Complaints of John Paston against his Uncle William

998

COMPLAINTS OF JOHN PASTON AGAINST HIS
UNCLE WILLIAM¹

     All so the seyde John Paston, now compleynaunt, seyth that John Paston,
fadyr off the same John, was seased off the maner callyd Hollwellhawe, wyth
th’appurtenaunces in Estodenham, joyntly wyth all the londis, tenementes,
rentes, and services, whyche sume tyme were John Jerham, Ewstase Rows,
John Davy,² vikere off the chyrche off Estodenham, ande Water Danyell, or
any off thers, lyeng in the townys off Estodenham, Mateshalle, Mateshalebergh,
and othir townys adjoynyng, ande off all the londis and tenementes, rentes,
services, and lybertes wyth ther appurtenaunces callyd Toleys, lyeng in the
townys off Wymondham and Carleton and othir townys adyoynyng, whyche
sume tyme were William Thuxston; and off the scite off on mese [messuage]
wyth a pece londe lyenge in a croffte to the same mese adyoynyng, wyche is
accomptyde xiiij. acres off londe wyth th’appurtenaunces, callyd Colneys, othyr
wys callyd Whynnes in Carleton ——³ in hys demeane as off ffee; ande so
beyng sensed ther off, up on trust enffeffede William Yelverton, Justys, John
Fastolff, Knyght, Myles Stapelton, Knyght, and othir, to be hadde to them
and theyr heyrs for ever, be the fores wher off they were ther off seased in
theyr demeane as off ffee, ande afftyr the seyd ffeffment in forme afforseyd mad,
the seyd John Paston the fadyr disseassed. The ryght off the whyche maner,
londis, tenementes, and othir the premysses, afftyr the desses of the seyd John

————————————

the fadyr, owith to come to the seyd John, now compleynaunt, as sone and heyr
off the seyd John Paston, ffor as myche as the seyd John the fadyr made no
wylle nor mencyon of the aforseyd maner, londis, tenementes, nor off othir the
premysses, whyche maner, londis, and tenementes, and othir the premysses the
seyd William Paston hath, and agenst the cours of the lawe ocupyeth.

     Item, the seid John requerith an astate to be takyn in those londys lymyted
to William the sone for deffaut off issu off Clement Paston by the will of there
fadir accordyng to the seid will, as well as in those londis that ar or shuld be
purchased with the m^l. [1000] mark accordyng to th’endentur mad by twyn
th’executors of William Paston, Justice, that is to sey, to the seid William the
son, and to the eyres of his body, and for defaute of yssue of his bodye, to
remayn to th’eyers of William Paston, Justice, which the seid John is.

     All so the seyd John Paston, now compleynaunt, seyth that ther be decayed
at Marlyngfford and Oxenhed be meane off th’enterupsion off the seyd William
tweyn water melles, wher off iche was letyn ffor x. marke be yer. And
all so othir howsyng be the same ockasion at Oxenhed, Marlyngfford, Stansted,
and Orwelbury decayed to the hurt off the seyd John Paston off v. C. [500]
mark whech the seyd John Paston desyreth to be recompensede.

     Item, the seid John axith of the seid William for wast don in the maner of
Paston for lak of reparacion, xlli.

     Item, the seid William hath takyn awey owth of the maners of John Paston,
that is to sey, of hes maners of Paston, Oxened, Marlyngford, Stansted, and
Horwelburye, siche stoff and greynys, catell and hotilementis of the seid maners
as were agreyd be the executors of the seyd William Paston, Justyse, to be left
and latyn with the seid maners to the value of xlli.

     Item, the seid John axith to be restored to all the evydence longyng to the
maners aforesaid and other the premysses which the seid William wrongfully
witholdith.

     Item, the seid John axith to hys possession which he hath of [and] in the
maner of Caster and other maners adyongnyng, the relesse of all such title and
interest as the seid William hath be wey of feffement in the foresaid maner and
maners, in like forme as other his cofeffes have in tyme past relassed to Sir John
Paston, whoos eyre the seid John is.

     Also, the seid John Paston desireth the performance of diverse comenauntis
and articles conteyned in diverse indentures and writynges mad be the avise of
the reverend fadir in God, William, Bisschoppe of Lyncolne,¹ supervisour of
the testement of the seid William Paston, Justice, bytwix th’executors of the
same William Paston for kepyng of the trewe intent and will of the seid
William Paston, Justice, as by the same indentures and writynges redye to
be schewed more pleynlye shall appere, the entent and performance of which
writyng is interupted and brokyn by the seid William Paston and his meanys to
the hurt and damage off the seyd John Paston, now compleynaunt off ——.²

     Item, the seid William hath, contray to trouuth and conscience, vexed and
trouubled and put to cost and charge the seid John nowe be the space of v. yer
saffe a quarter,³ and hath distorbede the same John to take and perceyve th’issus

——————————————

and profetes off the same maners, to the hurt and damage off the seyd John in
defendyng of his right off and in the maners afforeseyd of ij. m^1. mark, besyde
greffe, gret labour and disseace that the seid John hath dayly be putt onto by
th’okcasion afforseyd.¹

     Item, accordyng to the will of William Paston, Justice, the seid John axith
to be restored to parth of such goodis as hath ben dispendid by John Paston the
fader, Sir John Paston, and the seid John nowe compleynaunt, in defence,
kepyng, and recoveryng of such londis as were William Paston, Justice, which
draweth above the summa of m¹li.

     Item, where on ———² Lomnor had a cofur in kepyng and and D.m^1.
mark in the same be extymasion to the use of John Paston, fadir of the forsayed
Sir John and John, the seid William Paston fraudelently atteyned the seid
cofur wyth the seyd sume of money after the dissece of the seid John the fadir,
and had it in his kepyng serteyn dayes, and did with it his pleasur unknowyn
to the seid Sir John Pastoh and John Paston, his brother; and after at Herry
Colettes³ house the seid William brought the seid cofur to the seid John
Paston, Knyght, and there openyd the seid cofur, where was then lefte but CC.
old noblis which wer by extymacion in value Cli. And the seid William
toke ther the seid gold awey with hym, ageyn the will of seid Sir John, and
witholdith the same, whereof the seyd John preyeth to be restored.

     Item, the seid William atteynyd and gate a payer of basons of silver and
parte or all gilt from the seid Sir John Paston and John Paston, now com-
pleynaunt, abouuth such season as he toke the cofur and coyne aforerehersed,
which basons were in value C. mark; and the seid William yet witholdith the
seid basons, to the whyche the seyd John preyeth also to be restored.

     Item, the seid William gate in to his possession a charger of silver in value
x. marke, and iij. bollys of silver that were in kepyng of Bacheler Water, a
Frier Carmelit of Norwich, to th’entent that a certeyn coost shuld have ben
doon upon the liberarye of the Friers Carmelites aforesaid for the sowlis of
William Paston, Justice, and Augnes, his wiff; which charger and bollys the
seid William yet withholdith and kepith to his owne use, and therfore the seid
charges ar not fulfylled.

     Item, the seid John axith restitucion of suche inportable charges as the seid
William hathe put the forsaid Sir John onto by the space of many yeres, as in
plesures doyng and rewardis, which apperith by writyng of the hande of the
seid Sir John; which pleasures and charges the seid Sir John was constreyned
to doo in defence of the seid William; wher of the seid John axeth to have
amendys of C^1. mark.

     Item, by the occacion and meanys of the seid William, the seid Sir John
was constreyned to lende onto the Reverende Fadere in God, George, late
Archebsschop of York⁴ m^1. mark, which was nat payed ageyn by the summa of
Cli. The seid John axith to be restorid ther of.

     Item, the seid William hath fellyd tymbre and wodys in the maners of the

————————————

seid John, that is to sey, the maners of Oxened and Marlyngford, to the hurth
of the seid John of xxli.

     Item, the seyd John Paston, compleynaunt, axith to be restoryd to alle
syche money as hathe be takyn and dyspendyd by alle siche persones as have
ben assigned by meanes of the seyd Wylliam to distorbe and interupt the seyd
John, compleynaunt, of hys ryght, tyghtyll, possessyon, entrest, of and in the
maners, londis, and tenementes, and other the premysses dwryng the seyd v.
yer sauff a quarter, as well as to all syche money as hathe ben dyspendyd dwryng
the seyd v. yer sauff a quarter by the servauntys of the seyd compleynaunt
by hym assigned to tery and abyd up on the seyd maners, londes, and tene-
mentes, and other the premysses ther, to kepe the possessyon of the seyd
compleynaunt, whyche extendith to the some of xlli. and above.

     Item, the seyd John, compleynaunt, axith to be restoryd to all syche money
as hathe bene receyved by meanys of the seyd William, dwryng the seyd v. yer
sauff a quarter, of syche as ar or have ben fermors or tenauntes of the maners,
londis, and tenementis aforseyd duryng the seyd season, as well as to all syche
money as is not levyable of dyvers of the seyd fermors and tenauntes fallyn in
poverte sythe the trowblows season of the v. yer sauff a quarter befor rehersed,
whyche extendeth to the some of CCli. or above.

     ¹ [From Add. Charter 17,257, B.M.] It appears from the contents that this
paper must have been drawn up nearly five years after Sir John Paston’s death. It is
a corrected draft, apparently of a Bill in Chancery, and some of the corrections are in
Sir John Paston’s hand.

     ² He was vicar of East Tuddenham from 1398 to 1434.

     ⁴ Blank in MS.

     ¹ William Alnwick, Bishop of Lincoln, who died in 1449.                       ² Blank in MS.

     ³ Originally written ‘a yere and more,’ and corrected.

     ¹ This paragraph is very much corrected.                                ² Blank in MS.

     ³ Father of the celebrated Dean Colet.

     ⁴ George Nevill, Archbishop of York, died on the 8th June 1476.

1484

1484

1484

1484