Scot Free

Posted by Bad Chad on June 23, 2004

In Reply to: Scot Free posted by Hilda on June 05, 2004

My dad once told be where the phrase "got away scot free" I'll paraphrase a little. So, A duke of Scotland was imprisoned in the tower of London, and sentence to death (for some reason). Anyway, some influence lover in London, convinced the guards to allow her and two of her maids to pass through to vist the duke. Once in the cell, they dressed the duke up in woman's cloth, and proceeded to walk him passed the guards right out of the tower of London. He went on to France after the escape. Hence, to get away Scot free.

: Romney Marsh,Kent England."In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the kings of England established a system of elected Jurats to oversee the 'mainteneance of sea walls and water courses for the common benefit and safety'.
: Even today a tax known as a 'scot' is levied from the I habitants of the Marsh who benefit from the public drainage system.
: Those who live on the higher ground get off 'scot free'-hence the expression.
: Froma book on The Romney Marsh.