Hugh Fenn to Sir John Paston

LETTER LXXIV.

    To y^e right worchepfull
    S^r Iohn Paston Knyght.

         RIGHT worchepfull S^r J recom' me to Y^u like y^u wete a
              distresse was take in Cast^r by Thomas Pekok I trowe yo^r
s^rvant a besy man called of a full true sowle Iohn Hadynet of
Haryngby a pore man his plow hath loyn eu^r sith he seith Jun-
d^rstonde it is for catts landes J sent my Clerk to my Mastresse
yo^r Moder and y^e seid Iohn W^t hy y'for and my Mastresse wold
hy Come ageyn a noy^r day for Pecok was not yanne at home
so he ded and can not have it as he seith but y^t ye wold J shuld
speke w^t y^u at Castr y' of and of oy^r Mat's he tolde me yis day
and by cause of my Moders yereday holden yis day god have
hir sowle and to morwe shal be a good day J wol by godd's g'ce
dispose me to his m'cy ageyns Thursday as I have vsed y'for J
p'y y^u p^rdon my comyng in y^e weke aft^r Ester J entend to se y^u
and my seid Mastresse c^rteynly it is loong seth I fy hir me sem^t
and if ye be not yanne at Castr I p'y y^u send me worde y^t I may
Come soner to y^u to Common w^t y^u in yis mat^r and in all oy^r
what ye will and sone dep^rte to london fro yens and y'for J wil
abide w^t y^u a good while S^r as to Catts ye be remebred what I

seid to y^u at london at ij tymes I am y^e same man I have sith I
cam geten yevidences in to my handes and I am redy to shewe
yem what lerned man her y^t ye wol assigne y^e mater is cler to
my thynkyng Titleshale y^t solde it to S^r. J Fastolf myght as wele
a solde hy yo^r lande or my and if y^e sale be lawfull I shal leve
my hands at the first as I said at london y^e distresse to be kept for
y^t I wisse it nede not and it was unlawfully taken like it y^u to do
delyv^re y^e pore man his goods ageyn I am redy to answer y^u for
elde and new as right wol. I shal breke no day to be assigned for
to leve all oy^r thyngs.

    By the blissed lady I beleve y^t ye wol dispose y^u wele and so I
pry god ye do and have y^u in his blissed gov^rnaunce.

    Wr. at y^e hede town of Norff yis tuysday.

                                               yo^r owen
                                                                      D. atte Henne.

                    11 1/2 by 11 1/4.

                       Paper Mark,

                  Rose and Cross.

                      Pl. XXVI. No 1.

    Seal, a flourishing Tree, with the
        Letter D on one side and F on
        the other. Pl. XIV. N^o 13.

    I have printed this Letter as shewing not only the friendly and just disposition of the
writer, evident from the advice which he gives Sir John Paston, but to shew the duty
and respect of children then continued annually to the memory of their deceased Parents.

    The Year-day or Anniversary of any person's death was called the Obit; and to ob-
serve such day with Prayers and Alms, or other commemoration, was called keeping
the Obit.

 We find that Hugh Fenne strictly fulfilled this observance of filial duty to his deceased
Mother.

    The Device on his Seal is a flourishing Tree, having the initial letters of his names,
one on each side; it alluded perhaps to his own happy and flourishing situation in respect
to his fortune, family, and friends.

    Autograph.     Pl. XXIV. No 4.

LETTER LXXIV.

To the right worshipful Sir John Paston, Knight.

         RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me to you, like you
              (to) weet a distress was taken in Caister, by Thomas
Peacock, I trow your servant, a busy man called, of a full true
soul, John Hadynet, of Heringsby, a poor man, his plough
hath lain ever since, he saith; I understand it is for Catt's land,
I sent my clerk to my mistress your mother, and the said John
with him therefore; and my mistress would him come again
another day, for Peacock was not then at home; so he did, and
cannot have it as he saith, but that ye would I should speak with
you at Caister thereof, and of other matters he told me this day;
and because of my mother's year-day holden this day, God
have her soul; and to-morrow shall be a good day, I will by
God's grace dispose me to his mercy against Thursday, as I have
used, therefore, I pray you pardon my coming; in the week
after Easter, I intend to see you and my said mistress certainly;
it is long since I sew her-me seemeth, and if ye be not then at
Caister, I pray you send me word that I may come sooner to you
to commune with you in this matter, and in all other that ye
will, and so depart to London from thence, and therefore I
will abide with you a good while.

Sir, as to Catt's ye be remembered what I said to you at
London at two times, I am the same man; I have since I came
gotten the Evidences into my hands, and I am ready to shew
them what learned man here that ye will assign, the matter is
clear to my thinking. Thitleshale that sold it to Sir John Fastolf
might as well have sold him your land or mine; and if the sale
be lawful, I shall leave my hands at the first as I said at London,
the distress to be kept for that, I wiss it need not, and it was
unlawfully taken, like it you to do deliver the poor man his
good again, I am ready to answer you for old and new as right
will, I shall break no day to the assigned for to leave all other
things.

    By the Blessed Lady I believe that ye will dispose you well,
and so I pray God ye do, and have you in his blessed governance-
Written at the head Town of Norfolk, this Tuesday.

                                                          Your own

                                                                                  HUGH at FENNE-

Norwich,

        Tuesday, March or April,

        between 1467 and 1469.

        7 and 9 E. IV.

    I have printed this Letter as shewing not only the friendly and just disposition of the
writer, evident from the advice which he gives Sir John Paston, but to shew the duty
and respect of children then continued annually to the memory of their deceased Parents.

    The Year-day or Anniversary of any person's death was called the Obit; and to ob-
serve such day with Prayers and Alms, or other commemoration, was called keeping
the Obit.

 We find that Hugh Fenne strictly fulfilled this observance of filial duty to his deceased
Mother.

    The Device on his Seal is a flourishing Tree, having the initial letters of his names,
one on each side; it alluded perhaps to his own happy and flourishing situation in respect
to his fortune, family, and friends.

    Autograph.     Pl. XXIV. No 4.

682

HUGH FENN TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To the right worchepfull Sir John Paston, Knyght.

RIGHT worchepfull sir, I recommand me to you. Like
     you wete a distresse was take in Caster by Thomas
     Pekok, I trowe your servant, a besy man, called of a
full true sowle, John Hadynet of Haryngby, a pore man his
plow hath loyn ever sith, he seith; I understonde it is for Catts
landes. I sent my clerk to my mastresse, your moder, and the
seid John with hym therfor; and my mastresse wold hym
come ageyn a nother day, for Pecok was not thanne at home;
so he ded, and can not have it, as he seith, but that ye wold I
shuld speke with you at Castr therof, and or other maters he
tolde me this day. And by cause of my moders yereday
holden this day, God have hir sowle, and to morwe shal be a
good day, I wol by Goddes grace dispose me to His mercy
ageyns Thursday, as I have used; therfor I pray you pardon
my comyng. In the weke after Ester, I entend to se you and
my seid mastresse certeynly; it is loong seth I sy hir, me semeth.
And if ye be not thanne at Castr, I pray you send me worde
that I may come soner to you to comon with you in this mater,
and in all other what ye wil, and sone departe to London fro
thens; and therfor I wil abide with you a good while.

      Sir, as to Catts ye be remembred what I seid to you at
London at ij. tymes. I am the same man; I have sith I cam
geten th’evidences in to myn handes, and I am redy to shewe
them what lerned man her that ye wol assigne. The mater is
cler to my thynkyng. Titleshale that solde it to Sir J. Fastolf
myght as wele a solde hym your lande or myn; and if the sale
be lawfull, I shal leve my hands at the first as I said at London.
The distresse to be kept for that, I wisse it nede not, and it
was unlawfully taken. Like it you to do delyvere the pore
man his goods ageyn, I am redy to answer you for elde and
new as right wol. I shal breke no day to be assigned, for to
leve all other thyngs.

     By the blissed Lady I beleve that ye wol dispose you wele,
and so I pray God ye do, and have you in His blissed gover-
naunce. Wretyn at the hede town of Norffolk this Tuysday.

                                Your owen,                      H. atte FENNE.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 290.] This letter was written on the Tuesday before Easter,
probably in the year 1468, i.e. after the other executors of Fastolf had released to Sir
John Paston. The date could hardly be later than 1469, when Sir John was driven
out of Caister by the Duke of Norfolk; and in 1469 he does not seem to have been
residing there about Easter.

1468

[APRIL 12]

1468

[APRIL 12]