Botoner to John Paston

Add. 43488, f. 20

8 June 1454

Gairdner, Vol II, item 247; Fenn, Vol I, Henry VI item 17

LETTER XVII.

To my Maister Paston.

WORSHYPFULL S^r and my gode Maister after dewe
recomendacōn wyth alle my trewe s’vyce p’cedyng lyke
you wete that as to nouveltees, &c. the ¹ Prince shall be create
at Wyndesour uppon Pentecost Sonday. the ² Chaun’cellr the
Duc of ³ Bokyngh’m and manye othyre Lordys off astate p’sent
wyth the Quene.

As to my Lord ⁴ Yorke he abydyth aboute Yorke tille ⁵ Cor-
pus Crist feste be passyd and wyth grete worship ys there
resseyved. And certeyn Justices ⁶ Prysot, Byngh’m, Portyng-
ton and &c. be thedre for execucōn of Justice uppon such as
hafe offendended yn caus’ creminall.

It ys seyd the Duc of ⁷ Excet’ ys here cov’dtlye God sende
hym gode councell hereaft’.

And the Pryvee seleya examynyd how and yn whate maner
and be whate Autorite p’vye Selys were passed forthe in that

behalf whych ys full innocent and ryght clere yn that mater,
as it ys welle knowen.

The Frenshmen hase be afore the Isles of Gersey and
G’nessey and a grete navey of hem and v^c be taken and
slayn of hem by men of the seyd trew Isles, &c.

S^r. Edmond Mulso ys com from the Duc of ⁸ Burg^ne and he
seyth by hys s’vūnts rapport that he wolle not discharge the
Godes of the Mrchūnts of thys land but so be that Justice
be don uppon the Lord ⁹ Bonevyle or els that he be sent to hym
to do justice hy self as he hath des’ved, or satisfaccōn be
made to the value.

Yo^r mater is enseled as of the thyng ye wote of.

I can no more for haste and lak of leyser but our Lord
kepe you.

Wryt hastly viij day of June.

I sende a L’re to Maist^r Berney to lete you see for the
gouv’ñce yn Yorkshyr.

11 ½ by 5. 1^Q Bote H R. ner.

Saturday, 8th of June.
1454, 32 H. VI.

¹ The Creation of Edward, Son of Henry VI. to the Principality of Wales, is fixed
by some of our Historians to the year 1454, and by others to that of 1457. This Letter
confirms it to have been in the former year, for in that year Pentecost or Whitsunday,
fell on the 9th of June, and we are here told that that Ceremony shall take place on
Pentecost Sunday, that is the next day.

Prince Edward was born in October 1453, and murdered after the battle of Tewkes-
bury, in 1471.

N. B. In 1457, Whitsunday fell on the 5th of June.

² Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, had the Great Seal delivered to him on the 2d
of April this year, he was beheaded at Pontefract, in 1460, soon after the battle of
Wakefield

³ Humphry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, was slain at the battle of Northampton,
in July 1460.

⁴ Richard, Duke of York, had been lately appointed Protector of the Realm, and was
now in Yorkshire, making himself popular, by attending to those solemnities which
pleased the generality of the people, &c.

⁵ The Festival of the Blessed Sacrament, or Corpus Christi, is always on the Thursday
after the Octave of Whitsunday, and in this year happened on the 20th of June.

⁶ John Prisot was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

Richard Bingham, a Justice of the King’s Bench, aud John Portington, of the Com-
mon Pleas.

⁷ Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter.

⁸ Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, he died in 1467.

⁹ William Lord Bonvile, was beheaded by order of Queen Margaret, after the second
battle of St. Alban’s, in February 1460-1, though Henry VI. had granted him his life.

¹⁰ William Botener, otherwise Worcester, was an attendant, &c. on Sir John Fastolf;
and for a farther account of him, see Letter xxv. Note ¹.

He here signs his name in a very particular manner, inserting H R between Bote and
ner.—Perhaps it is meant to show his loyalty to King Henry. Pl. II. N^o 23.

LETTER XVII.

To my Master Paston.

WORSHIPFUL Sir, and my good Master, after due
recommendation with all my true service preceding,
like you weet, that as to Novelties, &c. the ¹ Prince shall be
created at Windsor upon Fentecost Sunday, the ² Chancellor,
the Duke of ³ Buckingham, and many other Lords of estate,
present with the Queen.

As to my Lord (of) ⁴ York he abideth about York till
⁵ Corpus Christi Feast be passed, and with great worship is
there received.

And certain Justices ⁶ Prysot, Bingham, Portington, and &c.
be thither for execution of Justice upon such as have offended
in causes criminal.

It is said, the Duke of ⁷ Exeter is here covertly, God send
him good counsel hereafter.

And the Privy Seal is examined how, and in what manner,
and by what Authority, privy Seals were passed forth in that

behalf, which is full innocent and right clear in that matter, as
it is well known.

The Frenchmen have been afore the Isles of Jersey and
Guernsey and a great Navy of them, and 500 be taken and slain
of them by men of the said true Isles, &c.

Sir Edmund Mulso is come from the Duke of ⁸ Burgundy;
and he saith by his Servants’ report, that he will not discharge
the Goods of the Merchants of this land, but so be (unless)
that Justice be done upon the Lord ⁹ Bonville, or else that he be
sent to him to do justice himself, as he hath deserved, or
satisfaction be made to the value.

Your matter is ensealed as of the thing ye wot of.

I can no more for haste and lack of leisure, but our Lord
keep you. Written hastily the 8th day of June.

I send a Letter to Master Berney to let you see for the
Governance in Yorkshire.

¹⁰ Bote HR. ner.

11 ½ by 5.

Saturday, 8th of June.
1454, 32 H. VI.

¹ The Creation of Edward, Son of Henry VI. to the Principality of Wales, is fixed
by some of our Historians to the year 1454, and by others to that of 1457. This Letter
confirms it to have been in the former year, for in that year Pentecost or Whitsunday,
fell on the 9th of June, and we are here told that that Ceremony shall take place on
Pentecost Sunday, that is the next day.

Prince Edward was born in October 1453, and murdered after the battle of Tewkes-
bury, in 1471.

N. B. In 1457, Whitsunday fell on the 5th of June.

² Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, had the Great Seal delivered to him on the 2d
of April this year, he was beheaded at Pontefract, in 1460, soon after the battle of
Wakefield

³ Humphry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, was slain at the battle of Northampton,
in July 1460.

⁴ Richard, Duke of York, had been lately appointed Protector of the Realm, and was
now in Yorkshire, making himself popular, by attending to those solemnities which
pleased the generality of the people, &c.

⁵ The Festival of the Blessed Sacrament, or Corpus Christi, is always on the Thursday
after the Octave of Whitsunday, and in this year happened on the 20th of June.

⁶ John Prisot was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

Richard Bingham, a Justice of the King’s Bench, aud John Portington, of the Com-
mon Pleas.

⁷ Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter.

⁸ Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, he died in 1467.

⁹ William Lord Bonvile, was beheaded by order of Queen Margaret, after the second
battle of St. Alban’s, in February 1460-1, though Henry VI. had granted him his life.

¹⁰ William Botener, otherwise Worcester, was an attendant, &c. on Sir John Fastolf;
and for a farther account of him, see Letter xxv. Note ¹.

He here signs his name in a very particular manner, inserting H R between Bote and
ner.—Perhaps it is meant to show his loyalty to King Henry. Pl. II. N^o 23.

247

BOTONER TO JOHN PASTON²

To my Maister Paston.

       WORSHYPFULL Syr, and my gode maister, after
       dewe recomendacion, wyth alle my trewe servyce
       precedyng, lyke you wete that as to nouveltees,
&c., the Prince shall be create at Wyndesour, uppon Pentecost

Sonday,¹ the Chaunceller,² the Duc of Bokyngham, and manye
othyre Lordys off astate, present wyth the Quene.

As to my Lord Yorke, he abydyth aboute Yorke tille
Corpus Crist Feste³ be passyd, and wyth grete worship ys
there resseyved.

And certeyn Justices, Prysot,⁴ Byngham,⁵ Portyngton,⁶
and &c., be thedre for execucion of justice uppon such as hafe
offendended yn cause creminall.

It ys seyd the Duc of Exceter⁷ ys here coverdtlye. God
send hym gode councell hereafter.

And the Pryvee Sele⁸ ys examynyd how, and yn whate
maner, and be whate autorite prevye selys were passed forthe
in that behalf, whych ys full innocent and ryght clere yn that
mater, as it ys welle knowen.

The Frenshmen hafe be afore the Isles of Gersey and
Gernessey, and a grete navey of hem, and v^c. [500] be taken
and slayn of hem by men of the seyd trew Isles, &c.

Syr Edmond Mulso ys come from the Duc of Burgoyne;⁹
and he seyth, by hys servaunts rapport, that he wolle not dis-
charge the godes of the mrchaunts of thys land, but so be that
justice be don uppon the Lord Bonevyle, or els that he be sent
to hym to do justice by hym self, as he hath deserved, or
satisfaccion be made to the value.

Yowr mater¹⁰ is enseled as of the thyng ye wote of.

I can no more for haste and lak of leyser, but our Lord
kepe you. Wryt hastly viij. of June.

I sende a lettre to Maister Berney to lete you see for the
gouvernaunce yn Yorkshyr.

BOTO-H.R.-NER.¹

² [From Fenn, i. 76.]

¹ June 9 in 1454.

² Richard Nevill, Earl of Salisbury, was appointed Chancellor on the 2nd April
1454.

³ June 20 in 1454.

⁴ John Prisot, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

⁵ Richard Bingham, a Justice of the King’s Bench.

⁶ John Portington, a Justice of the Common Pleas.

⁷ Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter. On the 11th May this year he had been
ordered to appear before the Council on the following Thursday (16th May).—
See Nicolas’s Privy Council Proceedings, vi. 180.

⁸ His name was Thomas Lyseux.—See Patent Roll, 32 Hen. VI., m. 14.

⁹ Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

¹⁰ Doubtless the grant of the wardship of Thomas Fastolf of Cowhawe.—See
p. 322, Note 2.

¹ William Worcester, or Botoner, as he called himself indifferently, secretary to
Sir John Fastolf. He frequently introduces the letters ‘H. R.’ into or above his
signature, and sometimes at the top of his letter. Fenn reads the name ‘Botener,’
which is certainly wrong according to the facsimile given of the signature in this
place.

JUNE 8

1454
JUNE 8