Archbishop Bourchier to John Paston

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Reference

Add. 34888, f. 131

Date

7 September 1456

Library / Archive

Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)

Gairdner, Vol III, item 344; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 68

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER LXVIII.

           To our right truste and
           right welbeloved John
           Paston Esquier And Will’m
           Norwiche and to either of
           theym.

RIGHT truste and right welbeloved We grete you hertly
wel. And where as S^r. Nichol Bowet Knight sueth an
appeelle in the Countee of Norff ayenst oon Robert Offord of
Berking for the Deeth of oon S^r. Henry Bowet Clerc. We being
enformed y^t the matier is pitevous praie you hertly y^t ye wul in
our behalve moeve and entreete the Shirreve of the saide Coun-
tee to surceese of y’ execucion of any p^rcesse upon y’ ¹exigent to
hym directed in yat behalve unto y^e next t^rme so y^t resonable
meanes maye be founden to save the saide Robert harmelesse.
Lating hym wite y^t we have written to the saide S^r Nichol for a
cōvenient treetie to be taken in that behalve as shalbe thought
according to right. And god have you ever in his keping.
Written in our Manoir of Mortelake the vij Daie of Septemb’r.

² T. Archbishop
of Canterbury.

11 ½ by 4.

      Mortlake, in Sorry,
            7th of September,
            Between 1455 and 1458.
            34 and 37 H. VI.

This Letter was most probably written during the time that the Archbishop was Lord
Chancellor, and it may be supposed that this Robert Offord had been tried and acquitted
upon an indictment for the Murder, and that now the next of kin to the decceased, not
being satissied with the Verdict, had lodged his Appeal.

¹ The Exigent is a Writ, requiring the appearance of the party, and if he come not
at the last proclamation he is out-lawed.

² Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, from 1454 to 1486, and Lord
Chancellor from 1455 to 1457.

Autograph. Pl. 1. N^o 9.

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

LETTER LXVIII.

To our right trusty and right well beloved John Paston, Esq. and
William Norwich, and to either of them.

RIGHT trusty and right well beloved, We greet you hear-
tily well; And whereas Sir Nichol Bowet, Knight, sueth
an appeal in the County of Norfolk, against one Robert Offord
of Barking, for the death of one Sir Henry Bowet, Clerk. We,
being informed that the matter is piteous, pray you heartily that
ye will in our behalf move and entreat the Sheriff of the said
County to surcease of the execution of any process upon the
¹ Exigent to him directed in that behalf unto the next term, so
that reasonable means may be found to save the said Robert
harmless; letting him weet that we have written to the said Sir
Nichol for a convenient treaty to be taken in that behalf, as shall
be thought according to right. And God have you ever in his
keeping

Written in our Manor of Mortlake, the 7th day of September.

²T. ARCHBISHOP
of CANTERBURY.

11 ½ by 4.

      Mortlake, in Sorry,
            7th of September,
            Between 1455 and 1458.
            34 and 37 H. VI.

¹ The Exigent is a Writ, requiring the appearance of the party, and if he come not
at the last proclamation he is out-lawed.

² Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, from 1454 to 1486, and Lord
Chancellor from 1455 to 1457.

Autograph. Pl. 1. N^o 9.

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

344

ARCHBISHOP BOURCHIER TO JOHN PASTON¹

To our right truste and right welbeloved John Paston, Esquier,
and William Norwiche,² and to either of theym.

   RIGHT truste and right welbeloved, we grete you hertly
     wel. And where as Sir Nichol Bowet, Knight, sueth
     an appeelle in the countee of Norffolk ayenst oon
Robert Offord of Berking for the deeth of oon Sir Henry
Bowet, clerc, we being enformed that the matier is pitevous,
praie you hertly that ye wul in our behalve moeve and
entreete the Shirreve of the saide countee to surceese of the
execucion of any processe upon the exigent³ to hym directed
in that behalve unto the next terme, so that resonable meanes
maye be founden to save the saide Robert harmelesse; lating
hym wite that we have written to the saide Sir Nichol for a
convenient treetie to be taken in that behalve, as shalbe
thought according to right. And God have you ever in his
keping.

Written in our Manoir of Mortelake, the vij. daie of
September.

T., ARCHBYSSHOPP OF CANTERBURY.

¹ [From Fenn, iii. 276.] This letter may be presumed to have been written
during the time that Archbishop Bourchier was Lord Chancellor, viz. between 7th
March 1455 and 11th October 1456, when the Great Seal was given to Bishop
Waynfleet. William Norwich, also, was Sheriff of Norwich in 1455, and is doubt-
less addressed in that capacity, but his year of office would not have begun so early
as September. The letter therefore belongs to the following year.

² Sheriff of Norwich, 1455; Mayor, 1461. Died, 1463-4.—Blomefield.

³ See vol. ii. p. 248, Note 4.

1456
SEPT. 7