Elizabeth Mundeford to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 201

1461-1466

Gairdner, Vol IV, item 502; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 31

LETTER XXXJ.

     To my Right Worchipfull
      Sr And my Right good Neveu
      Iobn Paston squyer be this pre
      delyvred &c.

RIGHT worchipfull S^r And my Right good Neveu I re-
comand me un to you w^t all myn herte plece it you to
undyrstande the grete nessessyte of my Wrytyng to you is this
that ther was made an exchaunge be the Graunsyre of my hos-
bonds Mundeford nn hose sowle god have mercy of the maner

of Gressenale w^t the Aunsetrys of Rows for the maner of Estilex-
ham the qwych is parte of my juntor and my Grauntfadyr
Mundeford recoweryd the said maner of Estlexham be ¹Assyze
A geyne the Aunsetrys of Rows and so madyt clere And nowe
have Edm'² Rows caymyt the seyd maner of Estlexham be
the verten of a tayle And hathe takyn possesseon And made a
feffelment to my lord of ³ Warewyke and Water ⁴ Gorge and to
⁵ Curde And un Fryday be for seynt Walentyne is day Water
Gorge And Curde enteryd And toke possessyon for my seyd
lord of Warewyke And so bothe the forseyd manerys were on-
tayled And at the tyme of the exchunge made the tayles And
Evydens of bothe for seyd mancerys were delyv^red un to the partyes
indeferently be thegrete labor upon you to informe my lordys
good lordchep of the trowthe in the forme A bowyn Wretren
And that it plese you to vndyrstand qwedyr that it shall plese
my lord that I may haue Right as lawe requeryt for I turst to
God be soche tyme as my lord shall be informyd of the trowthe
be you that hase lordchip wyll not supportt the forseyd Rows
A geyne my Right And if I hadde very vndyrstandyng that my
lord would take no parte in the mat^r A bowe seyd I would trust
to godd's mersy And to you And other of my good fryndes to
haue possession A geyne in Right hasty tyme beshechyng you
to p^rdon me of my symple Wrytyng for hadde no leyser Right
Worchipfull And my Right good Neveu I beschech the blyssed
Trenyte haue you in hese gracyous kepyg Wreten at Nor-
wych in grete hast the Twwysday next aftyr seynt Walentyne
is day.

Youze ovyn,

⁶ Elizabeth

Mundeford.

11? by 8?.

Paper Mark,

A Bull's Head and Star.

PI. VIII. No 2.

We have here a curious instance of a Person illegally recovering an estate by making
a great man a party in the proceedings, for such mainsestly appears to have been the case
here, where Rous takes possession of the Manor of East Lexham, and then makes a eoss-
ment of it to the Earl of Warwick, thinking that no one would dare to dispute his title
when sanctioned by this Nobleman.

¹ Assize is a Writ directed to the Sheriff of the county for recovery of the possession
of things immoveable, whereof yourself or Ancestors have been dispossessed.

² Edmund Rous was second son of Henry Rous, Esq. of Dennington, in Suffolk, the
Ancestor of the present family, which had the title of Baronet conferred upon the head
of it in 1660.

³ Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

⁴ Walter Gorges, Esq. married Mary the daughter and heir of Sir william Oldhall,
and was at this time Lord of the Manor of Oldhall, in Great Fransham ; he died in 1466.
His son and heir, Sir Edmund Gerges, afterwards married a daughter of Six John Hc-
ward, Knight, the first Duke of Norfolk of that family.

⁵ John Curde was Lord of the Manor of Curde's hall, in Fransham.

⁶ Elizabeth Mundeford was the widow of Osbert Mundeford, Esq. of Hock wold, in
Norfolk, and was daughter of John Berney, Esq. by which means she was aunt to J. Pas-
ton. Autograph. PI. xxv. No 43.

This Letter was written between 1461 and 1466, but the exact year cannot be ascer-
tained.

LETTER XXXL

To my right worshipful Sir, and my right good Nephew, John
paston, Esq. be this Letter delivered, &c.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, and my right good Nephew, I re-
commend me unto you with all mine heart ; please it
you to understand the great necessity of my writing to you is this,
that there was made an exchange by the Grandsire of my hus-
band Mundesord, on whose soul God have mercy ! of the manor

of Gressenhall with the Ancestors of Rous for the said manor of
East Lexham, the which is part of my jointure, and my Grand-
father Mundeford recovered the said manor of East Lexham by
¹ Assize against the Ancestors of Rous, and so made it clear ;
and now have Edmund ² Rous claimed the said manor of East
Lexham by the virtue of a tail ( an entail ), and hath taken pos-
session, and made a feosfment to my Lord of ³ Warwick, and
Walter 4 Gorge, and to 5 Curde ; and on Friday before saint
Valentine's day Walter Gorge and Curde entered and took pos-
session for my said Lord of Warwick, and so both the foresaid
manors were untailed ; and at the same time of the exchange
made, the tails and evidence of both ( the) foresaid manors were
delivered unto the parties indifferently by the advice of men
learned ; wherforeI beseech you that it please you to take the
great labour upon you to inform my Lord's good Lordship of
the truth in the form above written, and that it please you to
understand, whether that my Lord will abide by the feosfment
made to him or not, and that it shall please my Lord that I may
have right, as law require it, for I trust to God by such time as
my Lord shall be informed of the truth by you, that his Lord-
ship will not support the foresaid Rous against my right ; and if
I had very understanding that my Lord would take no part in
the matter abovesaid, I would trust to God's mercy, and to
you, and other of my good friends to have possession again in
right hasty time, beseeching you to pardon me of my simple
writing for (I) had no leisure; Right worshipful and my right
good Nephew I beseech the blessed Trinity have you in his
gracious keeping. Written at Norwich in great haste the Tues-
day next after Saint Valentine's day.

Your own,

⁶ ELIZABETH MUNDEFORD.

Norwich,

Tuesday, February,

Between 1461 and 1466.

1 and 6 E. IV.

We have here a curious instance of a Person illegally recovering an estate by making
a great man a party in the proceedings, for such mainsestly appears to have been the case
here, where Rous takes possession of the Manor of East Lexham, and then makes a eoss-
ment of it to the Earl of Warwick, thinking that no one would dare to dispute his title
when sanctioned by this Nobleman.

¹ Assize is a Writ directed to the Sheriff of the county for recovery of the possession
of things immoveable, whereof yourself or Ancestors have been dispossessed.

² Edmund Rous was second son of Henry Rous, Esq. of Dennington, in Suffolk, the
Ancestor of the present family, which had the title of Baronet conferred upon the head
of it in 1660.

³ Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

⁴ Walter Gorges, Esq. married Mary the daughter and heir of Sir william Oldhall,
and was at this time Lord of the Manor of Oldhall, in Great Fransham ; he died in 1466.
His son and heir, Sir Edmund Gerges, afterwards married a daughter of Six John Hc-
ward, Knight, the first Duke of Norfolk of that family.

⁵ John Curde was Lord of the Manor of Curde's hall, in Fransham.

⁶ Elizabeth Mundeford was the widow of Osbert Mundeford, Esq. of Hock wold, in
Norfolk, and was daughter of John Berney, Esq. by which means she was aunt to J. Pas-
ton. Autograph. PI. xxv. No 43.

This Letter was written between 1461 and 1466, but the exact year cannot be ascer-
tained.

502

ELIZABETH MUNDEFORD TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worchipfull sir, and my right good neveu,
John Paston, Squyer, be this lettre delyvered, &c.

RIGHT worchipfull sir, and my right good neveu, I
recomand me un to you with all myn herte. Piece
it you to undyrstande the grete nessessyte of my
wrytyng to you is this, that ther was made an exchaunge be
the graunsyre of my hosbonds Mundeford, un hose sowle
God have mercy, of the maner of Gressenale with the aun-
setrys of Rows for the maner of Estlexham, the qwych is
parte of my juntor, and my grauntfadyr Mundeford recoweryd
the said maner of Estlexham be assyze² a geyne the aunsetrys
of Rows, and so madyt clere; and nowe have Edmund Rows³
claymyt the seyd maner of Estlexham be the verteu of a tayle
[an entail], and hathe takyn possesseon, and made a feffement
to my Lord of Warewyke,⁴ and Water Gorge,⁵ and to Curde.⁶
And un Fryday be for Seynt Walentyne is Day Water Gorge
and Curde enteryd and toke possessyon for my seyd Lord of
Warewyke, and so bothe the forseyd manerys were ontayled,
and at the tyme of the exchaunge made, the tayles and evydens
of bothe for seyd manerys were delyvered un to the partyes
indeferently be the avyse of men lernyd. Qwerfor I beshech
you that it plese you to take the grete labor upon you to
informe my Lordys good Lordchep of the trowthe in the
forme a bowyn wreten, and that it plese you to undyrstand
qwedyr that my Lord wyll a byde be the feffment made to
hym or not; and that it shall plese my Lord that I may have
right as lawe requeryt, for I trust to God be soche tyme as my
Lord shall be informyd of the trowthe be you, that hese Lord-
chip wyll not supportt the forseyd Rows a geyne my right.
And if I hadde very undyrstandyng that my Lord would take
no parte in the mater a bowe seyd, I would trust to Godds
mersy, and to you, and other of my good fryndes, to have
possession a geyne in right hasty tyme, beshechyng you to
pardon me of my symple wrytyng, for hadde no leyser.
Right worchipfull and my right good neveu, I beshech the
Blyssed Trenyte have you in Hese gracyous kepyng.

Wreten at Norwych in gret hast, the Tewysday aftyr Seynt
Walentyne is Day.

Youre ouyn, ELIZABETH MUNDEFORD.¹

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 108.] The date of this letter must lie between the years 1461
and 1466. The writer’s husband, who is spoken of as dead, was put to death in June
1460, and John Paston, the person addressed, died in May 1466.

² Assize is a writ directed to the sheriff of the county for recovery of the possession
of things immovable, whereof yourself or ancestors have been dispossessed.—F.

³ Edmund Rous was second son of Henry Rous, Esq. of Dennington, in Suffolk,
the ancestor of the present Earl of Stradbroke.

⁴ Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

⁵ Walter Gorges, Esq., married Mary, the daughter and heir of Sir William Old-
hall, and was at this time Lord of the Manor of Oldhall, in Great Fransham. He
died in 1466. His son and heir, Sir Edmund Gorges, afterwards married a daughter
of Sir John Howard, Knight, the first Duke of Norfolk of that family.—F.

⁶ John Curde was Lord of the Manor of Curde’s Hall, in Fransham.—F.

¹ Elizabeth Mundeford was the widow of Osbert Mundeford, Esq. of Hockwold,
in Norfolk, and was daughter of John Berney, Esq., by which means she was aunt to
J. Paston.—F.

1461-6