Scot's Hall is a country house in Smeeth, between Ashford and Folkestone in southeast England. It was the property of a gentry family, the Scotts. The first known resident was Sir John Scott, who married Caroline Carter. From the beginning of the fourteenth century to the end of the eighteenth century, the Scotts, who were the descendants of the Baliols, were influential in Kent, also owning Chilham Castle. Scott's Hall was the centre of the dynasty and there was a time when one could ride from Scot's Hall to London without leaving Scott Property, a journey of over fifty miles. During the reign of Elizabeth I, it was described as one of the most splendid houses in Kent. Samuel Pepys was a regular visitor in the seventeenth century: the contemporary owner, Sir Thomas Scott, married Caroline Carteret, daughter of Pepys' friend and colleague, Sir George Carteret. With his keen nose for gossip, Pepys noted that Thomas' right to inherit the estate was debatable: his parents were separated, and his father for a time refused to acknowledge any of his wife's children, although he ultimately did acknowledge Thomas as his son.
The Modern Era
In recent years, Scott's Hall has been the venue for a series of annual murder mystery events, described by one anonymous reviewer as the 9/11 of House Parties.
William Scott married Isabel Finch, youngest daughter of Vincent Finch, of Netherfield, Sussex. His son and heir was John Scott of Scot's Hall.
John Scott (c.1423-1485)
of Scot's Hall was a committed supporter of the House of York. Among other offices, he served as Comptroller of the Household to Edward IV, and lieutenant to the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He was the son of William Scott and Isabel Finch, youngest daughter of Vincent Finch, or Herbert, of Netherfield, Sussex. He married Agnes Beaufitz, daughter and co-heiress of William Beaufitz of The Grange, Gillingham, Kent, and likely also a fishmonger of London, by whom he had a son and two daughters including:
Sir William Scott, who married Sibyl Lewknor.
Isabel or Elizabeth Scott, whom Sir John Scott married to his ward, Sir Edward Poynings. There is a memorial brass to her in St Mary's Church, Brabourne. He died 17 October 1485, and was buried, by his instructions, in the north wall of the chancel of St. Mary's church, Brabourne.
William Scott (1459-1524)
Sir William Scott of Scot's Hall in Smeeth, Kent was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He was the son of Sir John Scott and Agnes Beaufitz, daughter and co-heiress of William Beaufitz. He married Sibyl Lewknor, the daughter of Sir Thomas Lewknor of Trotton, Sussex, and Katherine Pelham, widow of John Bramshott, and daughter of Sir John Pelham, Chamberlain to Queen Catherine of Valois. His son and heir was Sir John Scott, who married Anne Pympe. He was buried at Brabourne, where there is a memorial brass to him in the Scott chapel in St Mary's church.
Sir John Scott (c. 1484-1533)
Sir John Scott was the eldest son of Sir William Scott of Scot's Hall. He served in King Henry VIII's campaigns in France, and was active in local government in Kent and a Member of Parliament for New Romney. He was the grandfather of both Reginald Scot, author of The Discoverie of Witchcraft, a source for Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Thomas Keyes, who married Lady Mary Grey. He married, before 22 November 1506, Anne Pympe, daughter and heiress of Reynold Pympe, esquire, of Nettlestead, Kent, by Elizabeth Pashley, the daughter of John Pashley, esquire. Sir John Scott and Anne Pympe had five sons and seven daughters:
William Scott, who died in 1536 without issue.
Sir Reginald Scott, Sheriff of Kent in 1541–42 and Captain of Calais and Sandgate, who married firstly Emeline Kempe, the daughter of Sir William Kempe of Olantigh, Kent, by Eleanor Browne, the daughter of Sir Robert Browne, by whom he was the father of Sir Thomas Scott and two daughters, Katherine Scott, who married John Baker, by whom she was the mother of Richard Baker, and Anne Scott, who married Walter Mayney. Sir Reginald Scott married secondly Mary Tuke, the daughter of Sir Brian Tuke.
Sir John Scott.
Richard Scott, esquire, the father of Reginald Scot, author of The Discoverie of Witchcraft.
George Scott.
Mildred Scott, who married firstly, John Digges, esquire, the son of James Digges and half brother of Leonard Digges, and secondly, Richard Keyes, gentleman, by whom she was the mother of Thomas Keyes, who married Lady Mary Grey.
Mary Scott, who married Nicholas Ballard, gentleman.
Elizabeth Scott.
Sibyl Scott, who married Richard Hynde, esquire.
Sir Reginald Scott (1512–1554)
Sir Reginald Scott, Sheriff of Kent in 1541–42 and Captain of Calais and Sandgate, who married firstly Emeline Kempe, the daughter of Sir William Kempe of Olantigh, Kent, by Eleanor Browne, the daughter of Sir Robert Browne, by whom he was the father of Sir Thomas Scott and two daughters, Katherine Scott, who married John Baker, by whom she was the mother of Richard Baker, and Anne Scott, who married Walter Mayney. Sir Reginald Scott married secondly Mary Tuke, the daughter of Sir Brian Tuke.
Sir Thomas Scott (1535–1594)
Sir Thomas Scott of Scot's Hall in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament. He married three times:
*Sir John Scott of Nettlestead, Kent, who married, as his second wife, Katherine Smythe, widow of Sir Rowland Hayward and daughter of Thomas Smythe, Customer of London. He was a Member of Parliament for Kent and an early investor in the Colony of Virginia.
*Richard Scott, who married Katherine Hayward, daughter of Sir Rowland Hayward.
*Robert Scott.
*Reginald Scott.
*Sir William Scott.
*Joseph Scott.
*Anthony Scott.
*Benjamin Scott.
*Elizabeth Scott, who married firstly John Knatchbull, and secondly, in 1589, Sir Richard Smythe, the son of Thomas Smythe, Customer of London.
*Emeline Scott, who married Sir Robert Edolphe.
*Anne Scott, who married firstly Richard Knatchbull, and secondly Sir Henry Bromley.
*Mary Scott, who married Sir Anthony St. Leger, of Ulcombe and Leeds, Kent, eldest son and heir of Sir Warham St Leger by his first wife, Ursula Neville, youngest daughter of George Neville, 5th Baron Bergavenny, by whom she was the mother of Sir Warham St Leger, who married Mary Hayward, daughter of Sir Rowland Hayward. After the death of Sir Anthony St. Leger in 1603, his widow, Mary Scott, married Sir Alexander Culpeper of Wigsell, Sussex.
Secondly he married Elizabeth Heyman, the daughter of Ralph Heyman of Somerfield, by whom he had no issue.
Thirdly he married Dorothy Bere, the daughter of John Bere of Horsman's Place, Dartford, by whom he had no issue.
Sir John Scott (1570-1616)
Sir John Scott, of Scot's Hall and of Nettlestead Place in Kent, was an English soldier, Member of Parliament and an early investor in the Colony of Virginia. He married twice, but had no issue:
Secondly, before 17 September 1599, he married Katherine Smythe, widow of Sir Rowland Hayward, Lord Mayor of London, and daughter of Thomas Smythe. She was baptised Katherine Smith on 6 Dec 1561 at All Hallows Lombard Street, City of London and is recorded in the Smythe pedigree taken during the Heraldic Visitation of London in 1568 and the Visitation of Kent in 1619 as the daughter of Thomas Smythe and Alice Judde. Without issue.
