Mary Scrope

Mary Scrope (fl.1509-1534) was a lady at the court of Henry VIII of England. She was particularly influential in gathering evidence against the King's second wife, Anne Boleyn during the latter's imprisonment in the Tower of London.

Biography

Her father was Sir Richard Scrope and her mother was Eleanor Washbourne. Mary's first husband was Sir Edward Jerningham from Bolton, Yorkshire and they married in about 1509. They had one child, Sir Henry Jerningham of Cotesby Hall. Her second marriage was to Sir William Kingston, Lieutenant of the Tower of London. They married at some point before 1534, and had two children, Bridget Kingston, who married George Baynham, and Anthony Kingston.[1]

In 1536 five women were appointed to serve Queen Anne while she was imprisoned in the Tower and to report to Sir William Kingston, the Lieutenant of the Tower, and through him to the King's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, all that the Queen said. These women included Sir William Kingston's wife, Lady Mary Kingston; Queen Anne's aunt, Lady Anne Shelton; Lady Elizabeth Boleyn, Queen Anne's aunt by marriage; Lady Margaret Coffin, the wife of Queen Anne's Master of the Horse; and Elizabeth Stoner, wife of the King's Serjeant-at-Arms.[2] Sir William Kingston described the five as "honest and good women", but Queen Anne said that it was "a great unkindness in the King to set such about me as I have never loved".[3]

References