John Damme and James Gresham to John Paston

LETTER XXIII.

               To my Worshipfull and good
               m’st^r John Paston Escuyer.

PLEASE it yow to wete yat S^r. W. Oldhall is chosyn speker
     of ye p^rlement and ¹ admytted by the kyng &c. It’m ye
day of oier and t^rmyn^r shall holde at Norwich on Moneday next
comyng and by yat cause my lord of ² Oxenford shall be dis-
ported of his comyng to ye p^rlement for to attende to ye
sessions of oier &c. It’m ye lord ³ Moleyns hadde langage of
yow in ye kynggs p’sence as my maist^{r 4} Yelv^rton can telle
yow by mouthe. yo^r p’sence shuld have do meche ease here in
yo^r own matiers and oy^r as yo^r weel willers thynkyn and yo^r
absence do non ease here netheles my maist^r Yelv^rton shall telle
you all, &c. It is seid here yat ye duke of ⁵ York and ye Duke
of ⁶ Norff’ shulln not come here yis vii nyght. It’m it is sup-
posed yat An oier and det^rmyn^r shall come hastily into Norwich.
William Dynne Abydeth yerfore. As touchyng Shirefs y’arn
none chosyn ne named And as men suppose non shall be chosyn
til my lord of Yorks comyng, &c. Wretyn in hast at Westm^r
m^rcur in festo s’ci Martini.

                                                                      You^r,

                                                                           ⁷ J. D. & ⁸ Gr.

     It is apoynted yat who shall sue any bille in ye p^rlement yei
must be put into ye co’e hous by for seint Edmunds day atte
ferthest, &c.

     This Letter is subscribed J. D. and Gr. which I believe are the signature of John
Damme and James Gresham.

     The former was Recorder of the City of Norwich, and at this Parliament their Repre-
sentative; the latter was an eminent Lawyer, and great grandfather to that public spirited
citizen Sir Thomas Gresham, knight.

     ¹ We here find that at this time the Member who was elected Speaker of the House of
Commons, was presented to the King for his approbation.

     This is a curious historical Aneedote. Sir William Oldhall was a Gentleman of con-
siderable property, in the County of Norfolk.—He was supposed to have been somewhat
concerned in Cade’s Rebellion. He was Member for Herefordshire.

² John Vere, Earl of Oxford, was beheaded in 1461.

     ³ Robert Hungerford, Lord Molyns, was a steady Lancastrian, and beheaded early in
the reign of Edward IV.

     ⁴ Sir William Yelverton, of Rougham, in Norfolk, was called to the degree of a Ser-
jeant in 1440, became a Judge of the King’s Bench in 1444, was created a Knight of the
Bath in 1460, and was alive in 1471.

     ⁵ Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, seems at this time to have been in favour, and
to have had some management in public affairs.

     ⁶ John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, died in 1461.

  11 ? by 4 ?.

     Autographs. ⁷ Pl. XVII. N^o 6.              ³ Pl. III. N^o 28.

             Westminster,
            Wednesday, 11th of November, 1450. 29 H. VI.

     The Sessions of Oyer and Terminer here mentioned were to try those who had been
concerned in Cade’s Rebellion.

LETTER XXIII.

To my worshipful and good Master, John Paston, Esquire.

PLEASE it you to weet that Sir William Oldhall is chosen
     Speaker of the Parliament, and ¹ admitted by the King, &c.

     Item, the day of oyer and terminer shall (be) holden at
Norwich, on Monday next coming, and by that cause my
Lord of ² Oxford shall be disported [diverted] of his coming
to the Parliament for to attend to the Sessions of oyer and
terminer.

     Item, the Lord ³ Moleyns had language of you in the King’s
presence as my Master ⁴ Yelverton can tell you by mouth. Your
presence should have done much ease here in your own matters
and others, as your well willers think, and your absence do none
ease here; nevertheless my Master Yelverton shall tell you all, &c.

     Item, it is said here that the Duke of ⁵ York, and the Duke
of ⁶ Norfolk shall not come here this sev’night.

     Item, it is supposed that an oyer and determiner shall come
hastily into Norwich: William Dynne abideth therefore.

     As touching Sheriffs there are none chosen or named, and
as men suppose, none shall be chosen till my Lord of York’s
coming, &c. Written in haste at Westminster (die) Mercurij in
festo Sancti Martini.

                                                     Yours,

                                                         ⁷ JOHN DAMME, and ⁸ GRESHAM.

     It is appointed that who (ever) shall sue any bill in the parlia-
ment they must be put into the Commons house before Saint
Edmund’s day (20th of November) at farthest, &c.

     This Letter is subscribed J. D. and Gr. which I believe are the signature of John
Damme and James Gresham.

     The former was Recorder of the City of Norwich, and at this Parliament their Repre-
sentative; the latter was an eminent Lawyer, and great grandfather to that public spirited
citizen Sir Thomas Gresham, knight.

     ¹ We here find that at this time the Member who was elected Speaker of the House of
Commons, was presented to the King for his approbation.

     This is a curious historical Aneedote. Sir William Oldhall was a Gentleman of con-
siderable property, in the County of Norfolk.—He was supposed to have been somewhat
concerned in Cade’s Rebellion. He was Member for Herefordshire.

² John Vere, Earl of Oxford, was beheaded in 1461.

     ³ Robert Hungerford, Lord Molyns, was a steady Lancastrian, and beheaded early in
the reign of Edward IV.

     ⁴ Sir William Yelverton, of Rougham, in Norfolk, was called to the degree of a Ser-
jeant in 1440, became a Judge of the King’s Bench in 1444, was created a Knight of the
Bath in 1460, and was alive in 1471.

     ⁵ Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, seems at this time to have been in favour, and
to have had some management in public affairs.

     ⁶ John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, died in 1461.

  11 ? by 4 ?.

     Autographs. ⁷ Pl. XVII. N^o 6.              ³ Pl. III. N^o 28.

            Westminster,
            Wednesday, 11th of November, 1450. 29 H. VI.

  The Sessions of Oyer and Terminer here mentioned were to try those who had been
concerned in Cade’s Rebellion.

151

JOHN DAMME AND JAMES GRESHAM TO
JOHN PASTON¹

To my worshipfull and good maister, John Paston, Escuyer.

PLEASE it yow to wete that Sir William Oldhall is chosyn
     Speker of the Parlement, and admytted by the Kyng,
     &c. Item, the day of oier and termyner shall holde at
Norwich on Moneday next comyng, and by that cause my
Lord of Oxenford shall be disported of his comyng to the
Parlement for to attende to the Sessions of oier, &c.

     Item, the Lord Moleyns hadde langage of yow in the
Kynggs presence as my Maister Yelverton can telle yow by
mouthe. Your presence shuld have do meche ease here in
your own matiers and other, as your weel willers thynkyn, and
your absence do non ease here; netheles my Maister Yelverton
shall telle you all, &c.

     It is seid here that the Duke of York and the Duke of
Norffolk shulln not come here this vii. nyght.

     Item, it is supposed that an oier and determyner shall
come hastily into Norwich. William Dynne abydeth
therfore.

     As touchyng Shirefs, ther arn none chosyn ne named, and
as men suppose, non shall be chosyn til my Lord of Yorks
comyng, &c.

     Wretyn in hast at Westminster, Mercur’ in Festo Sancti
Martini.                                      Yours,

                                                                           J. D. and GR.

     It is apoynted that who shall sue any bille in the Parlement,
thei must be put into the Commone Hous by for Seint
Edmunds day² atte ferthest, &c.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 100.] The date of this letter is determined by the fact
mentioned in the first sentence. Sir William Oldhall was chosen Speaker of the
Parliament which met on the 6th November 1450. John Damme represented
Norwich in this Parliament. Moreover, the date at the end of the letter shows that
St. Martin’s day fell on Wednesday in the year it was written, which was the case
in 1450.                                                                      ² 20th November.

1450
NOV. 11