William Skrene

He was appointed Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer in 1395, but he seems to have served in that office for only two years, before returning to England, where he remained for the rest of his life.

[1] He acted regularly as a judge of assize and as a justice of the peace, and sat on numerous commissions for the peace, especially in Essex, where he became a major landowner, acquiring the manors of Writtle, Great Finborough and Stanford Rivers, which he and his son bought from John Chartesey in 1408.

His health began to fail, and following a serious illness in 1414, he resigned as Serjeant, and ceased to sit as a judge of assize.

The younger William married Alice Tyrrell, widow of Hamo Strange, and daughter of John Tyrrell, three times Speaker of the House of Commons of England and his first wife Alice Coggeshall, a granddaughter of the celebrated soldier of fortune Sir John Hawkwood.

Sir John Skrene (died 1475), the younger William's grandson, was the judge's last direct male heir.

[2] In the winter of 1476/7 they submitted a joint petition to the Irish Parliament asking to have their right to the Skrene lands recognised.