Edmund Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XXXVII.

To the Ryght Wurshupfull
     S^r John Paston Knyght be
     y^is delyu^rd.

RYGHT Wurshypfull S^r J Recomawnd me to zow As
zest^rday I was w^t my cosyn clere he lythe at Borow And my
mastr’s hys Wyveffe be cause the plage Reygnyth at
Ormysby And so of hys own mocyon he mevyd to me of the
maryage of my Nevew zo^r Soon And as glad foolks woold be
to bargayn as eu^r ze wyste And soo hathe shewyd me that
ze Shuld haue as myche as S^r E. Bedyngfelld whyche was
v C marke moore ou^r he shewyd that he woold dep^rt w^t it
to S^r Roger T or to Harry Colett whyche he shewyd ze
woold not of but to haue the mony at zo^r dysposyssyon
And me semys be hys Report that he knowyth well that yf
ze delle w^t S^r H. H. he wyll be i˜ asuerte that the mony
that he shuld dep’t w^t shuld goo to the redemyng of zo^r
lands and other zo^r dawngers more ou^r he shewyd me that
the mony whyche ze skyftyd of H. Colett was thought be
S^r Harry H.that S^r R Townesend shuld haue ben contentte
w^t it whyche is knowyn the co˜trary and causyd hy˜ to geue
delaye i˜ that be halffe to zow I know well this Jantylman
berythe zow as good mynde as any man alyve my mastr’s
hys mother and allso my mastr’s hys wyve i˜ lyke wyesse
And me semys he makys not the dowghtts to delyu^r zow
hys mony that other men do of the delyu^re of thers Foor
trowthe he shewithe me hys mynde whyche is thus yf ze
wyll putt londe in feffeme˜t for zers to the full co˜tentacyon
of Townesend Colett and of my Uncle whyche he and all
men thynke ze muste be charged to or eu^r ze goo thorow
And that zo^r next frends haue the Receyte of it tyll it be
full co˜tente And payed thus or suche a suer weye to be
had for the well of all parteys I darre say he is not Alyve
wyll indevour hy˜ w^t bett^r wyll to deele w^t zow And as my
mynde s^ruys me streytte hy˜sylffe as it may be booryn be
syde my mastes hys modyr v C my mastrs hys wyffe on my
feythe I darr say the moste harty body to zow wards i˜ this
be halfe that is alyve and the fayneeste body woold be to
haue it accomplyshyd S^r I thinke ze be to wards london and
well I woot zou^r mynde is to ease zo^r sylfe as hastely as ze
may I pray god ze do to zo^r honur And to zo^r moste well to
gederys marchands or new Jantylmen I deme wyll p’ferr
large noon other dyspreysed ze know the co˜tynewance of
this man And how he is alyed Well J woott yf ze dep’t to
london ze shall haue p’ferys large yf zo^r Jornay be not but to
ease zow in that be halfe be my poor avyce slake for iij or iiij
days for eu˜ me semys I shuld not haue ben brokyn to so
largely but that they entende it hastely to say to zow sythe
I was ther I undyr sta˜de yf it had not happyd me to haue
seyne them as zest^r day she wold this day haue made her
cowntenance to haue seyn her nes both and dowter wyche is
at Pallyngs for fer of the plage And haue Comyn Seyne my
wyssete And specyally to haue de syrd us to meve zow
towards them and i˜ trowthe so she hasse I pray god ze do
as well to zo^r honur as I woold do my sylfe yf ze wyll tery
thys lytell season be foor r’hersyd yf ze lyste I woott well ze
may haue the mat^r moor largely Comyned And yf ze tary tyll
Monday I wyll awayte on zow to Hynengh’m w^t gods g’ce
Who eu^r p’s^rue zow and zo’s.

                                                                       Yo^r E. PASTON.

   11 ½ by 17.

            A whole sheet.
              Paper Mark,
         Hand and Caterfoil.
            Pl. xxxiii. No. 3.

     This letter from Edmund Paston to his brother Sir John, gives us a full
account of a treaty of marriage then in agitation between Sir John Paston’s
son and a daughter of Sir Robert Clere, of Ormesby. It seems likewise that a
similar treaty had been on foot between Sir John and Sir Henry Heydon in
behalf of a daughter of his; which afterwards took effect, Sir William Paston
marrying Bridget, daughter of Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorpe.

     E. Paston seems inclined, by his manner of writing, to favour the alliance
with the Cleres, whom he mentions, not only as an ancient and honourable
family, but as a most worthy one. Merchants and new gentlemen would bid
high, he tells us, for an alliance with the heir of the Paston family.

  The plague raged in London during the year 1499, and was still there, and
also ravaged the country in 1500, in which year it is most probable this letter
was written.

     Sir Robert Clere’s mother was Elizabeth, the daughter and heir of Thomas
Uvedale, and his first wife was Anne, a daughter of Sir William Hopton.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 8.

LETTER XXXVII.

To the Right Worshipful Sir John Paston, Knight, be this
delivered.

RIGHT Worshipful Sir, I recommend me to you, as yester-
day I was with my Cousin Clere; he lieth at Burgh, and my
mistress his wife, because the plague reigneth at Ormesby;
and so of his own motion he moved to me of the marriage of
my nephew your son, and as glad folks would be to bargain
as ever ye wist, and so hath shewed me that ye should have
as much as Sir Edmund Bedingfeld, which was five hundred
marks (333l. 6s. 8d.) Moreover he shewed that he would
depart with it to Sir Roger Townshend or to Harry Colet,
which he showed ye would not of, but to have the money at
your disposition. And me seems by his report, that he
knoweth well that if ye deal with Sir Henry Heydon, he
will be in a surety that the money that he should depart
with should go to the redeeming of your lands, and other
your dangers. Moreover he showed me that the money
which ye skyfted of Harry Colet was thought by Sir Harry
Heydon that Sir Roger Townshend should have been content
with it, which is known the contrary, and caused him to
give delay in that behalf to you. I know well this gentle-
man beareth you as good mind as any man alive, my mis-
tress his mother, and also my mistress his wife, in likewise;
and me seems he makes not the doubts to deliver you his
money that other men do of the delivery of theirs; for
truth he showeth me his mind, which is thus: If ye will put
land in feofment for years, to the full contentation of Town-
shend, Colet, and of my uncle, which he and all men think
ye must be charged to, or ever ye go through, and that your
next friends have the receipt of it, till it be full content and
paid; thus, or such a sure way, to be had for the weal of all
parties, I dare say he is not alive will endeavour him with
better will to deal with you, and as my mind serves me,
straight himself, as [that] it may be borne, beside my mis-
tress his mother’s five hundred.

     My mistress his wife, on my faith, I dare say the most
hearty body to you wards in this behalf that is alive, and
the fainest body would be to have it accomplished.

     Sir, I think ye be towards London, and well I wot your
mind is to ease yourself as hastily as ye may; I pray God ye
do to your honour, and to your most weal together.

     Merchants or new gentlemen I deem will proffer large:
none other dispraised, ye know the continuance [family] of
this man, and how he is allied; well I wot if ye depart to
London ye shall have proffers large; if your journey be not
but to ease you in that behalf, by my poor advice slack for
three or four days, for even me seems I should not have
been broken to so largely, but that they intend it hastily to
say to you. Since I was there I understand if it had not
happed [happened] me to have seen them as yesterday, she
would this day have made her countenance [reckoning] to
have seen her niece both and daughter, which is at Pallings
for fear of the plague, and have come since my visit; and
specially to have desired us to move you towards them;
and in truth so she has.

     I pray God ye do as well to your honour as I would do
myself.

     If ye will tarry this little season before rehearsed, if ye
list, I wot well ye may have the matter more largely com-
muned; and if ye tarry till Monday, I will await on you to
Heningham, with God’s grace, who ever preserve you and
yours.

                                                           Your EDMUND PASTON.

   1499 or 1500.
  14 or 15 H. vii.

    This letter from Edmund Paston to his brother Sir John, gives us a full
account of a treaty of marriage then in agitation between Sir John Paston’s
son and a daughter of Sir Robert Clere, of Ormesby. It seems likewise that a
similar treaty had been on foot between Sir John and Sir Henry Heydon in
behalf of a daughter of his; which afterwards took effect, Sir William Paston
marrying Bridget, daughter of Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorpe.

     E. Paston seems inclined, by his manner of writing, to favour the alliance
with the Cleres, whom he mentions, not only as an ancient and honourable
family, but as a most worthy one. Merchants and new gentlemen would bid
high, he tells us, for an alliance with the heir of the Paston family.

  The plague raged in London during the year 1499, and was still there, and
also ravaged the country in 1500, in which year it is most probable this letter
was written.

     Sir Robert Clere’s mother was Elizabeth, the daughter and heir of Thomas
Uvedale, and his first wife was Anne, a daughter of Sir William Hopton.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 8.

1056

EDMUND PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To the ryght wurshupfull Sir John Paston, Knyght,
be this delyvered.

RYGHT wurshypfull Sir, I recomawnd me to zow. As
     zesterday I was with my cosyn Clere;² he lythe at
     Borow, and my mastres hys wyveffe,³ be cause the
plage reygnyth at Ormysby. And so of hys own mocyon he
mevyd to me of the maryage of my nevew zour soon, and as
glad foolkes woold be to bargayn as ever ze wyste, and soo
hathe shewyd me that ze shuld have as myche as Sir E.
Bedyngfelld, whyche was v. C. marke. Moore over he
shewyd that he woold depart with it to Sir Roger T.⁴ or to
Harry Colett, whyche he shewyd ze woold not of, but to
have the mony at zour dysposyssyon; and me semys be hys
report that he knowyth well that yf ze delle with Sir H. H.,⁵
he wyll be in a suerte that the mony that he shuld depart with
shuld goo to the redemyng of zour landes, and other zowr
dawngeres. More over he shewyd me that the mony whyche
ze skyftyd of H. Colett was th[oug]ht be Sir Harry H. that
Sir R. Townesend shuld have ben contentte with it, whyche is
knowyn the contrary, and causyd hym to geve delay in that be
halffe to zow. I know well this jantylman berythe zow as
good mynde as any man alyve, my mastres hys mother,⁷ and
allso my mastres hys wyve in lyeke wyesse; and me semys he
makys not the dowghttes to delyver zow hys mony that other
men do of the delyverye of thers. Foor trowthe, he shewythe
me hys mynde, whyche is thus: yf ze wyll putt lande in feffe-
ment for zeres, to the full contentacyon of Townesend, Colett,
and of my uncle, whyche he and all men thynke ze muste be
charged to, or ever ze goo thorow, and that zour next frendes
have the receyte of it tyll it be full contente and payed, thus,
or suche a suer weye to be had for the well of all parteys, I
darre say he is not alyve wyll indevour hym with better wyll
to deele with zow, and, as my mynde servys me, streytte hym-
sylffe, as it may be booryn, be syde my mastes hys modyrs v.
C. My mastres hys wyffe, on my feythe I darr say, the moste
harty body to zow wordes in this be halffe that is alyve, and
the fayneeste body woold be to have it accomplyshyd.

     Syr, I thenke ze be to wardes London, and well I woot
zowre mynde is to ease zour sylffe as hastely as ze may; I
pray God ze do to zour honur, and to zour moste well to
gederys.

     Marchandes or new jantylmen I deme wyll proferr large;
noon other dyspreysed, ze know the contynewance of this
man, and how he is alyed. Well I woott yf ze depart to
London, ze shall have proferes large; yf zour jornay be not
but to ease yow in that be halfe, be my poor avyce slake for iij.
or iiij. days, for ever me semys I shuld not have ben brokyn
to so largely, but that they entende it hastely to say to zow.
Sythe I was ther, I undyr stande yf it had not happyd me to
have seyne them as zester day, she wold this day have made
her cowntenance to have seyn her nes, Bothas (?) dowter,
wyche is at Pallynges for fere of the plage, and have comyn
seyne [come and seen] my wyffve, and specyally to have de syrid
us to meve zow towardes them, and in trowthe so she hasse.

     I pray God ze do as well to zour honur as I woold do my
sylfe. Yf ze wyll tery thys lytell season be foor rehersyd, yf
ze lyste, I woott well ze may have the mater moor largely
comyned; and yf ze tary tyll Monday, I wyll awayte on zow
to Hynengham, with Godes grace, Who ever preserve zow and
zours.

                                         Your,                                 E. PASTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter cannot be later than the year 1493, as
Sir Roger Townsend died on the 9th December in that year (Inq. p. m. 10 Hen. VII.,
No. 170). Moreover the will of Elizabeth Clere of Ormesby was proved, according
to Blomefield, on the 6th March 1492-3. But as Sir John Paston’s eldest son was
only born in 1478, the date is not likely to be many years earlier.

     ² Sir Robert Clere of Ormesby.

     ³ Probably his first wife Anne, daughter of Sir William Hopton. His second was
Alice, daughter of Sir William Boleyn.

     ⁴ Townsend.                                                                ⁵Sir Henry Heydon.

     ⁷ Elizabeth, widow of Robert Clere of Ormesby, the father of Sir Robert. She
was the daughter of Thomas Owydale, Uvedale, or Dovedale, of Tacolneston, in
Norfolk.

Before
1493

Before
1493