Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Scarle, John de
SCARLE, JOHN de (d. 1403?), chancellor, no doubt derived his name from Scarle in Lincolnshire, in which county a family of the name occurs in the reign of Edward III (Abbrev. Rot. Orig. ii. 121, 155). He was acting as a clerk in chancery on 8 July 1378 (Cal. Pat. Rolls, Richard II, i. 259). On 6 April 1379 he was collated to a prebend at Aberguylly, and on 19 July 1379 exchanged his living of Holm-by-the-Sea, Norfolk, for the living of South Kelsey, Lincolnshire (ib. i. 329, 373). He was a receiver of petitions from Gascony in the parliaments of October 1382, November 1383, and April 1384 (Rot. Parl. iii. 133, 150, 166), and of petitions from England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, in the parliament of November 1384, and in each succeeding parliament down to February 1397; he was also clerk of the parliament from November 1384 to February 1397 (ib. iii. 184–337).[1] On 22 July 1394 he was made keeper of the rolls, and in this capacity had several times custody of the great seal, as in October November 1396 (Fœdera, vii. 809, 840). On 11 Sept. 1397 Scarle resigned his office at the rolls, and once more became a clerk in chancery (Blomefield, Hist. Norfolk, i. 118). After the arrest of Richard II, he was appointed chancellor on 5 Sept. 1399, and was continued in that office on the accession of Henry IV, till 9 March 1401 (Fœdera, viii. 181). He was present in the council, March 1401, 5 July, and 24 Aug. 1401; in January 1403 he was one of the commissioners in the proceedings concerning the alien priories (Nicolas, Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council, i. 126, 146, 168, 191–7). On 27 Sept. 1401 Scarle was appointed archdeacon of Lincoln, and was admitted 1 Dec. following; according to Le Neve, the archdeaconry was voided by Scarle's death before 29 April 1403 (Fasti Eccl. Angl. ii. 45). If this is correct, he cannot be the John Scarle who received the livings of Mannington and Saxthorp, Norfolk, in 1404 (Blomefield, Hist. Norfolk, vi. 467). Scarle's house in London was in Chancery Lane, on the site of what was afterwards Serjeants' Inn.
[Annales Henrici Quarti, p. 282, ap. Chron. Trokelowe, Blaneford, &c.; Royal Letters, Henry IV, p. 31 (Rolls Ser.); Wylie's Hist. of England under Henry IV, i. 28, 32, 172; Foss's Judges of England; other authorities quoted.]
- ↑ 'He enjoyed the favour of Richard II, who granted him a tun of Gascon wine annually at Christmass on 27 Nov. 1385, for his long and praiseworthy service to Edward III and Richard himself (Bulletin, xv. 140–1).' — typed errata appended to page, though not text printed in the Errata volume. (Wikisource contributor note)