Scrope, Richard Le

Scrope, Richard Le (lu skrOOp) [key], 1350?–1405, English archbishop. He probably studied law at both Oxford and Cambridge. Having taken priest's orders in 1377, he rose steadily in church rank. In 1386 he became bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and in 1398 at the request of Richard II the pope made Scrope archbishop of York. Scrope at first supported Henry IV, but in 1405 he issued an indictment of Henry's government and raised an armed body of supporters. By the guile of the leader of the king's forces, the earl of Westmorland, Scrope was arrested and imprisoned. He was convicted, and his execution, held at York as an example to the people, tended to elevate him as a martyr.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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