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 Sir Henry Le Scrope, Chief Justice of The Kings Bench, Chief Justice of The Common Pleas.
Father of Richard Le Scrope, First Lord of Bolton. He served in the retinue of The Earl of Warwick in France and later with John of Gaunt. First action at The battle of Crecy, knighted at The Battle of Durham. He fought in every major campaign between 1346 and 1384, when he challenged Robert Grosvenor to his right to bear the Arms 'Azure, a Bend d'Or'.In 1385, a General Proclamation was made throughout the host that all who were interested in the dispute should appear on 20th. August at Newcastle on Tyne. The case took four years to be determined and judgement was given in Westminster Hall, in favour of Scrope. Many of the most interesting and powerful persons of the land gave evidence, including John of Gaunt and Owen Glendower. 1371 to 1375 He served as Lord Treasurer. In 1375 he obtained the wardship of the three heiress daughters of Robert, Lord Tiptoft.
Tiptoft had sprung to prominence, from relative obscurity with immense wealth with few clues to its origin. It has been claimed that he salvaged King John's Treasure from The Wash. The three girls were betrothed to Scropes' sons. They are all left legacies in Scrope's will and he refers to them as 'His dearest daughters'.
Scrope was made Lord Chancellor in 1378, which post he held until 1380, but he then served again from 1381-82. The following explanation was given for his having The Great Seal taken from him; "After the death of Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, and of some other tenants in captive, numerous applications were made to The King for their lands, which fell to The Crown in consequence of the minority of their heirs. His Majesty, regardless of his own pecuniary necessities, having commanded The Chancellor to comply with those requests, Scrope ventured to remonstrate, and urged the propriety of keeping the lands in The King's own hands for the supply of exigencies. Incensed at this behaviour, Richard sent messenger after messenger to Scrope, desiring him forthwith to return The Great Seal, but he refused to deliver it up to any person other than The King himself."
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