James Gresham to John Paston

                                                  LETTER XLIV

    To my right Worsbipfull
    mayster Iohn Paston at
    Castre in Norfolk.

AFTER due recomendacon hadde please it yo^r maistrship
to wytte that yis day the plee by twene Ogan and yow
was fore argued in y^e Kynggs benche by yor counsell in lettyng
of ye jugem^t And to morwe have they day to argue ageyn And
for lak of copies of y^e plee I am fayn to sewe for newe copies
y' of for yor counsell. Yo^r counsel hopeth to do weel y'in these
argued for yow maisters  ¹ Grenefeld Catesby Pygot Notyngh'm
and Starky &c. And yesterday was the matier by twene Deben-
h'm and yow called by ² Geney for an answer I have spoken
onto Catesby and delyvred hym yo^r enfromacon and to be ad-
uysed and to co'e w^t maistr Grenefeld and the two ³ chefe Juges
and maistr  ⁴  lyttleton arn awaytyng up on the kyng For the Kyng
is p^rposed in to Gloucestreshir &c. it is seid that my lord
⁵ Chaunceller shull be here on Saterday or on Moneday next
comyng As Y^e maisteres of the Chaunc'ye sayn I write to yow
this by cuse ye seid to me if ye wyst y^t my lord Chaunceller
shuld be here yanne wolde ye come hidder and ell wolde ye not
come here yis t'me As touchyng Rysyng he hath his day ut. pur.
but I have yat weye y^t his p'sence is recondet for al this t'me
Maist^{r  6} Clement tellyth me y^t Wyssetr hath put excepcon on
to yo^r wyttenesseres &c. It is seid y^t the Kyng wold ride Sussex
Kent Essex Suff' and Norff' and so to the p^rlemt. For he hath
sent for alle his feed men to awayte up on hym in yeir best aray
in al hast Wretyn at london the Tursday in y^e morwe aft.
seynt poule.

                                   Yor owen pou'e man

                                                                                        Jams
                                                                                  Breth'm.

12 by 5 1/2.                                                   Paper Mark,
             Paper Mark,                                                   Wheels, &c.
              Wheels, &c.                                                 Pl. XXII. No 10.
              Pl. X. No 7.

    The King at this time was using every means to make himself popular, and for that
purpose intended visiting different parts of the Kingdom.

    II have given this Letter as containing several law matters, and the names of many
eminent Lawyers.

    John Greenfield, John Catesby, and Richard Pygot were made Serjeants in November
1464. Catesby afterwards became a judge in 1482.

    In 1480 William Nottingham was Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and in 1484 was
succeeded by Sir Humphrey Starkey.

    ² William Jenney was made a Serjeant in 1464, and a Justice of the King's Bench in
1478.

    ³ John Markham Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1462.

    Robert Danby, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1462.

    ⁴ Thomas Lyttelton, the famous Lawyer, was created a Serjeant in 1453, and ap-
pointed a judge of the Common Pleas in 1467: he died in 1481, aged 79.

    ⁵ George Neville, now Bishop of Exeter, but soon after the writing of this Letter
translated to York.

    ⁶ Clement Paston, brother to John Paston.

    ⁷ Their relates to the disputes concerning Sir John Fastolf's Will.

     ⁸ Autograph. Pl. III. No 28. The impression on the Seal is a Grasshopper.
Pl XIV. No. 2.

       LETTER XLIV.

To my right worshipful Master John Paston, at Caiste, in Norfolk.

AFTER due recommendation had, Please it your master-
Ship to weet that this day the Plea between Ogan and
you was sore (much) argued in the King's Bench by your Coun-
sel, in letting of the judgment, and to-morrow have they day
to argue again. And fir lack of Copies of the Plea, I am fain
to sue for new copies thereof for your Counsel; your Counsel
hopeth to do well therein; these argued for you, ¹ Greenfield,
Catesby, Pygot, Nottingham and Starky, &c. and yesterday was
the matter between Debenham and you called by ² Jenney for
an answer. I have spoken unto Catesby, and delivered him your
information, and to be advised, and to commune with master
Greenfield, &c.

    The two ³ Chief Judges and master ⁴ Lyttelton are awaiting
upon the King, for the King is purposed into Gloucester-
shire, &c.

    It is said that my Lord ⁵ Chancellor shall be here on Saturday
or on Monday next coming, as the Masters of the Chancery
say. I write to you this because ye said to me, if ye wist that
my Lord Chancellor should be here, then would ye come hither,
and else would ye not come here this term.

     As touching Rysing he hath his day, Utas Purificationis
(9th February,) but I have that way that his presence is recon-
dite for all this term.

     Master ⁶ Clement telleth me that Worcester hath put excep-
tion unto your Witnesses, &c.

     It is said that the King would ride (into) Sussex, Kent, Essex,
Suffolk, and Norfolk, and so to the Parliament, for he hath
sent for all his Feedmen to await upon him in their best array in
all haste.

            Written at London, the Thursday in the morrow after Saint
Paul.

                                   Your own poor man

                                                                        ⁸ JAMES GRESHAM.

London,
           Thursday, 26th of January.
           1463-4. 3 E. IV.

    The King at this time was using every means to make himself popular, and for that
purpose intended visiting different parts of the Kingdom.

    II have given this Letter as containing several law matters, and the names of many
eminent Lawyers.

    John Greenfield, John Catesby, and Richard Pygot were made Serjeants in November
1464. Catesby afterwards became a judge in 1482.

    In 1480 William Nottingham was Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and in 1484 was
succeeded by Sir Humphrey Starkey.

   ² William Jenney was made a Serjeant in 1464, and a Justice of the King's Bench in
1478.

    ³ John Markham Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1462.

    Robert Danby, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1462.

    ⁴ Thomas Lyttelton, the famous Lawyer, was created a Serjeant in 1453, and ap-
pointed a judge of the Common Pleas in 1467: he died in 1481, aged 79.

    ⁵ George Neville, now Bishop of Exeter, but soon after the writing of this Letter
translated to York.

    ⁶ Clement Paston, brother to John Paston.

    ⁷ Their relates to the disputes concerning Sir John Fastolf's Will.

    ⁸ Autograph. Pl. III. No 28. The impression on the Seal is a Grasshopper.
Pl XIV. No. 2.

555

JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worshipfull mayster, John Paston,
at Castre, in Norfolk.

     AFTER due recomendacion hadde, please it your maister-
        ship to wytte that this day the plee by twene Ogan
        and yow was sore argued in the Kynggs Bench by
your counsell, in lettyng of the jugement, and to morwe have
they day to argue ageyn. And for lak of copies of the plee, I
am fayn to sewe for newe copies therof for your counsell.
Your counsell hopeth to do weel therin. These argued for
yow, Maisters Grenefeld,² Catesby,³ Pygot,⁴ Notyngham,⁵ and
Starky,⁶ &c. And yesterday was the matier by twene Deben-
ham and yow called by Geney⁷ for an answer. I have spoken
onto Catesby, and delyvered hym your enfromacion, and to be
advysed, and to commune with Maister Grenefeld, &c.

     The two Chefe Juges⁸ and Maister Lyttleton⁹ arn
awaytyng up on the Kyng, for the Kyng is purposed in to
Gloucestreshire, &c.

      It is seid that my Lord Chaunceller¹ shull be here on
Saterday on on Moneday next comyng, as the maisteres of the
Chauncerye sayn. I write to yow this by cause ye seid to me
if ye wyst that my Lord Chaunceller shuld be here, thanne
wolde ye come hidder, and ell[es] wolde ye not come here this
terme.

     As touchyng Rysyng, he hath his day, Utas² Purificationis,
but I have that weye that his presence is recondet for al this
terme.

     Maister Clement³ tellyth me that Wysseter hath put
excepcion on to your wyttenesseres,⁴ &c.

     It is seid that the Kyng wold ride Sussex, Kent, Essex,
Suffolk, and Norffolk, and so to the Parlement, for he hath
sent for alle his feed men to awayte up on hym in their best
aray in al hast.

     Wretyn at London, the Thursday in the morwe after
Seynt Poule.

                                 Your owen poure man,

                                                                                JAMS GRESHAM.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 156.] The date of this letter is abundantly evident, first from
the circumstance that the 26th of January (the morrow of St. Paul) was a Thursday,
and secondly, from the mention of the King’s going into Gloucestershire. In
January 1464 Edward IV. was at Northampton, and on the 9th of February he was
at Gloucester.

     ² John Greenfield. He and the two next named were made serjeants-at-law in
November 1463.

     ³ John Catesby. He was appointed Judge of the Common Pleas in 1481.

     ⁴ Richard Pygot.

     ⁵ William Nottingham. He was appointed Chief Baron of the Exchequer in
1479.

     ⁶ Humphrey Starkey. He was made a serjeant in 1478.

     ⁷ William Jenney was made a serjeant in 1463, and a Justice of the King’s Bench
in 1481.

     ⁸ John Markham, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, and Robert Danby, Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas, both appointed in 1461.

     ⁹ Thomas Lyttelton, the famous lawyer, was created a serjeant in 1453, and
appointed a Judge of the Common Pleas in 1466. He died in 1481, aged seventy-
nine, as Fenn here tells us in a footnote; but Foss, in his Judges of England, says
nothing of his age.

     ¹ George Neville, now Bishop of Exeter, but soon after the writing of this letter
translated to York.

     ² The Utas or Octave of a feast is the seventh day after it.

     ³ Clement Paston, brother to John Paston.

     ⁴ This relates to the disputes concerning Sir John Fastolf’s will.

1464
JAN. 26

1464
JAN. 26