"Inscoe? Where's that from?"

Three generations of the Inscoes.

I have an unusual last name. I love it. It's so much easier to make user names and emails when you have a last name (and a first name, for that matter) that not many others do.

When you have an unusual last name, everyone asks where it's from. I've never really known. Polish? Dutch? Sure, sounds good.

A couple years ago, I got curious. I started searching the internet, learning whatever I could about the name without paying a genealogy site. I eventually found someone who claimed to have mapped the Inscoe name. He sent me the file and I promptly forgot about it.

Around Christmas, I was talking with my dad about his side of the family. It got me thinking about that file. I found it in my email and opened the 1,111-page file.

Control+F: "Walter Franklin." There was my great-grandfather. Listed below him was my grandfather, Walter Jr. Listed below him was my dad, Douglas. And below him, me.

I had no idea that the tree included our branch. It traced my family back 12 generations, to John Inscoe (Inskow) in 1620s England.

So there's my answer.

I learned several other things about my ancestors:

• There are more spellings of Inscoe than I imagined, such as: Insco, Inskow, Inscow and Enscho. 
• The tree goes back to John Inscoe (Inscow), who was born about 1627 in the county of Staffordshire, England. 
• My branch of the family came to America around 1697, when Edward Jone Inscoe (Inskow) came over as an indentured servant to a Colonel Covington. 
• We settled in Virginia. My branch moved to Franklin County, N.C., then to Halifax County, N.C., where my grandfather and father both grew up. 
• I have an ancestor named Augustus. That should absolutely be the name of my first-born son. 

Here's an abridged look at my family tree: 

• John Inscoe (Inscow), born 1627 in England. Married Alice Unk (meaning unknown) around 1646. Had six children: Alice, John (Jone), Joseph, Bartholomew, Joan and Edward. 
• John (Jone) Inscoe (Inskow), born 1651 in England. Died 1673 in England. Married Mary Unk around 1672 and she died in 1673. They had one child: Edward Jone Inscoe (Inskow). 
• Edward Jone Inscoe (Inskow), born May 9, 1673 in England. Died around 1730 in King George County, Va. Came to America as an indentured servant in around 1697. Married Mary Dugsdale around 1698 in Virginia. They had three children: Abner, John and James. 
• Abner Inscoe was born in 1701 in Hanover Parish, King George County, Va. He died around 1760 in Essex County, Va. He married Martha Unk around 1725 in Lynchburg, Va. They had five children: James (Wasard), Mary, Marthey, Martha and Rueben.
• James (Wasard) Inscoe was born in 1726 in Essex County, Va. He died after 1800 in Newberry Park, S.C. He married Esther Unk in 1756 in Lynchburg, Va. They had six children: William, John, James, Jinny, Hannah and Keziah. 
• William Inscoe (Insco) was born April 10, 1756 in Essex County, Va. He died in 1840 in Franklin County, N.C. He married Honor Unk around 1780 in Mecklenburg County, Va. They had four children: Matha, William Henry, Mary and Samuel.
• William Henry Insco (Inscoe) was born Sept. 4, 1784 in Mecklenburg County, Va. He died Aug. 19, 1860 in Franklin County, N.C. He married Nancy Andrews April 21, 1812. They did work and had 13 (13!!) children: Winifred (Winny), Sally, William, James, Lucy, Daniel, Augustus, Emerline (Emily), Samuel, Norfleet, Henry, Armistead and William Joseph. 
• Augustus Insco was born Jan. 19, 1822, in Franklin County, N.C. He died Nov. 29, 1861 in Perry's Mill, Franklin County, N.C. He married Nancy Swanson Dec. 28, 1847. They had six children: Joseph Oliver, David Stewart (DS), Nancy Elezzetta, John Randolph (JR), Luziny and Havana (Holvania). 
• David Stewart (DS) Inscoe was born Jan. 9, 1850 in Perry's Mill, Franklin County, N.C. He died May 7, 1912 in Franklin County. He married Nancy Elizabeth Nelms Oct. 27, 1876. They had 10 children: Minnie Ida, Annie Elizabeth, James Peter, Henry Kearney, Mary Masgdaline, Joseph M., Charles Colombus, Walter Franklin, Iley Ptiscilla and William V. 
• Walter Franklin Insco was born June 4, 1892 in Sandy Creek, Franklin County, N.C. He died July 8, 1967 in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County, N.C. He married Dora Alice Smith in 1917. They had five children: William (Willie), Arthur (Oscar), Claude, Dora Dean and Walter Franklin Jr.
• Walter Franklin Inscoe, Jr., was born June 9, 1927 in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County, N.C. He married Mildred Dare Hasty around 1946. He is still alive. Mildred died Dec. 9, 2007. They had one son: Douglas Emery Inscoe. 
• Douglas Emery Inscoe was born Jan. 12, 1960. He married Elizabeth Jane Hubbard. They had two children: Corey Franklin (that's me!) and Madison Jane. 

A big thanks to Kurt Inscoe Hahn, who is the one that sent me this genealogy. I can't even imagine the work that's gone into this.