DICTIONARY
OF
NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY
SCOFFIN, WILLIAM (1655?–1732), nonconformist minister, born about 1655, was a self-taught man and a good mathematician. He was probably a schoolmaster, who obtained orders. John Rastrick [q. v.] appointed him curate of Brothertoft, a chapelry in the parish of Kirton, Lincolnshire. This curacy he resigned in August 1686, thus preceding Rastrick in nonconformity. Soon after the passing of the Toleration Act (1689) he became the minister of a nonconformist congregation at Sleaford, Lincolnshire, where for over forty years he preached with acceptance, and, though very poor, was noted for his charities. He died in November 1732, aged 77, and was buried on 12 Nov. He was married. He published:
- 'Two Funeral Sermons on … Katherine Disney,' &c,, 1692, 12mo (preached at Kirkstead and Swinderby on 18 and 20 May 1690).
- 'A Help to True Spelling and Reading; with … Principles of Religion in Easy Metre; a Scriptural Catechism' (Palmer).
- 'A Help to the Singing Psalm-tunes … with Directions for making an Instrument with one String … and a Collection of Tunes in 2 Parts' (ib.)
[Rastrick's Account of his Nonconformity, 1705; Calamy's Account, 1713, p. 401; Palmer's Nonconformist's Memorial, 1802, ii. 438 sq.; Dickenson's Nonconformist Register, ed. Turner, 1881, p. 312.]
SCOGAN or SCOGGIN, HENRY (1361?–1407), poet, born about 1361, belonged to a Norfolk family which owned much land in the county. Henry was probably educated at Oxford. In 1391 he succeeded his brother John as lord of Haviles (Blomefield, Norfolk, vii. 141), but apparently frequented the court in London, and there made the acquaintance of Chaucer, whose disciple he became. The latter addressed to Scogan about 1393 a short poem (in seven stanzas) entitled 'Lenvoy a Scogan.' Chaucer speaks of Scogan in terms of affection. Of the genuineness of the poem there is no question (Chaucer, Works, ed. Skeat, i. 85, 396-7). 'Henricus Scogan armiger' was granted in 1399 letters of protection to attend Richard II on his expedition to Ireland (Chaucer, Works, ed. Tyrwhitt, vol. v. p. xv). Subsequently he became tutor to the four sons of Henry IV. In Caxton's and all later editions of Chaucer's 'Works' (until the appearance of Professor Skeat's edition in 1894) there figures 'a moral balade of Henry Scogan squyer' which was composed by Scogan 'for my lord the prince [Henry], my lord of Clarence, lord of Bedford, and my lord of Glocestre, the king's sonnes, at a supper of feorthe [i.e. worthy] merchants in the Vintry at London, in the house of Lowys Johan,' a merchant (cf. Ashmole MS. 59, No. 9). According to John Shirley [q. v.], the fifteenth-century copyist, Scogan interpolated 'in this poem three stanzas by Chaucer (Nos. 15-17). Shirley's suggestion has been generally accepted, and the three stanzas are printed among Chaucer's genuine poems in Professor Skeat's edition as a separate poem, under the title of 'Gentilesse.' Scogan, in his own verses, laments a misspent youth, and apostrophises his master, Chaucer,
That in his language was so curyous.
Among the manuscripts at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, there is a brief collection of proverbs, in metre, headed 'Proverbium Scogani' (MS. 203, f. 22); the first line runs
Flee from the pres and dwell wyth sothfastness.
This is ascribed to Chaucer in Urry's edition of that poet's works, and is certainly by
