John Bocking to John Paston

LETTER XXXII.

To my right good Maist^r John Paston squier at Nor-
wiche in haste.

SIR please it yo^r maist’ship to wyte I have my attachements
     graunted in open courte w^t helpe of ¹ Litelton and ² Hewe
at Fen and was bide to make redy the names &c. before the
Barons, of which ³ Haltoft was one (then follows various Law
business.)

     As for tidings the Kyng is at Shene, the Quene at Chestre,
y^e Duc of Buk was as I come hiderward at Writell, y^e Erle of
Warr’ at Werr’ and y^e Lords ⁴ Chaunceller Tresorier and yerle
of Sar in London and noo mor’ Lords at y^e begynyng yis day
of y^e grete counsail.

     Many men say y^t y^re shuld be but yei wote not what y^e
Sege shall as men say come to Caleys and to Guynes for moche
puple come ou’e y^e water of Somme and grete Navies on
y^e see.

     Yerle of Penbroke is w^t y^e Kyng and noo mor’ Lordis.

Yerle of ⁵ Richemond and Griffith suoh ar at werre gretely in
Wales, ye Comons of Kent as yei were wotte er no^t all weel
disposid for y’e is in doyng amongs hem what eu’e it bee.

     Of Scotts is here but litell talkyng.

     My Lord York is at Sendall stille, and ⁶ waytith on y^e
Quene, and she up on hym.

     I dide my Maistress y^or Moderis erands as ye have herde of
for Maist^r. Will^m hath writen his entente and he and Clement
saren weel.

     Writen at Horshighdone vij^mo die Junij.

     Rokewode and Crane faren weel and yei and I recomaunde
hem to my maistress yo^r wif.

     And as I understande ye Clerk of ye Rolles is owte of cha-
rite w^t Maist’ Yelv’ton and my Lord Chaunceller a litell
mevid, &c.

                                                                              Yo^r owen,

                                                                            ⁷ J. B.

  12 by 4.

  Horshighdon,    

  Monday, 7th of June,
                  1456, 34 H. VI.

 ¹ This is Thomas Littelton, the great Lawyer, who was called to the Degree of
Serjeant at Law, in 1454; and in 1466, was appointed one of the Judges of the Common
Pleas, he died in 1481.

     ² Hugh at Fen, by the manner in which he is here mentioned, appears to have been a

Lawyer of eminence. This Family at this time resided in Essex, and a Sir Hugh Fenn.
was Treasurer of the Household in this reign.

     ³ Gilbert Haltost, a Baron of the Exchequer, died in 1459.

     ⁴ Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, succeeded Richard Nevile, Earl of
Salisbury, as Lord Chancellor, on the 7th of March 1455-6.

 ⁵ Edmund of Hadham, half-brother to Henry VI. Son of Owen Tudor, and Queen
Catherine, widow of Henry Vth. was created Earl of Richmond, in 1453, and died in
November, 1456.

   ⁶ This must mean, watched the motions of each other.

     ⁷ Autograph. Pl. III. N^o 33.

LETTER XXXII.

To my right good Master, John Paston, Esquire, at Nor-
wich, in haste.

SIR, please it your Mastership to weet, I have my attach-
     ments granted in open court with help of ¹ Litelton and
² Hugh at Fen, and was bid to make ready the names, &c. before
the Barons, of which ³ Haltoft was one, &c. (then follows
various Law business).

     As for tidings, the King is at Sheen, the Queen at Chester;
the Duke of Buckingham was, as I came hitherwards, at
Writtle, the Earl of Warwick at Warwick, and the Lords
⁴ Chancellor, Treasurer, and the Earl of Salisbury in London,
and no more Lords at the beginning this day of the great
Council.

     Many men say that there should be, but they wot not what.

     The Siege shall, as men say, come to Calais and to Guisnes;
for much people come over the water of Somme; and great
Navies (are) on the Sea.

     The Earl of Pembroke is with the King, and no more
Lords.

 The Earl of ⁵ Richmond and Griffith are at war together
in Wales.

     The Commons of Kent, as they were wont, are not all well
disposed; for there is in doing amongst them whatever it be.

     Of Scots is here but little talking.

     My Lord York is at Sendal still, and ⁶ waiteth on the Queen,
and she upon him.

     I did my Mistress’ your Mother’s Errands, as ye have heard
of, for Master William hath written his intent, and he and
Clement fare well.

     Written at Horshighdon the 7th day of June.

     Rokewood and Crane fare well, and they and I recommend
them to my Mistress your Wife.

     And as I understand, the Clerk of the Rolls is out of Charity
with Master Yelverton, and my Lord Chancellor a little
moved, &c.

                                                 Your own,

                                             ⁷ JOHN BOCKING.

  12 by 4.

  Horshighdon,    

  Monday, 7th of June,
                  1456, 34 H. VI.

 ¹ This is Thomas Littelton, the great Lawyer, who was called to the Degree of
Serjeant at Law, in 1454; and in 1466, was appointed one of the Judges of the Common
Pleas, he died in 1481.

     ² Hugh at Fen, by the manner in which he is here mentioned, appears to have been a

Lawyer of eminence. This Family at this time resided in Essex, and a Sir Hugh Fenn.
was Treasurer of the Household in this reign.

     ³ Gilbert Haltost, a Baron of the Exchequer, died in 1459.

     ⁴ Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, succeeded Richard Nevile, Earl of
Salisbury, as Lord Chancellor, on the 7th of March 1455-6.

 ⁵ Edmund of Hadham, half-brother to Henry VI. Son of Owen Tudor, and Queen
Catherine, widow of Henry Vth. was created Earl of Richmond, in 1453, and died in
November, 1456.

   ⁶ This must mean, watched the motions of each other.

     ⁷ Autograph. Pl. III. N^o 33.

334

JOHN BOCKING TO JOHN PASTON³

To my right good maister, John Paston, Squier, at
Norwiche, in haste.

   SIR, please it your maistership to wyte, I have my attache-
     ments graunted in open Courte with helpe of Litelton⁴
     and Hewe at Fen, and was bide to make redy the
names, &c. before the Barons, of which Haltoft⁵ was one.
    . . . . . . . . .⁶

     As for tidings, the Kyng is at Shene, the Quene at
Chestre; the Duc of Buk was, as I come hiderward, at
Writell, the Erle of Warrewyke at Werrewyke, and the Lords
Chaunceller,¹ Tresorier,² and th’Erle of Sar’ [Salisbury] in
London, and noo more Lords at the begynyng this day of
the grete Counsail. Many men say that there shuld be, but
thei wote not what. The sege shall, as men say, come to
Caleys and to Guynes, for moche puple come overe the water
of Somme, and grete navies on the see.

     Th’Erle of Penbroke³ is with the Kyng, and noo more
Lordis. Th’Erle of Richemond⁴ and Griffith Suoh (?) are at
werre gretely in Wales. The Comons of Kent, as thei werre
wo[n]tte, er not all weel disposid, for there is in doyng amongs
hem what evere it bee. Of Scotts is here but litell talkyng.
My Lord York is at Sendall stille, and waytith on the Quene
and she up on hym.

     I dide my maistress your moderis erands, as ye have herde
of, for Maister William hath writen his entente, and he and
Clement faren weel.

     Writen at Horshighdone, vij^mo die Junij.

     Rokewode and Crane faren weel, and thei and I re-
comaunde hem to my maistress your wif.

     And as I understande, the Clerke of the Rolles is owte of
charite with Maister Yelverton, and my Lord Chaunceller a
litell mevid, &c.

                                                   Your owen,                             J. B.

      ³ [From Fenn, i. 134.] On comparing this with the previous letters of Bocking,
Nos. 330 and 331, it will be seen that they must all three be of the same year.

     ⁴ Thomas Lyttelton.—See p. 84, Note 5.

     ⁵ Gilbert Haltoft.

     ⁶ Here, in the original, followed various passages relating to law business, which
Fenn has not printed.

¹ Archbishop Bourchier.

     ² Henry, Viscount Bourchier, was appointed Lord Treasurer on the 29th May
1455 (Patent Roll, 33 Hen. VI., p. 2, m. 12), and so continued till the 5th October
1456, when the office was taken from him and given to the Earl of Shrewsbury
(Patent, 35 Hen. VI., p. 1, m. 16).

     ³ Jasper Tudor.—See vol. ii. p. 298, Note 1.

     ⁴ Edmund Tudor.—See vol. ii. p. 297, Note 6.

JUNE 7

1456

JUNE 7