playing for the Wigan Warriors Super League. Ainscough started his professional career playing for the Wigan club.
Lincolnshire Ayscoughs (also known as Askews) The following theory was put forward by researchers in the 1970s but seems unlikely, since earlier evidence has been found showing Ainscoughs existed in Lancashire prior to a possible migration from Lincolnshire.
The Lincolnshire Ayscough family originated from Bedale and owned estates around Stallingborough, Ashby, South Kelsey, Basford, Nuthall and Spalding. Ayscoughfee Hall, now a preserved manor house in Spalding, was originally built by the rich wool merchant, Richard Alwyn in 1420 and then it was owned by the Lincolnshire Ayscough family in the early part of the 16th century. The grant of land at Spalding was made to Sir William Ayscough (b.1490-d.1541) by Henry VIII. E.H. Gooch writes about "Ayscoughfee Hall" in his book "The History of Spalding", 1940.