Cardinal Bourchier's Declaration

702

CARDINAL BOURCHIER’S DECLARATION²

TO all cristen men to whom this present writyng shall
     come, Thomas, by the providence of God, Preeste
     Cardinall Archiebisshopp of Caunterbury, Primat of all
Inglond and Legat of the Appostallic See, gretyng. Where
now late Alice, Duchesse of Suffolk, come to us and desirid of
us to dismysse us of oure estate and to enseall a deed of a
relees of the maner of Haylysdon with the appurtenaunce in
the counte of Norffolk; which we denyed, in as myche as wee
stode infeoffyd in the seid maner with othirs to the use of Sir
John Paston knyght, sone and heire to John Paston sqwyer;
to the whiche the seid Duchesse replied, seying and affermyng
that she was accordyd and agreed with the seid Sir John
Paston by the meane of the ryght Reverent fader in God,
George Archebysshop of York, and that the seid Sir John
Paston was fully assented and agreed that the seid Duchesse
shuld have the seid manere wyth th’appurtenaunce to hir, hir
heyris and assignes for ever more, and that all the feoffees
enfeoffid and seisid in the seid manere wyth the appurtenaunce
shuld relees and make astate to hir or such as shee wolde
assigne of the seid manere wyth th’appurtenaunce; the wehych
we answerde and seid upon condicion that the seid Sir John
Paston weere so agreed we wold relees wyth a goodwyll, and
els not; and yff so were that we cowde understand hereafter
by the seid Right reverent Fadir in God, George Archebisshop
of York, or by the seid Sir John Paston, that ther ware noon
such accorde made by twex the seid Duchesse and the seid Sir
John, that than oure deed and relees by us so ensealed off the
seid maner wyth th’appurtenaunce shuld stond as voyd, and of
no force nor effecte; to the wehyche the seid Duches agreed,
and prayd us that we wold sealle hir a deed of the same maner,
wyche shee had theere redy, uppon the same condicion and
uppon noone other. And wee than, at hir specyall request
upon the condicion aforeseyd rehersid, sealid the seyd deed and
delyvered it; and the seid Duchesse at the same tyme pro-
mitted us that she wold use and kepe the seid writyng noo
notherwise, nor to noon othir use but uppon the same con-
dicion as is aforeseid. In witnesse whereoff, to this oure
present writyng we have sette oure seall.

     ² [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 127.] From what Margaret Paston writes to her son Sir
John in the end of the last letter about his father’s will, and also from what she says a
little later about the Duchess of Suffolk (see page 15), we may assign this document
with great probability to the year 1469.

1469

1469

LXXXI

A.D. 1469

CARDINAL BOURCHIER’S DECLARATION

[Add. MS. 34,889, f. 127]

     This document is No. 1083 in the Inventory. From what Margaret Paston
writes to her son Sir John in the end of the last letter about his father’s
will, and also from what she says a little later about the Duchess of Suffolk
in Vol. 11. p. 341, we may assign it with great probability to the year 1469.

TO all cristen men to whom this present
     writyng shall come, Thomas, by the provi-
     dence of God, Preeste Cardinall Archiebis-
     shopp of Caunterbury, Primat of all Inglond
and Legat of the Appostallic See, gretyng. Where
now late Alice, Duchesse of Suffolk, come to us and
desirid of us to dismysse us of oure estate and to
enseall a deed of a relees of the maner of Haylysdon
with the appurtenaunce in the counte of Norffolk;
which we denyed, in as myche as wee stode infeoffyed
in the seid maner with othirs to the use of Sir John
Paston knyght, sone and heire to John Paston
sqwyer; to the whiche the seid Duchesse replied,
seying and affermyng that she was accordyd and
agreed with the seid Sir John Paston by the meane
of the ryght Reverent fader in God, George Arche-
bysshop of York, and that the seid Sir John Paston
was fully assented and agreed that the seid Duchesse
shuld have the seid manere wyth th’appurtenaunce to
hir, hir heyris and assignes for ever more, and that all
the feoffees enfeoffid and seisid in the seid manere
wyth the appurtenaunce shuld relees and make astate
to hir or such as shee wolde assigne of the seid manere
wyth th’appurtenaunce; the wehych we answerde and
seid upon condicion that the seid Sir John Paston
weere so agreed we wold relees wyth a goodwyll, and
els not; and yff so were that we cowde understand
hereafter by the seid Right reverent Fadir in God,
George Archebisshop of York, or by the seid Sir John
Paston, that ther ware noon such accorde made by
twex the seid Duchesse and the seid Sir John, that
han oure deed and relees by us so ensealed off the
seid maner wyth th’appurtenaunce shuld stond as
voyd, and of no force nor effecte; to the wehyche
the seid Duches agreed, and prayd us that we wold
sealle hir a deed of the same maner, wyche shee had
theere redy, uppon the same condicion and uppon
noone other. And wee than, at hir specyall request
upon the condicion aforeseyd rehersid, sealid the seyd
deed and delyvered it; and the seid Duchesse at the
same tyme promitted us that she wold use and kepe
the seid writyng noo notherwise, nor to noon othir
use but uppon the same condicion as is aforeseid.
In witnesse whereoff, to this oure present writyng we
have sette oure seall.