John Scrope
Encyclopedia
John Scrope was a British lawyer and politician.
He was the son of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant, the third son and ultimate heir of Colonel Adrian Scrope
of Wormsley in Oxfordshire, hung drawn and quartered after the restoration as one of the regicides of Charles I.
Scrope was educated at the Middle Temple
and called to the bar in 1692. In May 1708, following the Act of Union, he was appointed a Baron (judge) of the Court of Exchequer
in Scotland. In this capacity he was one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal from 26 September 1710 (following Lord Cowper
's resignation) to 19 October 1710, when Sir Simon Harcourt
was appointed Lord Keeper.
for Ripon
at the general election of 1722
, he exchanged his office of Baron of the Exchequer for that of Secretary to the Treasury
. He later sat for his home city of Bristol
and then from 1735 to his death for Lyme Regis
.
, First Lord of the Treasury
from 1721 to 1742, and after Walpole's resignation was called by a committee of parliament, the Committee of Secrecy under the chairmanship of Lord Limerick, to account for £1,059,211-6s-2d, part of £1,384,600-6s-3d which had passed through Treasury hands within ten years, that could not be accounted for. Scrope refused to account for the money, claiming, with solicitor Paxton, it had been secret service
funds for which he was only accountable to the King.
Through a number of hearings Paxton continued to decline to answer certain of the questions on the grounds that he might incriminate himself. The Committee considered there was no risk of Paxton incriminating himself and that he must answer. Paxton remained obdurate
Paxton was confined in Newgate Prison, allowed his wife's company but neither was permitted communication with anyone nor the possession of pen or ink or paper. At the end of Parliament's term Paxton was quietly released. Dismissed from his post he died eighteen months later aged only 54. Horace Walpole, who had been junior secretary to Scrope, salved his family's conscience with regard to Paxton by making some provisions for Paxton's son then still at Eton. The Committee of Secrecy with its squabbles and failures was quickly forgotten, so too the immense sums involved.
As Scrope died without issue, his estate of Wormsley passed to the descendants of his sister Anne (died 1720), who had married Henry Fane
. Their second son, Thomas Fane
, also a Bristol merchant, succeeded his uncle as Member of Parliament
for Lyme Regis
. Fane also succeeded a distant cousin and became 8th Earl of Westmorland
in 1762.
He was the son of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant, the third son and ultimate heir of Colonel Adrian Scrope
Adrian Scrope
Colonel Adrian Scrope was the twenty seventh of the fifty nine Commissioners who signed the Death Warrant of King Charles I. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Charing Cross after the restoration of Charles II.-Early life:...
of Wormsley in Oxfordshire, hung drawn and quartered after the restoration as one of the regicides of Charles I.
Scrope was educated at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
and called to the bar in 1692. In May 1708, following the Act of Union, he was appointed a Baron (judge) of the Court of Exchequer
Court of Exchequer (Scotland)
The Court of Exchequer was formerly a distinct part of the court system in Scotland, with responsibility for administration of government revenue and judicial matters relating to customs and excise, revenue, stamp duty and probate...
in Scotland. In this capacity he was one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal from 26 September 1710 (following Lord Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns...
's resignation) to 19 October 1710, when Sir Simon Harcourt
Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt
Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC was Queen Anne's Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was her solicitor-general and her commissioner for arranging the union with Scotland...
was appointed Lord Keeper.
Secretary to the Treasury
Elected to the Parliament of Great BritainParliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
for Ripon
Ripon (UK Parliament constituency)
Ripon was a constituency sending members to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1983, centred on the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire.-History:...
at the general election of 1722
British general election, 1722
The British general election of 1722 elected members to serve in the House of Commons of the 6th Parliament of Great Britain. This event took place following the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election was fiercely fought, with contests taking place...
, he exchanged his office of Baron of the Exchequer for that of Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary to the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are several Secretaries to the Treasury, who are junior Treasury ministers nominally acting as secretaries to HM Treasury. The origins of the office are unclear, although it probably originated during Lord Burghley's tenure as Lord Treasurer in the 16th century. The...
. He later sat for his home city of Bristol
Bristol (UK Parliament constituency)
Bristol was a two member constituency, used to elect members to the House of Commons in the Parliaments of England , Great Britain and the United Kingdom . The constituency existed until Bristol was divided into single member constituencies in 1885.-Boundaries:The historic port city of Bristol, is...
and then from 1735 to his death for Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis (UK Parliament constituency)
Lyme Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1868, when the borough was abolished.-1295-1629:...
.
Walpole and the Committee of Secrecy
He was a close ally of Sir Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
from 1721 to 1742, and after Walpole's resignation was called by a committee of parliament, the Committee of Secrecy under the chairmanship of Lord Limerick, to account for £1,059,211-6s-2d, part of £1,384,600-6s-3d which had passed through Treasury hands within ten years, that could not be accounted for. Scrope refused to account for the money, claiming, with solicitor Paxton, it had been secret service
Secret service
A secret service describes a government agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For instance, a country may establish a secret service which has some...
funds for which he was only accountable to the King.
Nicholas Paxton (1690-1744), solicitor to the Treasury
The attack on Walpole through Scrope failing, the Committee of Secrecy then summoned the Solicitor of the Treasury, Nicholas Paxton and his partners in his law practice though the partners were soon dismissed.Through a number of hearings Paxton continued to decline to answer certain of the questions on the grounds that he might incriminate himself. The Committee considered there was no risk of Paxton incriminating himself and that he must answer. Paxton remained obdurate
Paxton was confined in Newgate Prison, allowed his wife's company but neither was permitted communication with anyone nor the possession of pen or ink or paper. At the end of Parliament's term Paxton was quietly released. Dismissed from his post he died eighteen months later aged only 54. Horace Walpole, who had been junior secretary to Scrope, salved his family's conscience with regard to Paxton by making some provisions for Paxton's son then still at Eton. The Committee of Secrecy with its squabbles and failures was quickly forgotten, so too the immense sums involved.
John Scrope's ability
Scrope's honesty, financial knowledge and ability was such that he remained Secretary to the Treasury until his death at about the age of 90, serving more than 28 years in that post.As Scrope died without issue, his estate of Wormsley passed to the descendants of his sister Anne (died 1720), who had married Henry Fane
Henry Fane of Brympton
Henry Fane of Brympton, Somerset was a great-grandson of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland and father of Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland....
. Their second son, Thomas Fane
Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland
Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland , MP for Lyme Regis and a lord commissioner of trade. Thomas Fane was the second son of Henry Fane of Brympton d'Evercy in Somerset and Anne sister and coheir of John Scrope, children of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant. Anne was a granddaughter of Colonel...
, also a Bristol merchant, succeeded his uncle as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis (UK Parliament constituency)
Lyme Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1868, when the borough was abolished.-1295-1629:...
. Fane also succeeded a distant cousin and became 8th Earl of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was first created in 1397 for Ralph Neville. It was forfeited in 1571 by Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland for leading the Rising of the North. It was revived in 1624 in favour of Sir Francis...
in 1762.