Agnes Paston to John Paston

LETTER XLIII.

         To my welbelovyd Son
         John Paston.

SONE I grete yow well and send you godys blyss[SYM]g and
      myn and lete you wete that Rob’t Hyll cam homward by
Horwelle bery and Gurney tellyd hym he had byn at london
for mony and kowd nat sped[SYM]g and behestyd Rob’t that he
shuld send me mony be you I p’y for getyt not As ze com hom-
ward and speke sadly for j nothyr fermo^r And as for tydyngs
Phylyppe ¹ Berney is passyd to God on Mūday last past wyt
y^e grettes peyn that evyr I sey man and on Tuysday Ser
Jon ² Heny’gh’m zede to hys chyrche and herd iij massys and
cam horn Agayn nevyr meryer and seyd to hese Wyf that he
wuld go sey A lytyll devocion in hese gardeyn and than he wuld
³ dyne And forth wyth he felt a feynt[SYM]g in hese legge and syyd
don thys was at ix of y^e clok And he was ded or none myn
Cosyn Cler preyt you that ze lete no man se her letter wheche is
in selyd undir my selle I p’y you that ze wyl pay your Brothir
Will’m for iiij unc’ and j half of sylke as he payd wheche he
sende me by Will’m Tavyrner and br[SYM]g wyt you j quarter of j
unc’ evyn leke of the same that j sende you closyd in thys letter
and sey your brothyr Will’m that hese hors hath j ⁴ farseyn and
grete Renn[SYM]g sorys in hese leggis God have you in kepyng
Wretyn At Norwyche on Sent Thom’s evyn in grete hast.

    Be your modyr,

                                                                                ⁵ A. Paston.

          11 ? by 6.

           Paper Mark,
      Bull’s Head and Star.
           Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

            Norwich,
            Friday, 6th of July,
            1453. 31 H. VI.

     This Letter may be called a modern obituary, as it informs us of the death, and like-
wise of the manner of the death of two gentlemen of consequence in the county of
Norfolk.

² Sir John Heveningham, knight, was lineally descended from Walter Heveningham,
who resided at Heveningham in Suffolk, so early as in the time of King Canute, 1017—
1036. Thomas, the grandson of Sir John, settled at Ketteringham, in Norfolk, whose
descendant William Heveningham of the same place, was one of the Judges of the High
Court of Justice, who tried their Sovereign King Charles I. This branch of this ancient
family ended in his son, who died without issue male.

¹ Philip Berney, of Caston, Esq. was third son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, by
Isabel, daughter of Sir John Heveningham, knight, the immediate ancestors of the pre-
sent Sir John Berney, Bart. of Kirby Bedon.

 ³ By this account it appears that the hour of dinner was between nine and ten o’clock
in the forenoon.

     ⁴ A disorder somewhat similar to the Leprosy in the human race.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 19.

LETTER XLIII.

To my welbeloved Son John Paston.

SON I greet you well, and send you God’s blessing and
      mine, and let you weet that Robert Hill came homeward
by Orwellbury, and Gurney telled him he had been at London
for money and could not speeden, and behested Robert that he
should send me money by you; I pray forget it not as ye
come homeward, and speak sadly (seriously) for another Farmer.

     And as for tydings Philip ¹ Berney is passed to God on Mon-
day last past with the greatest pain that ever I saw man; and on
Tuesday Sir John ² Heveningham yede (went) to his church
and heard three masses, and came home again never merrier, and
said to his wife that he would go say a little devotion in his
garden, and then he would ³ dine; and forthwith he felt a
fainting in his leg and syyd (sit) down; this was at nine of the
clock, and he was dead ere noon.

     My Cousin Clere prays you that ye let no man see her Letter,
which is ensealed under my seal. I pray you that you will pay
your brother William for four ounces and an half of silk as he
paid, which he sent me by William Taverner, and bring with
you a quarter of an ounce even like of the same that I send you
closed in this Letter; and say (tell) your brother William that
his horse hath one ⁴ farcy and great running sores in his legs.
God have you in keeping. Written at Norwich, on Saint
Thomas’s even in great haste.

By your Mother,

                                                                       ⁵ AGNES PASTON.

          11 ? by 6.

           Paper Mark,
      Bull’s Head and Star.
           Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

           Norwich,
            Friday, 6th of July,
            1453. 31 H. VI.

     This Letter may be called a modern obituary, as it informs us of the death, and like-
wise of the manner of the death of two gentlemen of consequence in the county of
Norfolk.

² Sir John Heveningham, knight, was lineally descended from Walter Heveningham,
who resided at Heveningham in Suffolk, so early as in the time of King Canute, 1017—
1036. Thomas, the grandson of Sir John, settled at Ketteringham, in Norfolk, whose
descendant William Heveningham of the same place, was one of the Judges of the High
Court of Justice, who tried their Sovereign King Charles I. This branch of this ancient
family ended in his son, who died without issue male.

  ¹ Philip Berney, of Caston, Esq. was third son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, by
Isabel, daughter of Sir John Heveningham, knight, the immediate ancestors of the pre-
sent Sir John Berney, Bart. of Kirby Bedon.

 ³ By this account it appears that the hour of dinner was between nine and ten o’clock
in the forenoon.

     ⁴ A disorder somewhat similar to the Leprosy in the human race.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 19.

227

AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON³

To my welbelovyd Son, John Paston.

SONE I grete yow well and send you Godys blessyng and
     myn, and lete you wete that Robert Hyll cam hom-
     ward by Horwelle bery, and Gurney tellyd hym he had
byn at London for mony and kowd nat spedyng, and behestyd
Robert that he shuld send me mony be you. I pray for getyt
not as ze com homward, and speke sadly for i. nothyr fermor.

     And as for tydyngs, Phylyppe Berney¹ is passyd to God
on Munday² last past wyt the grettes peyn that evyr I sey
man; and on Tuysday Ser Jon Henyngham zede to hys
chyrche and herd iij. massys, and cam hom agayn nevyr
meryer, and seyd to hese wyf that he wuld go sey a lytyll
devocion in hese gardeyn and than he wuld dyne; and forth-
wyth he felt a feyntyng in hese legge and syyd don. This
was at ix. of the clok, and he was ded or none.

     Myn cosyn Cler³ preyt you that ze lete no man se her
letter, wheche is in selyd undir my selle. I pray you that ze
wyl pay your brothir William for iiij. unces and j. half of
sylke as he payd, wheche he sende me by William Tavyrner,
and bryng wyt yow j. quarter of j. unce evyn leke of the same
that I send you closyd in thys letter; and sey your brothyr
William that hese hors hath j. farseyn and grete rennyng sorys
in hese leggis. God have you in kepyng. Wretyn at Nor-
wyche on Sent Thomas evyn in grete hast.⁴

                                       Be your modyr,                        A. PASTON.

     ³ [From Fenn, iii. 182.] Sir John Heveningham, whose death is mentioned in
this letter, was found, by an inquisition taken on the 29th September 32 Henry VI., to
have died on the 3rd of July preceding, which was in the year 1453.—(Inquis. post
mortem, 31 Hen. VI., No. 7.) He left a son named John, over twenty-three years old,
who was afterwards knighted.

     ¹ Third son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, who was the father of Margaret
Paston’s mother.

     ² July 2.

     ³ Elizabeth, widow of Robert Clere, Esq. of Ormesby.

     ⁴ The Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr (Becket) was celebrated on the 7th
July.

JULY 6

1453
JULY 6