General Notes

GEOFFREY LE SCROPE, 2nd son, of Sir William LE SCROPE of Bolton, was born probably ante 1285; for in 1306, with Ralph de Bellerby, he was attorney for Thomas de Meynill; 1310, granted by William de Brakenbury a rent out of a mill in Thirsk; 1311, obtained a grant from John de Clavering in fee of the manor of Whatton, Northumberland and a grant of free warren to himself and his heirs in Coverham, Caldebergh and Agglethorp, co. York. In 1315, when he was already a King's serjeant, he was granted protection for one year on 4 July, and on 1 September he was in a commission to survey the waste of the castle of Knaresborough; 1316, certified as one of the lords of the townships of Warlaby, Carleton in Coverdale, Caldebergh, Coverharn and Scrafton, Kirklington and Marrick, co. York; July 1316, appointed to take seisin of castles towns and manors of Conisborough and elsewhere in cos. York and Lincoln which John (de Warenne), Earl of Surrey, had surrendered for himself and his heirs to the King, and afterwards to return them to the Earl to hold for life; 22 August 1316, granted protection for one year; on 1 July 1317, summoned among the Justices and others to attend Council at Nottingham, and so thenceforward. In 1317 he obtained various grants of free warren.

On 25 September 1317 he obtained licence to crenellate his dwelling place of Clifton-upon-Ure; 1317/8, he was pardoned for acquiring in fee without licence lands in Dalton; on 11 April 1318 and thereafter, on commissions in Chester, Flint, Yorks; on 12 June obtained confirmation of grant to him and his heirs by Sir Gilbert de Aton of the manor of Eltham Mandeville; 1 December, appointed during pleasure, as King's yeoman and serjeant, to have the custody of all lands &c. held of him in the North; January 1, 1319/20, licence for Joan, daughter of John de Wauton, to grant to Geoffrey and his heirs 20 li. rent in Waltham, Barnoldby and Wathe, co. Lincoln, to hold in chief; 15 September, joint commissioner to repair to Carlisle to treat for peace with Robert de Brus; 6 October, appointed a trier of petitions of Engalnd and Wales; appointed as one of the "oratores domini Regis" in the Eyre of London in 1321; on 26 February 1320/1, granted the marriage of Eustache, daughter and heir of Henry de Percy, tenant-in-chief; 16 April 1321, present at Gloucester at the delivery of the Great Seal; 15 June, obtained release from Sir Roald de Richmond of the latter's right in the manor of Constable Burton; 13 March 1321/2, appointed to sentence Roger Amory for treason. On 1 May 1322, granted protection for himself and his tenants of Bracken, co. York; 8 July, empowered with the Chancellor and others to enlarge persons imprisoned for adherence to the Earl of Lancaster; in 1322/3,

William de Ros of Ingmanthorp, knight, granted to Geoffrey le Scrope and Ivette (or Juette) his wife during their lives the manors of South Muskham and Carleton, and later released them, as did his wife Isabel; 27 February 1322/3, joint commissioner to degrade Andrew de Harcla, Earl of Carlisle, and pass judgment upon him; 1 April 1323, with William de Herle to treat with the emissaries of Robert de Brus; June and July, in commissions of oyer and terminer, co. York; 27 September appointed during pleasure to be a Justice of the Common Pleas, with the usual fee. On 21 March 1323/4 he was appointed Chief Justice of King's Bench; 9 May 1324, specially summoned to great Council at Westminster; on 8 November 1324 a joint commissioner to make a final peace with Robert de Brus; 21 January 1324/5, he acquired for himself and his heirs an interest in a moiety of the manor of Billington, Lancs; 26 February 1325/6, empowered, with others, to try persons accused of illegal confederacies in cos. Leicester and Stafford; a member of the deputation to Kenilworth to announce to Edward Il his deposition; 1 March, pardon and restoration to the King's favour. On 23 April 1327, joint ambassador to Robert de Brus. On 28 October he obtained to himself and his heirs grant of free warren, markets and fairs in Masham, Bellerby and other places in co. York and Muskham, co. Notts., 21 February 1328/9, granted in fee a yearly pension of 100 li. for the life of Queen Isabel and the reversion of the manor of Whitgift, co. York, after her death.

During 1329, by fine passed within one month of Easter (23 April), Geoffrey acquired the manor of Masham, subject to the dower of the widow, and payment of a yearly sum to the heiress, of John de Walton; 20 May 1329, protection, and going beyond seas with the King; June, present at Amiens when the King did homage to the King of France for duchy of Guienne; 16 June, joint commissioner to treat with the King of France for a marriage between his eldest son and Eleanor the King's sister; 19 December, appointed to be Chief Justice; 30 December, granted the manor of Eltham Mandeville, Kent, which he had lately given to the Queen. 20 October 1331 joint commissioner, to treat for a marriage between the Count of Geldres and Eleanor the King's sister. 30 September 1333, joint commissioner to make a survey of the County of Ponthieu and correct abuses. 1 February 1333/4, with Edward de Bohun and others to go to the Parliament of Edward de Balliol, King of Scotland, to seek confirmation of convention of 1327; 25 February, approval of payment of 200 Ii. to William de Clinton and Geoffrey le Scrope, who had set out in the King's service to France; 30 March 1334, with John Archbishop of Canterbury to treat with the Duke of Brittany; and to treat with Philip King of France; 14 July, granted exemption from special journeys and services; 16 July, appointed as a Justice of the Bench in place of John de Stonore; 10 November Chief Justice; 10 December, granted protection for one year. 6 June 1335, present at delivery to the King of the Great Seal; 16 November, with others, to treat with Andrew de Moray, "custos Scotiae."

20 January 1335/6, grant to him and his heirs of the manor of Driffield, co. York. On 24 March 1336/7 he was appointed with R. bishop of Durham and others, to treat with the magnates and others about to set out against the Scots as to their stay in Scotland. In 1337 he was busily employed in the north. On 6 March 1337/8, and thereafter, under Ralph de Nevill, he went on eyre to hold pleas of the forest in co. York; 20 June, granted a pardon; 21 June, joint commissioner to treat with the King of France as to the King's demesnes and inheritance; 28 June, with the Earl of Northampton, commended to the Emperor of the Romans to discuss the King's passage abroad; 15 November, joint commissioner to treat of peace with Philip de Valois; 28 December, collectors of customs at Hull ordered to permit him to load wool and victuals at Kingston upon Hull. On 4 January 1338/9 and 13 November 1339, joint commissioner to make alliances with Louis Count of Flanders &c., and to treat of a marriage between Louis, son of Louis, and the King's daughter Isabel; 28 April 1340, present at delivery to the King of the Great Seal; joint commissioner to treat for a truce and final peace with the Scots; and, 26 May, to treat with the friends of the Earl of Moray for his temporary liberation from prison. In July he crossed to France on the King's business. He was a benefactor to the Abbeys of Fountains, Whalley and Stratford, the canons of Haltemprice and the church of Brompton-Patrick.

He married Ivette, or Juette.(k) There is no evidence that she survived him. He died probably early in December 1340 at Ghent, and was buried in Coverham Abbey. He left a will, which has not been preserved.  [Complete Peerage XI:554-61, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

[k] According to Nicolas, both Glover and Vincent state that she was daughter of William de Ros of Ingmanthorp, and the same statement appears in Add. MS 37141, f 281; and the transaction referred to in note "b" on p. 556 and in the relevant text is not inconsistent with this view, for which, however, there appears to be no record evidence. Sir Robert de Ros of Ingmanthorp, who gave evidence for Scrope in 1386 made no reference to any relationship; but it might have lessened the value of his testimony if he had done so. Nicolas adds that there is reason to believe that Geoffrey married 2ndly, before 1331, Lora, daughter and coheir of Sir Gerard de Furnival, widow of Sir John Ufflete; but he points out the difficulties involved.