Fastolf's Claims Against the Crown

NUMBER LXVII.

A Declaracōn of the Costs which S^r John Fastolf was at bē
w^th out this Royaume.

THE Declaracions of certeyn Prests Costys and Chargys Don
     and born by Sir John Fastolf aswel in the tyme of the
moste noble and victoryouse princes of blessed memorie Kyng
Herry the iiij^the. Kyng Herry v^th as in the tyme of our souuereyn
lord Kyng that now is in hys Werrys by yend the See as by the
Articles that folowen more pleynly apperyth.

     As there are not only several Letters in this Collection of the hand-writing of that
renowned warrior Sir John Fastolf, but as he is likewise mentioned in many others, I
thought the two following statements of sums of money due to him from the Crown
would be acceptable to the Reader, as they ascertain several of his enterprizes in France,
and point out to us the two prisoners which he took in the French wars, and who, by
the large sums agreed to be paid for their ransom, must have been persons of great con-
sequence in the military line.

     This first declaration relates entirely to money due to him on the account of the wars
and transactions in France. The second states the injuries and losses which he had sus-
tained both in England and France.

     There is no date to either of them, but from the mention of the, time since his last
return from France, and which, from an account of his life appears to have been in the
year 1440, these representations were made in the year 1455, 33 H. VI.

     Sir John Fastolf, Knight, was born about 1377, the last year of the reign of King
Edward III. and lost his father during his minority. In 1408, 10 H. IV. he married
in Ireland, Milicent, daughter of Robert Lord Tibetot, and widow of Sir Stephen
Scroope, by whom the then had one son.

     Sir John was soon after engaged to serve in the French wars, by Thomas of Lancaster,
Duke of Clarence, and continued in that service with great honour to himself, and
credit to his country till the year 1440, when he finally returned, and settled in his
native country, where he lived in great state and hospitality, finishing a long and well
spent life in 1459, being then about 83 years of age, and leaving no issue to inherit his
vast possessions, he bequeathed a great part of them to charitable and useful purposes.

     ¹ Sir John Fastolf was Lieutenant of Harsleur, in 1415.

     ² The foundation of this since terrible prison, was laid by Hugh Aubriot on the 22d
of April 1369, 43 of our King Edward III. and the 6th of Charles V. of France.

     ³ He was grandfather to Sir James Tyrel, the supposed murderer of Edward V. and
his brother.

     ⁴ Port Meulent was taken in 1422.

     ⁵ Sir John was several years governor of Normandy, I believe from about 1423 to
1440, when he left France.

       11 ½ by 17, being a whole Sheet of stout and
               fine Paper, having the Paper Mark of a
               Bull’s Head and Star, &c. Pl. x. N^o 3.

       1455. 33 H. VI.

NUMBER LXVII.

A Declaration of the Costs which Sir John Fastolf was at, being
without this Realm.

THE Declaration of certain Prests, (Loans) Costs, and
     Charges, done and borne by Sir John Fastolf, as well in
the time of the most noble and victorious Princes of blessed me-
mory, King Harry the IVth. King Harry Vth. as in the time
of our Sovereign Lord King that now is in his wars beyond
the Sea, as by the Articles that follow more plainly appeareth.

     As there are not only several Letters in this Collection of the hand-writing of that
renowned warrior Sir John Fastolf, but as he is likewise mentioned in many others, I
thought the two following statements of sums of money due to him from the Crown
would be acceptable to the Reader, as they ascertain several of his enterprizes in France,
and point out to us the two prisoners which he took in the French wars, and who, by
the large sums agreed to be paid for their ransom, must have been persons of great con-
sequence in the military line.

     This first declaration relates entirely to money due to him on the account of the wars
and transactions in France. The second states the injuries and losses which he had sus-
tained both in England and France.

     There is no date to either of them, but from the mention of the, time since his last
return from France, and which, from an account of his life appears to have been in the
year 1440, these representations were made in the year 1455, 33 H. VI.

     Sir John Fastolf, Knight, was born about 1377, the last year of the reign of King
Edward III. and lost his father during his minority. In 1408, 10 H. IV. he married
in Ireland, Milicent, daughter of Robert Lord Tibetot, and widow of Sir Stephen
Scroope, by whom the then had one son.

     Sir John was soon after engaged to serve in the French wars, by Thomas of Lancaster,
Duke of Clarence, and continued in that service with great honour to himself, and
credit to his country till the year 1440, when he finally returned, and settled in his
native country, where he lived in great state and hospitality, finishing a long and well
spent life in 1459, being then about 83 years of age, and leaving no issue to inherit his
vast possessions, he bequeathed a great part of them to charitable and useful purposes.

     ¹ Sir John Fastolf was Lieutenant of Harsleur, in 1415.

     ² The foundation of this since terrible prison, was laid by Hugh Aubriot on the 22d
of April 1369, 43 of our King Edward III. and the 6th of Charles V. of France.

     ³ He was grandfather to Sir James Tyrel, the supposed murderer of Edward V. and
his brother.

     ⁴ Port Meulent was taken in 1422.

     ⁵ Sir John was several years governor of Normandy, I believe from about 1423 to
1440, when he left France.

       11 ½ by 17, being a whole Sheet of stout and
               fine Paper, having the Paper Mark of a
               Bull’s Head and Star, &c. Pl. x. N^o 3.

       1455. 33 H. VI.

310

FASTOLF’S CLAIMS AGAINST THE CROWN¹

A Declaracion of the Costs which Sir John Fastolf was
at, ben without this royaume.

   THE declaracions of certeyn prests, costys, and chargys
     don and born by Sir John Fastolf, aswel in the tyme
     of the moste noble and victoryouse Princes of blessed
memorie, Kyng Herry the iiij^the, Kyng Herry v^th, as in the
tyme of our Souvereyn Lord Kyng that now is, in hys werrys
by yend the see, as by the articles that folowen more pleynly
apperyth:—

     First, it ys to be remembred
that to the sayd Fastolf ys
owyng for divers costys and
chargis by hym born for the
tyme that he occupied th’office
of the Constabulrye of Burdeux
for the saufgarde of the Kyngys
Duchie of Guyen, as it apperith
pleynlye by accompt made of
the sayd office of Constabulrye,
remaynyng in the Kyngs Cheker
at Westminster of record, wher-
of he yet nouther had payement
nor assignement of, the somme
of                                                                 ij^c. xxvijli. xvs. iijd. ob.

     Item, in like wyse there ys
owyng to the seyd Fastolf for
wagys for hys service don to
the Kyng, and to the Duc of
Clarence, beyng the Kyng ys

Lieutenant in the seyd Duchie
of Guyen, as it may appere
under suffisaunt writing, the
somme of                                             ij^c ijli. xs.

     Item, in lyke wyse ys owyng
to the seyd Fastolf for costys
and chargys that he bare when
he was Lieutenant of the towne
of Harflew¹ in Normandie, as
yt shewith by a debentur made
to the seyd Fastolf, with hym
remaynyng,                                          Cxxxiijli. vjs. viijd.

     Item, in lyke wyse ys owyng
to the seyd Fastolf for the kep-
ing and vytaylyng of the Bas-
tyle of Saint Anthoyne in Paris,
as it apperith by writing suffi-
saunt and by the creditours of
Sir John Tyrell, Knyght, late
Tresourier of the Kyngs house,
remaynyng in the Escheker of
Westminster of record, the
somme of                                              xlijli.

     Item, there ys owyng to the
seyd Fastolf for the saufgarde
of the toune of Pount Melank²
in the parties of Fraunce, as
it apperith by accompt therof
made in the Kyngs Escheker
of England of record, the
somme of                                              iiij^xx ixli. xs. iiija. ob. q.

     Summa xlij. marc ixs. q.

     And in semblable wyse, over
all this ys owyng to the seyd
Fastolf for prests and wagys
of hym and his retenues beyng

in the Kings service in his roy-
aume of Fraunce and duchie
of Normandie, as wel abowte
the saufgarde and gouvern-
aunce of his tounys, castell,
and forteresses of Alaunson,
Fresney Le Vicounte, Vernell,
Honneflete, as for othir grete
causys and charges born and
payd in the Kyng our Souve-
reyn Lord ys dayes that nowys,
for the avauncement of his
conquest, the good and utilite
of hym, of his seyd royaume
and duchie forseid, as it ap-
peryth oppenly by accomptys
made in the Chambre of Ac-
compts of Paris and Roon,
wherof the vidimus remaynen
with the seyd Fastolf, and also
by certeyn debentur conteyn-
yng the seyd sommes, redy
to shewe, wherof the seyd Fas-
tolf hiderto hath had nouther
payement nor assignacion, the
somme of                                                   v. m^l. iiij^xx ij. marc, xiijs.
                                                                           iijd. ob. sterling.

     Summa totalis vj. m^l. cxxv. marc, ixs. ob. q.

     There are two drafts of the preceding statement among the Paston MSS. in the
British Museum, besides an imperfect draft hereafter mentioned. These appear
to have been drawn up as early as the year 1452. One of these is in William
Worcester’s handwriting; the other is a fair copy from it, with further corrections,
in his hand. The document printed above embodies all the corrections in the second
paper, and corresponds with it almost exactly in every point, except that the latter
places the second item relating to the Duke of Clarence at the very end of the
account, and contains the following additional entries:—

     And beside all this, there is yet owyng
to the sayd Fastolf uppon the voyage that
Thomas Danyell made into Bretayn, as it
is openly knowen, the somme of                   Cli.

 Item, overe this the seyd Fastolf lent
to the voyage that Sir Thomas Kyryell
made into Normandye, in the xxviij. yere
of the regne of the Kyng our Souverain
Lorde, the somme of CC. marc; also
lent to the Kyng afore that tyme in his
necessite the somme of Cli. The somme
of both,                                                                         ij^c xxxiijli. vjs. viijd.

     And also the seyd Fastolf hath borne
grete charge and cost of alone made for
the spede and helpe of the voyage whiche
the Erle of Shrowysbury¹ now last made
into the Kynges duchie of Guyenne, to
whom God graunte good expedicion, as it
shewith by suffisaunt writyng, for whiche
at the commaundement of my Lord
Cardynalle² the seyd Fastolf made a
chevyssaunce and leyd to wedd [i.e.
pawned] the substaunce of his pore juellys,
in the whiche chevyssaunce the seyd Fas-
tolf hath lost xxxvijli., and is like to lese
more herafter, by cause he is not of poer
to quyte hem oute; the seyd juellys lyne
as yet to plegge for the somme of                           iiij^cli.

     Somme of the prestys and debtys abofe
rehersed,                                                                      ij^ml. xlv. markes, vjs. vd. ob.

     The following is written on a separate paper, on the back of which occurs the
imperfect draft above referred to.

     Item, overe all thys grete debtes dew at thys day to the seyd Fastolf, he
desyryth and prayth that it may be pondered and concydered the grete lossez
and damages that he hath susteyned and born, as well in the parties of Fraunce
as in thys land; as at one tyme lost the somme and value of iiij^ml. mark for
Guillem Remond, hys prysonnere, that agreed to pay for hys raunsom xxxij^ml.
salux. The seyd prisonnere was take awey from hym, and delyvered the
toune of Compyne in to the obbeissaunce of our Souvereyn Lord. Also the
reward that the seyd Fastolf shuld hafe hys part for the takyng of the Duc off
Allaunson, whych shuld mount for hys seyd part iiij^ml. [4000] markes, the
grete losse that he hath in delyveryng upp the baronye of Syllye Guillem, in
the counte of Mayn, be thout [without] recompense or reward, whych was
gevyn to hym and hys assigneez in the value of m^l. m^l. [2000] salux off yerly
rent. Also the lesyng of hys pore lyvelode in Normandie that was of the yerly

value of ¹mark. The grete importune lossez and damages that he
hath had seth he came into England, whych hys evylle wyllers the officers and
servauntes of the Duc of Suffolk have, be thout [without] cause resonable,
made hym leese, as in causyng hym to be disseised wrongysly of iiij. of hys
maners of Dedham, Beyton, Bradwell, Hykelyng, and Tychewell, to the value
of ij^c. [200] mark of yeerly rent; besyde othyr damages and lossez by colours
of the lawe, and by menys of extorcions, as it may shew by a rolle of articles
to the value of vj^ml. [6000] markes.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 268.] This appears to be a supplementary paper to the preced-
ing. Two other copies or drafts of this paper exist among the Paston MSS. in the
British Museum.

¹ Sir John Fastolf was Lieutenant of Harfleur in 1415.—F.

                      ² Pont Meulent was taken in 1422.—F.

 ¹ John Talbot, first Earl, sent to France in 1452 to recover Guienne for the
English; killed the following year in endeavouring to relieve Castillon.

     ² Cardinal Kemp.—See vol. ii. p. 160, Note 7.

 ¹ Blank in MS.