Recorded as Ascough, Ayscough, Ascough, Askey, Askie, and the dialectals Haskey, Heskey and Hiskey, this is an English surname. It is locational from a place called Haskey in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Recorded as "Echescol" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and as "Aykescogh" in the Fines Court rolls of thr county in 1235, the place name and hence the later srname derives from the pre 7th century Old Norse elements "eiki", meaning the oak, and "skogr", a wood; hence, "oak wood". Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to seek work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. Spelling being at best indifferent and local accents very thick, soon lead to the development of 'sounds like' spellings. Early examples of the name recordings include Sir Hugh Askew, who received the lands of the convent of Seaton during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1542, William Ayscough who died in 1450, was the bishop of Salisbury, whilst John Heskey was christened at St James Clerkenwell, in the city of London on June 3rd 1547. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Ayksaghe. This was dated 1366, in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire, during the reign of King Edward 111rd of England, 1327 - 1377. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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