James Gresham to John Paston

Add. 43491, f. 2

28 October 1455

Gairdner, Vol III, item 303; Fenn, Vol I, Henry VI item 27

LETTER XXVII.

To my right worshipfull Maist’ John Paston at Norwiche
be yis delyu^red.

PLEASE it your Maistership to wete (here follows an ac-
count of some Law Business, &c.)

Here be many m^rvaylous tales of thynggs that shall falle yis
next moneth as it is seyd for it is talked yat oon Dokto^r Grene
a Preest hath kalked and reporteth yat byfore Seynt Andreu
day next comyng shall be ye grettest bataill y^t was sith ye
bataill of ¹ Shrewisbury and it shall falle bytwene ye bisshoppes
Inne of Salesbury and Westm^r Barres and y^re shall deye vij Lords
whereof iij shuld be Bisshoppes althis and meche more is talked
and rep ted I trust to God it shall not falle so!

Also y^r is gret varyance bytwene ye Erll of ² Devenshire and
ye Lord yle as hath be many day and meche debat is like
to growe y^rby for on thursday at nyght last passed ye Erll of
Denshyres ⁴ sone and heir come w^t lx men of Armes to Radfords

place in Devenshire whiche was of counseil w^t my Lord Bon-
vyle and they sette an hous on fyer at Radfords gate and cryed
and mad an noyse as though they had be sory for ye fyer, and by
that cause Radfords men set opyn ye gats and yede owt to se
the fyer and for w^t therll sone forseid entred into ye place
and intreted ⁵ Radford to come doun of his chambre to spke w^t
them p’myttyng hym that he shuld no bodyly harm have up on
whiche p’mysse he come doun and spak w^t ye seid Erll sone.

In ye mene tyme his menye robbe his chambre and ryfled his
houses and trussed suyche as they coude gete to gydder and caryed
it awey on his own hors.

Thanne yerll Sone seid, Radford thou must come to my
Lord my Fadir, he seid he wold and bad oon of his men make
redy his hors to ride w^t hem whiche answerd hym y^t alle his
hors wern take awey, thanne he seid to yerll sone S^r. yo^r.
men have robbed my chambre and thei have myn hors y^t I
may not ride w^t you to my Lord yo^r fadir, wherfor I p’y you
lete me ride for I am old and may not go.

It was answerid hym ageyn yat he shuld walke forth w^t them
on his feete and so he dede till he was a flyte shote or more
from his place and yanne he was ⁶ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. softly for
cawse he myght not go fast and whanne yei were thus dep’ted
he t^rned .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. oon forw^t come ix men ageyn up on

hym and smot hym in ye hed and fellid .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. of
them kyt his throte.

This was told to my Lord Chaunceler yis fornoon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. messengers as come of p^rpos owt of ye same cuntre
this matier is take gretly .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. passed at ij aft’
mydnyght rod owt of London as it is seid more yanne
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ye best wyse sūmme seyn it was to ride toward
my Lord of York and sūme .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. k so meche rumo^r
is here what it menyth I wot not God t’ne it .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
at ⁷ Hertford and sūme men ar a ferd that he is seek ageyn
I p’y God .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. my Lords of York Warwyk
Salesbury and oy^r am in p’pos to conveye hym .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. &c. the seid N. Crome berer her of shall telle you
suyche tydynggs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. in hast at London
on Seint Simon day and Jude.

Yowr poer,

⁸ J. Br.

11 ½ by 13.

London,
Tucsday 28th of October,
1455, 34 H. VI.

This Letter seems to have been written on the 28th of October, 1455, as from the latter
part of it (though imperfect) it appears that the King was at Hertford; reported to be
fick again; and under the direction of the Lords of York, Warwick, and Salisbury, &c.

All which agrees with our historical accounts of this period.

¹ The battle of Shrewsbury was fought on the 22d of July, 1403, 4 H. IV. the
Percies being the leaders of the Malecontents, who were routed by the King?s Army.

The Predictions however of Dr. Green were not fulfilled, but Prophecies, in this
credulous age, had great influence over the minds of the People; and there having been

already some civil Contests, they were easily induced to believe, that others might be
foreseen and foretold.

² Thomas Courtney, Earl of Devonshire, was beheaded by order of Edward IV. imme-
diately after the battle of Towton, in 1461.

³ William Bonvile, was created Lord Bonvile, in 1449, and was beheaded, by order of
Queen Margaret, after the battle at Barnard’s Heath, near St. Alban’s, in February,
1460-1, though he had staid with Henry VI. on a promise of safety.

⁴ Thomas Courtney, Son and Heir of Thomas Courtney, Earl of Devonshire, was
beheaded very soon after his Father, in 1461.

⁵ We see in this Letter a strong and diabolical instance of party fury; an old and an
infirm man is, in the night by a stratagem, enticed to open his Gates; his Place is
robbed and plundered, and himself, after various ill treatment, is moft cruelly murdered, by
the direction of the Son and Heir of a Nobleman, then at variance with Lord Bonvile.

Nicholas Radford was an eminent Lawyer and resided at Poghill, near Kyrton.

⁶ Where the lines are supplied with Dots, the Original Letter is imperfect, from a part
being decayed, and torne off.

⁷ The King seems, at the time this Letter was written, to have been at Hertford, and it
was reported that he was sick again.

⁸ J. Gr. James Gresham, was a Cousin of J. Paston’s, and by this, and some others of

his Letters, appears to have been a Lawyer, as he often writes to him on law matters.
Pl. III. N^o 28.

His Seal has on it a Grasshopper; a Device afterwards borne by Sir Thomas Gresham,
the Founder of the Royal Exchange, the Vane on the top of which is a Grasshopper.

LETTER XXVII.

To my right worshipful Master, John Paston, at Norwich,
be this delivered.

PLEASE it your Mastership to weet (here follows an ac-
count of some Law business, &c.

Here be many marvellous tales of things that shall fall, this
next month, as it is said; for it is talked, that one Doctor Grene
a Priest hath kalked (calculated) and reporteth, that before St.
Andrew’s day next coming, shall be the greatest battle that was
since the battle of ¹ Shrewsbury, and it shall fall between the
Bishop’s Inn of Salisbury and Westminster Bars; and there shall
die seven Lords, whereof three should be Bishops.

All this and much more is talked and reported, I trust to God
it shall not fall so!

Also there is great variance between the Earl of ² Devonshire,
and the Lord ³ Bonvile, as hath been many day, and much de-
bate is like to grow thereby; for on Thursday (23d of October)
at night last passed, the Earl of Devonshire’s ⁴ Son and Heir
came, with sixty men of arms, to Radford’s Place in Devon-

shire which was of counsel with my Lord Bonvile ; and they
set an house on fire at Radford’s gate, and cried and made a
noise, as though they had been sorry for the fire; and by that
cause Radford’s men set open the Gates and yead (went) out
to see the fire ; and forthwith the Earl’s Son aforesaid entered
into the place, and entreated ⁵ Radford to come down off his
Chamber to speak with them, promising him that he should no
bodily harm have; upon which promise he came down, and
spoke with the said Earl’s Son; in the mean time his meny
(Servants) rob his chamber, and rifled his houses, and trussed
such as they could get together and carried it away on his own
horses; then the Earl’s Son faid; “Radford, thou must come
“ to my Lord my Father.” He said he would, and bade one of
his men make ready his horse to ride with them; which answered
him, that all his horses were taken away; then he said to the
Earl’s Son: “Sir, your men have robbed my Chamber, and they have
“ mine horses, that I may not ride with you to my Lord your
“ Father, wherefore I pray you, let me ride for I am old, and
“ may not go.”

It was answered him again, that he should walk forth with
them on his feet; and so he did till he was a flight shot or more
from his place, and then he was ⁶ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. softly, for cause
he might not go fast, and when they were thus departed he
turned .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. one forthwith came nine men again

upon him and smote him on the head and felled .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
of them, cut his throat.

This was told to my Lord Chancellor this forenoon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. messengers, as come of purpose out of the same Country.
This matter is taken greatly .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. passed at
two after midnight rode out of London as it is said more than
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. the best wise. Some say it was to ride toward
my Lord of York, and some .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. so much Rumour
is here, what it meaneth I wot not, God turn it .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. at
⁷ Hertford, and some men are afraid that he is sick again, I
pray God .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. my Lords of York, Warwick,
Salisbury, and others are in purpose to convey him .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. &c.

The said Nicholas Crome, Bearer hereof, shall tell you such
tidings .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. in haste at London on
Saint Simon’s day and Jude.

Your poor,

⁸ JAMES GRESHAM.