John Croke to William Stonor

183. JOHN CROKE TO WILLIAM STONOR

[? 1477]

     Elizabeth Stonor had two brothers called John; the writer must be John
the elder, since John the younger was apparently under age when their father
died in the autumn of 1477 (between 26 Sept. and 19 Nov.). John Croke,
the elder, married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Coton Esq., of Warwick-
shire (will ap. P.C.C., 21 Logge). Since his father was still alive the date of
this letter cannot be later than September, 1477. From the reference to the
Fenns and Stepney it was probably not more than a year earlier than No. 213.
The John Fenn of this letter is presumably the father of Stonor's wards—see
vol. i, p. xxix. Hugh Fenn was his cousin and overseer of his will, and is
perhaps to be identified with the Hugh Fenn of the Paston Letters. From
A.C., xlvi, 92.¹⁴

     Rigth Reverent and worschypfull and myen especiall good mayster
and broder, worschypfull and myen especiall good and lovyng suster,
y recommaunde me unto you in the most hertly wyesse þat y kan, and
thankyng you of your grete cher done unto me at my laste beyng with
you, and at many odyr tymes: also for your letter wyche you sent unto
me tochyng thys mater of Geffrey Poole, the wyche mater you schall
understond y moved to my fader, schowyng to hym that Wylliam Dauers
first broke the mater unto me and wyllyd me to go on to take a syett of
þe Gentylwoman, and also what communicacion was betwen Walter
Rollines and Geffrey Poole, and how apon þat mocion it pleasyd you to
send for me at your charge and coste, and how þat it pleasyd you to
tak the labour, when y was with you, for to go over to Geffrey Poolle:
y towld ferdermore how y spoke with Geffrey Pole, and sawe hys
dowter, and of such chere as y had þer &c. And my fader held hym
very welle content with it, and thankyfh you hertly of your kyendnes and
gret labour in the mater, and prayth you, and so do y, iff you thynk it
wyll be so profytable as it have be spoken for, to contynew my good
mayster. And syr, iff Wylliam Dauers or any odyr move unto me more
in þat mater, y schall herre þerin, and, as they sey and as y do þerin,
y schall send you worde, &c. Ferdermore, syr, as tochyng your own
maters at Steppneth you schall understond þat all such persones as
tooke the surrender of Hew Fen to your veoffees have testyfyed the
sayed surrender afor Merkys, the Byschopys Steward: and the Steward
seyd unto me þat of all such parcell wych Hew Fen was jointly seasyd
with John Fen he wolld þat y schold labour owt your copyes, paying
your ffyn as it schull be ascessyd; but he seyth that þe garden with xv
acres in crofftys, wyche was purchasyd of on callyd Poole, and also
cottage with a curtelage in Blechenall Grene with iiij acres of lond, if
John Fen died soole seased of them, and after the costum of the Maner
moste go unto ?e next heyr and not to you. Syr, y answerd hym as to
how thys parcell that Hew Fen had a joint estat in þem with John Fen
&c. And syr, I know certenly þat you have a copy consernyng the
garden with xij acres lond, wyche proveth þat Hew Fen had a joint
estat with John Fen in þe same lond: wherfore it is nessessary for you
þat y have all your copyes to scho unto the Steward as it is in dede, or
elles it wyll be your hurt &c. Syr, y wyll awyse you as schortly as you
kan to send to my broder Stoker and to my fader that they may labour
for your fyne to make it as ease as it wyll be, and to pay it: for unto
that be don the lord wyll reteyn your lond in hys hond &c. Syr, I have
spoken with Redley for to have let owt your plase of Steppneth unto
my lady of Summersed, and he seyth that sche is purveyd at Chelchess
in the bysschop of Salsberyes place. No mor to you at thys tyme, but
Jhesu preserve and kepe you.

                                  By your servaunt and Broder John Croke.

     To my Rigth worsschypfull and especial good broder, Willm. Stonore,
be thys letter delyvered.

183. JOHN CROKE TO WILLIAM STONOR

[? 1477]

     Elizabeth Stonor had two brothers called John; the writer must be John
the elder, since John the younger was apparently under age when their father
died in the autumn of 1477 (between 26 Sept. and 19 Nov.). John Croke,
the elder, married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Coton, Esq., of Warwick-
shire (will ap. P.C.C., 21 Logge). Since his father was still alive the date of
this letter cannot be later than September, 1477. From the reference to the
Fenns and Stepney it was probably not more than a year earlier than No. 213.
The John Fenn of this letter is presumably the father of Stonor’s wards—see
vol. i, p. xxix. Hugh Fenn was his cousin and overseer of his will, and is
perhaps to be identified with the Hugh Fenn of the Paston Letters. From
A.C., xlvi, 92.

     Rigth Reverent and worschypfull and myen especiall good mayster
and broder, worschypfull and myen especiall good and lovyng suster,
y recommaunde me unto you in the most hertly wyesse þat y kan, and
thankyng you of your grete cher done unto me at my laste beyng with
you, and at many odyr tymes: also for your letter wyche you sent unto
me tochyng thys mater of Geffrey Poole, the wyche mater you schall
understond y moved to my fader, schowyng to hym that Wylliam Dauers
first broke the mater unto me and wyllyd me to go on to take a syett of
þe Gentylwoman, and also what communicacion was betwen Walter
Rollines and Geffrey Poole, and how apon þat mocion it pleasyd you to
send for me at your charge and coste, and how þat it pleasyd you to
tak the labour, when y was with you, for to go over to Geffrey Poolle:
y towld ferdermore how y spoke with Geffrey Pole, and sawe hys
dowter, and of such chere as y had þer &c. And my fader held hym
very welle content with it, and thankyth you hertly of your kyendnes and
gret labour in the mater, and prayth you, and so do y, iff you thynk it
wyll be so profytable as it have be spoken for, to contynew my good
mayster. And syr, iff Wylliam Dauers or any odyr move unto me more
in þat mater, y schall herre þerin, and, as they sey and as y do þerin,
y schall send you worde, &c. Ferdermore, syr, as tochyng your own
maters at Steppneth you schall understond þat all such persones as
tooke the surrender of Hew Fen to your veoffees have testyfyed the
sayed surrender afor Merkys, the Byschopys Steward: and the Steward
seyd unto me þat of all such parcell wych Hew Fen was jointly seasyd
with John Fen he wolld þat y schold labour owt your copyes, paying
your ffyn as it schull be ascessyd: but he seyth that þe garden with xv
acres in crofftys, wyche was purchasyd of on callyd Poole, and also
cottage with a curtelage in Blechenall Grene with iiij acres of lond, if
John Fen died soole seased of them, and after the costum of the Maner
moste go unto þe next heyr and not to you. Syr, y answerd hym as to
how thys parcell that Hew Fen had a joint estat in þem with John Fen
&c. And syr, I know certenly þat you have a copy consernyng the
garden with xij acres lond, wyche proveth þat Hew Fen had a joint
estat with John Fen in þe same lond: wherfore it is nessessary for you
þat y have all your copyes to scho unto the Steward as it is in dede, or
elles it wyll be your hurt &c. Syr, y wyll awyse you as schortly as you
kan to send to my broder Stoker and to my fader that they may labour
for your fyne to make it as ease as it wyll be, and to pay it: for unto
that be don the lord wyll reteyn your lond in hys hond &c. Syr, I have
spoken with Redley for to have let owt your plase of Steppneth unto
my lady of Summersed, and he seyth that sche is purveyd at Chelchess
in the bysschop of Salsberyes place. No mor to you at thys tyme, but
Jhesu preserve and kepe you.

                                                   By your servaunt and Broder John Croke.

     To my Rigth worsschypfull and especial good broder, Willm. Stonore,
be thys letter delyvered.