Mary Scrope was a lady at the court of Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

. She was particularly influential in gathering evidence against the King's second wife

Wives of Henry VIII

The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...

, Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...

 during the latter's imprisonment in the Tower of London

Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...

.

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

Henry Jerningham

Henry Jerningham KB was an English courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.-Biography:...

 of Cotesby Hall. Her second marriage was to Sir William Kingston

William Kingston

Sir William Kingston was an English courtier, soldier and administrator. He was the Constable of the Tower of London during much of the reign of Henry VIII. Among the notable prisoners he was responsible for were Queen Anne Boleyn, and the men accused of adultery with her.-Life:He was of a...

, Lieutenant of the Tower of London

Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...

. They married at some point before 1534, and had two children, Bridget Kingston, who married George Baynham, and Anthony Kingston

Anthony Kingston

Sir Anthony Kingston was an English royal official, holder of various positions under several Tudor monarchs.-Life:He was son of Sir William Kingston of Blackfriars, London...

.

In 1536 five women were appointed to serve Queen Anne while she was imprisoned in the Tower

Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...

 and to report to Sir William Kingston

William Kingston

Sir William Kingston was an English courtier, soldier and administrator. He was the Constable of the Tower of London during much of the reign of Henry VIII. Among the notable prisoners he was responsible for were Queen Anne Boleyn, and the men accused of adultery with her.-Life:He was of a...

, 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

Anne Shelton (courtier)

Anne Shelton née Boleyn was the elder sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and an aunt of his daughter, Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.-Life:...

; Lady Elizabeth Boleyn

Elizabeth Boleyn, Lady Boleyn

Elizabeth Boleyn, Lady Boleyn was a lady-in-waiting at the court of Henry VIII of England. Through her marriage to Sir James Boleyn, she was the aunt of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn...

, Queen Anne's aunt by marriage; Lady Margaret Coffin

Margaret Dymoke

Margaret Dymoke was a lady-in-waiting at the court of Henry VIII of England. Her married names were Vernon, Coffin and Manners. She was born around 1500 in Scrivelsby, Lincolnshire, the daughter of Sir Robert Dymoke of Scrivelsby and Anne Sparrow....

, the wife of Queen Anne's Master of the Horse

Master of the Horse

The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...

; and Elizabeth Stoner

Elizabeth Stoner

Elizabeth Stoner was a lady-in-waiting to each of Henry VIII of England's six wives, and was the 'Mother of the Maids', with responsibility for the conduct of the young maids-of-honour. She was the wife of the King's Sergeant-at-Arms, William Stoner...

, wife of the King's Serjeant-at-Arms

Serjeant-at-Arms

A Sergeant-at-Arms is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word sergeant is derived from the Latin serviens, which means "servant"....

. 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".