Edmund Paston to William Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Edmund Paston to William Paston
Reference
Add. 27446, f. 46
Date
about 1481?
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol VI, item 974; Fenn, Vol V, Edward IV item 66
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume V' (1st transcript)

LETTER LXVI.

 

 

To my brother Wyll’m Paston
     be this Delyurd.

 

J HARTELY Recomawnd me to zow her is lately fallyn a
wydow in Woorstede whyche was wyff to on Bolt a wor-
stede marchant and worth a m1 li and gaff to hys wyff a C
marke i˜ mony stuffe of Howsold And plate to ye valew of a
C marke and x li be zer i˜ land she is callyd a fayer ian˜tyl-
woma˜ I wyll for zor sake se her she is Ryght systyr of Fadr
and modyr to Herry ynglows I p’pose to speke wt hy˜ to
gett hys good wyll the ja˜tylwoma˜ is abowght xxx zers and
has but ij chyldern whyche shalbe at ye deds charge she
was hys wyf but v zer yf she be eny bettr ya˜ I wryght for
take it in woothe I shew the leeste thus lete me haue
knowlache of zor my˜de as shortly as ze ca˜ and wha˜ ze shall
moun be i? this cu?tr And thus god send zew good halth and
good auentur from Norwyche ye Satrday aftr xijthe Dey.

                                                                     Yor

                                                                                   E. PASTON.

8½ by 4½.

   The date of this letter cannot be exactly ascertained; I think it was not
written sooner than 1480 or 1481, and it might be written not till a few years
after; which will bring the age of the lady nearer to an equality with that of
William Paston.

     The marriage never took effect, nor do I find that he did ever marry.

     The lady?s fortune and the state of her affairs, as widow of Bolt, are mi-
nutely related.

     Autograph, Pl. XX. No. 30.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume V' (2nd transcript)

LETTER LXVI.

 

To my Brother William Paston be this delivered.

 

I HEARTILY recommend me to you; here is lately fallen a
widow in Worsted, which was wife to one Bolt, a worsted
merchant, and worth a thousand pound, and gave to his
wife an hundred marks (66l. 13s. 4d.) in money, stuff of
household, and plate to the value of an hundred marks, and
ten pounds by the year in land; she is called a fair gentle-
woman. I will for your sake see her. She is right sister, of
father and mother, to Harry Ingloss; I purpose to speak
with him to get his good will. The gentlewoman is about
thirty years, and has but two children, which shall be at the
dead’s charge; she was his wife but five years; if she be any
better than I write for, take it in woothe [q. ? don’t be sur-
prised] I shew the least; thus let me have knowledge of
your mind as shortly as ye can, and when ye shall moun
[mean to, q.?] be in this country, and thus God send you
good health and good adventure.

     From Norwich, the Saturday after twelfth-day.

                                                           Your

                                                                        EDMUND PASTON.

           Norwich,
Saturday, 13th January,
       1480-1. 21 E. iv.
or it might be written a few weeks after.

     The date of this letter cannot be exactly ascertained; I think it was not
written sooner than 1480 or 1481, and it might be written not till a few years
after; which will bring the age of the lady nearer to an equality with that of
William Paston.

     The marriage never took effect, nor do I find that he did ever marry.

     The lady?s fortune and the state of her affairs, as widow of Bolt, are mi-
nutely related.

     Autograph, Pl. XX. No. 30.
Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume VI'

974

 

EDMUND PASTON TO WILLIAM PASTON2

To my brother, Wylliam Paston, be this delyverd.

 

     I HARTELY recomawnd me to zow. Here is lately
        fallyn a wydow in Woorstede, whyche was wyff to one
        Bolt, a worstede marchaunt, and worth a m1.li., and gaff
to hys wyff a C. marke in mony, stuffe of howsold, and plate
to the valew of an C. marke, and xli. be zere in land. She is
callyd a fayer jantylwoman. I wyll for zour sake se her. She
is ryght systyr, of fader and modyr, to Herry Ynglows. I
purpose to speke with hym to gett hys good wyll. Thes
jantylwoman is abowght xxx. zeres, and has but ij. chyldern,
whyche shalbe at the dedes charge; she was hys wyff but v.
zere. Yf she be eny better than I wryght for, take it in
woothe I shew the leeste. Thus lete me have knowlache of
zowr mynde as shortly as ze can, and whan ze shall moun be
in this cuntre. And thus God send zow good helth and good
aventure.

     From Norwyche, the Saterday after xijthe day.

                                                       Your,                             E. PASTON.

 

     2 [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There is nothing to show the date of this letter,
except the fact that William Paston did not come of age before the year 1481, so that
it is not likely to be earlier. Perhaps it may be a few years later, in which case the
widow would not have been very much his senior; but that circumstance was not
likely, in those days, to have been greatly regarded in the matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About
1481(?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About
1481(?)