John Jenney to John Paston

LETTER LX.

         To my Wurshipfull Maister
         John Paston Esquier.

MI Maister Paston I recomaunde me to you and wher ye
     shulde be enformed that I shulde sey to ¹ Howard that
ye labored to be knyght of the shire I seid nev^r soo to hym I
tolde my lord of Norff’ atte london that I labored div’se men
for S^r Roger Chaumb’leyn And they seid to me they wolde have
hym but not Howard in asmeche as he hadde no lyvelode in
the shire nor Con^rsm’nt And I asked them horn they wolde
have and they seid they wolde have you And thus I tolde hym
And he seid on avysely as he kan doo full well I myght no^t sey
ye labored ther for I herde nev^r sey ye labored therfor be the
feithe I vowe to God As for this Writ of the p^rlem^t of Norwich
I thanke you that ye will labo^r ther in As for my Frendys ther
I truste right well all the Aldermen except ² Broun and sech as
be in his ³ dawnger I prey you spekith to Walter ⁴ Jeffrey and
Herry ⁵ Wilton and maketh them to labo^r to your entent I prey
you that yf ye thenke that it wull no^t be that it like you that to
sey that ye meve it of your self and no^t be my desire sum men
holde it right straunge to be in this ⁶ p^rlem^t and me thenketh
they be wyse men that soo doo Wreten Atte ⁷ Jntewode on
Sceint John Day in hast.

                                                          Your sūnt,

                                                                        ⁸ John Jenney.

            11 ? by 5 ?.

               Paper Mark,
        Bull’s Head and Star.
               Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

        Intwood,
             St. John’s day, 24th of June.
             About 1455. 33 H. VI.

This is a true picture of modern electioneering, and such a Letter might be written
from any County or Town in the kingdom during the time that a choice for Members
was depending.

     The exact date of this Letter cannot be ascertained, John Jenney was Member for
the City of Norwich in 1452, and again in 1477, but if this Letter be addressed to John
Paston the Father, (and I rather think it is) it must have been written I believe about
1455, when a Parliament was summoned to meet in July. John Jenney indeed was
not then returned, but that does not signify, as he seems to have doubts whether he
should be so or not.

He married Elizabeth, Daughter and heir of Thomas Wetherby, the rich Alderman
of Norwich, who had been Mayor in 1427 and 1432, and Representative in Parlia-
ment for that City in 1437, on whose decease, in 1445, he inherited the Estate at Int-
wood in right of his wife. He was afterwards deputy Recorder and standing Counsel
for the City, and died in 1497.

     Howard was a relation to John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, whose character here
appears to be that of a man who often talked without consideration.

² Richard Brown was Mayor of Norwich in 1454, and Member for that City in 1460.

     ³ This means in his debt, and therefore under his influence.

     ⁴ Walter Jeffrey was Under-sheriff of Norwich in 1451, 1452 and 1459.

     ⁵ Henry Wilton was returned with John Jenney in 1477.

     ⁶ This must refer to the contests between the Houses of York and Lancaster.

⁷ This Estate came afterwards by purchase to the Greshams, and here it was that, in
1549, Sir Thomas Gresham, Knight, founder of the Royal Exchange, entertained John
Dudley, the great Earl of Warwick, when he marched into Norfolk to attack Ket the
rebel Tanner. It was afterwards sold to the Hobarts, and is at present the property
of the honourable Henry Hobart, Member for the City of Norwich.

     ⁸ Autograph. Pl. XIX. N^o 18.

LETTER LX.

To my worshipful Master John Paston, Esquire.

MY Master Paston, I recommend me to you, and where (as)
      ye should be informed that I should say to ¹ Howard that
ye laboured to be Knight of the Shire, I said never so to him; I
told my Lord of Norfolk at London that I laboured divers men
for Sir Roger Chamberlayn, and they said to me they would
have him, but not Howard, in as much as he had no livelihood
in the shire nor conversement (acquaintance or intercourse.) And I
asked them whom they would have, and they said they would
have you, and thus I told him, and he said unadvisedly, as he
can do full well; I might not (could not) say ye laboured there-
fore, for I heard never say ye laboured therefore by the faith I
owe to God.

     As for this Writ of the Parliament of Norwich, I thank you
that ye will labour therein; as for my Friends there, I trust right
well all the Aldermen except ² Brown and such as be in his
³ danger; I pray you speak to Walter ⁴ Jeffrey and Harry ⁵ Wil-
ton, and make them to labour to your intent. I pray you that
if ye think that it will not be, that it like you to say, that you
move it of yourself, and not by my desire. Some men hold it
right strange to be in this ⁶ Parliament, and me thinketh they
be wise men that so do. Written at ⁷ Intwood, on Saint John’s
day, in haste.

                                                        Your Servant,

                                                                   ⁸ JOHN JENNEY.

            11 ? by 5 ?.

               Paper Mark,
        Bull’s Head and Star.
               Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

        Intwood,
             St. John’s day, 24th of June.
             About 1455. 33 H. VI.

This is a true picture of modern electioneering, and such a Letter might be written
from any County or Town in the kingdom during the time that a choice for Members
was depending.

     The exact date of this Letter cannot be ascertained, John Jenney was Member for
the City of Norwich in 1452, and again in 1477, but if this Letter be addressed to John
Paston the Father, (and I rather think it is) it must have been written I believe about
1455, when a Parliament was summoned to meet in July. John Jenney indeed was
not then returned, but that does not signify, as he seems to have doubts whether he
should be so or not.

He married Elizabeth, Daughter and heir of Thomas Wetherby, the rich Alderman
of Norwich, who had been Mayor in 1427 and 1432, and Representative in Parlia-
ment for that City in 1437, on whose decease, in 1445, he inherited the Estate at Int-
wood in right of his wife. He was afterwards deputy Recorder and standing Counsel
for the City, and died in 1497.

     Howard was a relation to John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, whose character here
appears to be that of a man who often talked without consideration.

² Richard Brown was Mayor of Norwich in 1454, and Member for that City in 1460.

     ³ This means in his debt, and therefore under his influence.

     ⁴ Walter Jeffrey was Under-sheriff of Norwich in 1451, 1452 and 1459.

     ⁵ Henry Wilton was returned with John Jenney in 1477.

     ⁶ This must refer to the contests between the Houses of York and Lancaster.

⁷ This Estate came afterwards by purchase to the Greshams, and here it was that, in
1549, Sir Thomas Gresham, Knight, founder of the Royal Exchange, entertained John
Dudley, the great Earl of Warwick, when he marched into Norfolk to attack Ket the
rebel Tanner. It was afterwards sold to the Hobarts, and is at present the property
of the honourable Henry Hobart, Member for the City of Norwich.

     ⁸ Autograph. Pl. XIX. N^o 18.

294

JOHN JENNEY TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my wurshipfull maister, John Paston, Esquier.

   MI Maister Paston, I recomaunde me to you. And
     wher ye shulde be enformed that I shulde sey to
     Howard² that ye labored to be Knyght of the
shire, I seid never soo to hym. I tolde my Lord of Norffolk
atte London that I labored diverse men for Sir Roger Chaum-
berleyn, and they seid to me they wolde have hym, but not
Howard, in asmeche as he hadde no lyvelode in the shire, nor
conversement [i.e. acquaintance?]; and I asked them hom
they wolde have, and they seid they wolde have you, and thus
I tolde hym. And he seid on avysely, as he kan doo full well,
I myght not sey ye labored ther, for I herde never sey ye
labored therfor, be the feithe I vowe to God.

     As for this writ of the Parlement of Norwich, I thanke
you that ye will labour ther in; as for my frendys ther, I
truste right well all the aldermen, except Broun³ and sech
as be in his dawnger.⁴ I prey you spekith to Walter Jeffrey⁵
and Herry Wilton,⁶ and maketh them to labour to your entent.
I prey you that yf ye thenke that it wull not be, that it like
you that to sey that ye meve it of your self, and not be my

desire. Sum men holde it right straunge to be in this Parle-
ment, and me thenketh they be wyse men that soo doo.

     Wreten atte Intewode,¹ on Sceint John day, in hast.

                                       Your servaunt,

                                                                                JOHN JENNEY.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 240.] The parliamentary election to which this letter refers is
evidently the same as in Nos. 288 and 291. The election of Howard and Chamber-
lain actually took place on the 23rd June, the day before this letter was written, as I
find by the original returns in the Record Office.

     ² John Howard, the Duke of Norfolk’s cousin. He was afterwards created Duke
of Norfolk himself by Richard III., in whose cause he fell fighting at the battle of
Bosworth.

     ³ Richard Brown was Mayor of Norwich in 1454, and member for that city in
1460.—F.

     ⁴ This means in his debt, and therefore under his influence.—F.

     ⁵ Walter Jeffrey was Under-Sheriff of Norwich in 1451, 1452, and 1459.—F.

     ⁶ Henry Wilton was returned with John Jenney in 1477.—F.

     ¹ This estate came to Jenney by his marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas
Wetherby, a rich alderman of Norwich, who, after having twice served as Mayor,
quarrelled with the city about the election of his successor in that office in 1433, and
instigated various prosecutions against them. He died in 1445.

JUNE 24

1455

JUNE 24