Elianor, Duchess of Norfolk, to Viscount Beaumont
- Medieval Family Life
- Title
- Elianor, Duchess of Norfolk, to Viscount Beaumont
- Reference
- Add. 43488, f. 53
- Date
- 1444-1460
- Library / Archive
-
- The British Library
- Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
- Gairdner, Vol III, item 382; Fenn, Vol I, Henry VI item 50
- Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume I' (1st transcript)
-
LETTER L.
To my right worshipfull and right entierly welbelovid Cousin the
Viscount Beaumont.RIGHT worshipfull and right entierly welbelovid Cousin.
I comaunde me to you wt alle my herte, desiring to here
and verile to knowe of your worshipfull estate p’site hele and
good p’sp’ite, the whiche I beseche our Lord J hu eur to mayn-
tene and p’serve in alle worship to his plesaunce and to your
herts ease.Please it you Cousin to witte, yat your welbelovid srvaunt
Roger Hunt and a srvaunt of my moost dred Lord my husbond
on William, 1 Yoman of his Ewry, have comend to gedre, and
ben fully thorgh and agreed yat ye said William shall have his
2 office if it may please your good Lordship.Wherfore Cousin I p’y you as my speciall truste is in you, yat
ye will at thinstaunce of my proier and writing, graunte by your
L’res patents to ye said William the forsaid office with suche
wages and fees as Roger your said srvaunt hath it of you,
trustyng verile yat ye shall fynde the said William a faithfull
srvaunt to you, and can and may do you right good srvice in
yat office.And Cousin in thacompleshment of my desire in yis mater ye
may do me a right good pleaser as God knowith, whom I
beseche for his mrci to have you evr in his blessed gouvrnaunce
and send you good lyfe and long with muche worship.Writen at Framlynh’m the viijth day of Marche.
3 Elianore, the Duchess of Norfolk.
11 ? by 7.
Paper Mark,
A Pyramid.
Pl. IX. No 15.Framlingham,
8th of March.
before 1460, 39 H. VI.This Letter written from Framlingham Castle, in Suffolk, the ancient Seat of the
Mowbrays, Dukes of Norfolk, must have been written before 1460, when Viscount
Beaumont was slain.It is all of the same hand writing, and that most probably of the Duchess?s Secretary,
the form of the Letters, not being like those of a female hand.The matter recorded, shews the princely establishment of the Households of the Nobi-
lity in that age; and that they imitated the royal appointments, by having the Officers
on their own establishments under their Letters Patent.1 An Officer who had the Charge of the Table Linen, &c.
2 It seems, by this representation of the matter, as if Roger Hunt, the Officer of the
Viscount Beaumont, had sold his Office under his Lordship to William, Yeoman of the
Ewry to the Duke, if, through the Duchess’s recommendation, Lord Beaumont should
think proper to accept him.3 Ellenor, Duchess of Norfolk, wife of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, was the
Daughter of William Bourchier, Earl of Ewe, in Normandy, and Sister of Henry Bour-
chier, Earl of Essex.The Duke died in 1461, and was buried at Thetford, where his Duchess was likewise
buried. Pl. II. No 16. - Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume I' (2nd transcript)
-
LETTER L.
To my right worshipful, and right entirely well beloved Cousin,
The Viscount Beaumont.RIGHT worshipful, and right entirely well beloved Cousin,
I commend me to you with all my heart, desiring to hear,
and verily to know of your worshipful estate, profit, health, and
good prosperity; the which I beseech our Lord Jesu ever to
maintain and preserve in all worship, to his pleasance and to
your heart’s ease.Please it you, Cousin, to weet, that your well beloved Servant
Roger Hunt, and a servant of my most dread Lord my Husband,
one William, 1 Yeoman of his Ewry, have communed together,
and been fully through and agreed, that the said William shall
have his 2 office, if it may please your good Lordship.Wherefore Cousin, I pray you, as my special trust is in you,
that ye will, at the instance of my prayer and writing, grant
by your Letters Patents, to the said William, the foresaid office,
with such wages and fees, as Roger your said servant hath it
of you; trusting verily that ye shall find the said William a faith-
ful servant to you, and can and may do you right good service
in that office.And, Cousin, in the accomplishment of my desire in this mat-
ter, ye may do me a right good pleasure, as God knoweth,
whom I beseech for his mercy to have you ever in his blessed
governance, and send you good life and long, with much worship.Written at Framlingham, the 8th day of March.
3 ELIANOR, the Duchess of NORFOLK.
11 ? by 7.
Paper Mark,
A Pyramid.
Pl. IX. No 15.Framlingham,
8th of March.
before 1460, 39 H. VI.This Letter written from Framlingham Castle, in Suffolk, the ancient Seat of the
Mowbrays, Dukes of Norfolk, must have been written before 1460, when Viscount
Beaumont was slain.It is all of the same hand writing, and that most probably of the Duchess?s Secretary,
the form of the Letters, not being like those of a female hand.The matter recorded, shews the princely establishment of the Households of the Nobi-
lity in that age; and that they imitated the royal appointments, by having the Officers
on their own establishments under their Letters Patent.1 An Officer who had the Charge of the Table Linen, &c.
2 It seems, by this representation of the matter, as if Roger Hunt, the Officer of the
Viscount Beaumont, had sold his Office under his Lordship to William, Yeoman of the
Ewry to the Duke, if, through the Duchess’s recommendation, Lord Beaumont should
think proper to accept him.3 Ellenor, Duchess of Norfolk, wife of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, was the
Daughter of William Bourchier, Earl of Ewe, in Normandy, and Sister of Henry Bour-
chier, Earl of Essex.The Duke died in 1461, and was buried at Thetford, where his Duchess was likewise
buried. Pl. II. No 16. - Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume III'
-
382
ELIANOR, DUCHESS OF NORFOLK, TO VISCOUNT
BEAUMONT2To my right worshipfull and right entierly welbelovid cousin, the
Viscount Beaumont.Right worshipfull and right entierly welbelovid cousin, I comaunde me to
you with alle my herte, desiring to here, and verile to knowe of your worshipfull
estate, profite, hele and good prosperite, the whiche I beseche our Lord Jesu
ever to mayntene and preserve in alle worship, to his plesaunce, and to your
herts ease.Please it you, cousin, to witte that your welbelovid servaunt, Roger Hunt,
and a servaunt of my moost dred Lord my husbond, on William, yoman of his
ewry,1 have comend to gedre, and been fully thorgh and agreed that the said
William shall have his office, if it may please your good Lordship. Wherfore,
cousin, I pray you, as my speciale truste is in you, that ye will, at th’instaunce
of my proier and writing, graunte by your lettres patents to the said William the
forsaid office, with suche wages and fees as Roger your said servaunt hath it of
you; trustyng verile that ye shall fynde the said William a faithfull servaunt to
you, and can and may do you right good service in that office.And, cousin, in th’acompleshment of my desire in this mater, ye may do me
a right good pleaser, as God knowith, whom I beseche for His merci to have
you ever in His blessed gouvernaunce, and send you good lyfe and long, with
muche good worship.Writen at Framlynham, the viijth day of Marche.
ELIANORE, the Duchess of Norfolk.
————————————???
2 [From Fenn, i. 194.] Here we have another letter, of uncertain date, addressed
to the same person as the last. The year when it was written is quite immaterial, but
must have been between 1444, when John Mowbray, the writer’s husband, was con-
firmed in the dignity of Duke of Norfolk (which had belonged to his grandfather in
the time of Richard II.), and 1460, when Viscount Beaumont was slain at the battle
of Northampton.1 An officer who had charge of the table linen, etc.
1444-
14601444-
1460