Nicholas de Balscote

Nicholas de Balscote (died 1320 ) was an English-born official and judge in fourteenth-century Ireland. He achieved high judicial office, but his career was later ruined by a quarrel with King Edward II.

Balscote village, winter.

He was born at Balscote in Oxfordshire, and probably belonged to the same family as Alexander de Balscot, who was to hold high office in Ireland two generations later. He is first heard of as an official of the Exchequer of Ireland in 1303, and was subsequently appointed Archdeacon of Glendalough. In 1313 he was one of the attorneys appointed by John Wogan, the outgoing Justiciar of Ireland, to manage his legal affairs. He spent a considerable sum on the upkeep of the King's mills in Dublin between 1311 and 1314. He became Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland in 1310, and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer in 1313. In 1317 he was spoken of as a possible Lord Chancellor of Ireland but was not appointed. He became custodian of the Archdiocese of Dublin in the same year.

In 1318 he claimed the right to be appointed Chancellor of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin; although the details of the case are obscure, his claim for some reason gave great offence to the King. He was removed from office as Chief Baron in 1319 and died the following year.

...
Wikipedia