Baron Scales is a title in the Peerage of England.
According to Morant, the de Scales family were descendants of a Norman called Scaliers who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. However, definitive evidence for this needs to be found; another family living in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire went by the name of "de Scalariis" whereas the family of the Baron Scales lived mainly in Essex, Norfolk (specific references include "Scales Manor" in Middleton, "Scale's How Manor" in South Lynn and "Scale's Manor" in all of Hockwold, Rainham, Barton and Ilsington) and Herts and were spelled "de Scales" (or de Schales or de Escales). No connection has been found between the two families so far, but they have often been confused by scribes, etc.
References to possible early members of this family include:-
The ancestors of the Baron Scales came into possession of the manors of Newsells, Hertfordshire and Rivenhall, Essex in 1255 by the marriage of Sir Robert de Scales to Alice de Rochester (or de Roffa/Rossa), whose family had held the manors since 1210. Robert died in 1256.
Robert is probably the same Robert as mentioned in some, or all, of the following references:-
It is worth noting that there were places referred to as the "Manor of Scales" in both Parva Wilmynton in Kent and in Norfolk. It is possible that they were named after the Scales family or even that the Scales family originated from one of them.
Robert's eldest son who inherited his father's lands but died shortly afterwards in 1258.
Peter's younger brother who inherited their father's lands upons Peter's death in 1258. Robert was involved in several expeditions to France and had summons to Parliament. He was listed at Dover Castle from 1261-2, as was a Sir Radulfus de Escales. Upon Robert's death in 1266 he was succeeded by his son Robert, who he had by his wife Muriel, and who was to become the first of the Baron Scales. Left a widow called Clemencia
The Scales barony was created in 1299 by writ for Robert de Scales.