Alice Crane to Margaret Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
You may need to log in to continue. Access the full document and its details.
Title
Alice Crane to Margaret Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 118
Date
?29 June about 1455
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol III, item 296; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 35
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER XXXV.

 

                  To my Cosyn Margeret
                  Paston be this letter
                  delyvred

RYGHT Worshipfull Cosyn I Recomaund me unto you
     desyryng to here of youre welfare And if it like you to
her of my welfar at the makyng of this letter I was in good hele
loved be God the cause of my wrytyng to you at this tyme is
this praying you to send me word of youre welfare and how ye
do of youre Seknesse and if the medycyn do you ony good that
I send you wrytyng of last Thankyng you of the grete Frenship
that ye have do to my moder wt all my hert Also I pray you
that ye wyll be good meyn to my Cosyn youre husbond that he
wyll se that my Fader be well Ruleyd in his lyvelode for his
worship & his p’fett Also prayng you to hold me exschusyd that
I haue wryten no ofter to you for in good feth I had no leysir
for my lady hath be seke at london ner hand this quarter of this
yere And that hath be grete hevinesse to me But now blesyd be
god she is amendyd & is in the 1 Contre agayne Also thankyng
you of the grete chere that I had of you when I was wt you
laste wt all my herte prayng you of good Contenuanse for I had
neur gretter nede than I haue now and if I had leyser and space
J wolde write to you the cause No more at this tyme but the holy
trenite have you in his kepyng Wryten at Wyndesore the xxix
day of June

Also Cosyn I pray you to sende            By youre pore Bede oman
me sum Norfoke threde to do                               & Cosy n
a boute my 2 nekke to ryde wt.

                                                                                         3 Alice Crane.

 

      The writer of this Letter might be sister (or daughter) of John Crane, the gentleman
whose signature is to Letter XI. vol. i. p. 44. the date must remain quite uncertain be-
tween the years 1450 and 1460, which indeed is totally immaterial, as the Letter isgiven
merely to shew that young women of good families were brought up as attendants upon
ladies of rank, and served them not only in the capacity of the modern “Lady’s Wo-
man,” but were taught all kinds of needle works, pastry, cookery, &c. thus qualifying
them to become good mothers, frugal housewises, and useful members of the com-
munity. How sincerely is it to be lamented that the daughters of the gentry of the first
rank, and of tradesmen, have now nearly the same education; every school is a “Board-
ing School for Young Ladies,” where dress and the polite accomplishments (as they are
called) are indiscriminately taught to the young lady of family and fortune, and to the
young lady who has neither family nor fortune.

     1 It appears from this letter likewise that the lady with whom she lived was retired
from London to Windsor, apparently for the benefit of the air.

     2 Something like a modern tippet seems to be here meant to be put about her neck as
a part of her riding dress.

     3 Autograph. Pl. XVIII. No 8.

 

  11 ¾ by 5.
            Paper Mark
         a Pair of sheers.
            Pl. XI. No 11.

              Windsor,
              29 June, between 1450 and 1460.
              29 and 39 H. VI.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

 LETTER XXXV.

 

To my Cousin Margaret Paston be this Letter delivered.

RIGHT worshipful Cousin, I recommend me unto you,
     desiring to hear of your welfare, and if it like you to hear
of my welfare, at the making of this letter I was in good hele,
loved be God. The cause of my writing to you at this time is
this, praying you to send me word of your welfare, and how ye
do of your sickness, and if the medicine do you any good that
I sent you writing of last; thanking you of the great friendship
that ye have done to my mother with all my heart.

     Also I pray you that ye will be good mean to my cousin your
husband, that he will see that my father be well ruled in his live-
lihood for his worship and his profit.

     Also praying you to hold me excused, that I have written no
oftener to you, for, in good faith, I had no leisure, for my lady
hath been sick at London, near hand this quarter of this year,
and that hath been great heaviness to me; but now, blessed be
God, she is amended, and is in the 1 country again.

     Also thanking you of the great cheer that I had of you when
I was with you last with all my heart, praying you of good con-
tinuance, for I had never greater need than I have now, and if
I had leisure and space, I would write to you the cause.

     No more at this time, but the Holy Trinity have you in his
keeping. Written at Windsor the 29th day of June.

     Also, Cousin, I pray you to send me some Norfolk thread to do
about my 2 neck to ride with.

 

                                      By your poor Beadswoman and Cousin,

                                                                         3 ALICE CRANE.

 

     The writer of this Letter might be sister (or daughter) of John Crane, the gentleman
whose signature is to Letter XI. vol. i. p. 44. the date must remain quite uncertain be-
tween the years 1450 and 1460, which indeed is totally immaterial, as the Letter isgiven
merely to shew that young women of good families were brought up as attendants upon
ladies of rank, and served them not only in the capacity of the modern “Lady’s Wo-
man,” but were taught all kinds of needle works, pastry, cookery, &c. thus qualifying
them to become good mothers, frugal housewises, and useful members of the com-
munity. How sincerely is it to be lamented that the daughters of the gentry of the first
rank, and of tradesmen, have now nearly the same education; every school is a “Board-
ing School for Young Ladies,” where dress and the polite accomplishments (as they are
called) are indiscriminately taught to the young lady of family and fortune, and to the
young lady who has neither family nor fortune.

     1 It appears from this letter likewise that the lady with whom she lived was retired
from London to Windsor, apparently for the benefit of the air.

     2 Something like a modern tippet seems to be here meant to be put about her neck as
a part of her riding dress.

     3 Autograph. Pl. XVIII. No 8.

  11 ¾ by 5.
            Paper Mark
         a Pair of sheers.
            Pl. XI. No 11.

              Windsor,
              29 June, between 1450 and 1460.
              29 and 39 H. VI.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume III'

296

 

ALICE CRANE TO MARGARET PASTON1

 

To my cosyn, Margeret Paston, be this letter delyvred.

   RYGHT worshipfull cosyn, I recomaund me unto you,
     desyryng to here of youre welfare; and if it like you
     to her of my welfar, at the makyng of this letter I
was in good hele, loved be God. The cause of my wrytyng
to you at this tyme is this, praying you to send me word of
youre welfare, and how ye do of youre seknesse, and if the
medycyn do you ony good that I send you wrytyng of last;
thankyng you of the grete frenship that ye have do to my
moder with all my hert.

     Also I pray you that ye wyll be good meyn to my cosyn
youre husbond, that he wyll se that my fader be well ruleyd in
his lyvelode for his worship and his profett.

     Also prayng you to hold me exschusyd that I have wryten
no ofter to you, for, in good feth, I had no leysir; for my
Lady hath be seke at London, ner hand this quarter of this
yere, and that hath be grete hevinesse to me; but now, blesyd
be God, she is amendyd and is in the contre agayne.

     Also thankyng you of the grete chere that I had of you
when I was with you laste with all my herte, prayng you of
good contenuanse, for I had never gretter nede than I have now,
and if I had leyser and space, I wolde write to you the cause.

     No more at this tyme, but the Holy Trenite have you in
his kepyng.

     Wryten at Wyndesore, the xxix. day of June,

                    By youre pore bede oman and cosyn,

                                                                                  ALICE CRANE.

     Also, cosyn, I pray you to sende me sum Norfoke threde
to do a boute my nekke to ryde with.

     1 [From Fenn, iii. 146.] John Crane of Woodnorton, whom we suppose to have
been the writer of Letters 121 and 285, had a wife of the name of Alice, who was
apparently a widow in 1457, when she presented to the living of Woodnorton (see
Blomefield, iv. 313). But the writer of this was more probably a daughter, serving in
the household of a lady of rank according to the custom of the times. If so, the date
is before John Crane’s death, which must have happened between 1455 and 1457.

 

 

 

 

 

About
1455(?)
JUNE 29