John Johnson to Sir William Plumpton

15 John Johnson to Sir William Plumpton, [1465 × 1469]¹
      (No. 16, p. 160)

Right worshippfull & reuerent Sir & maister,^a I recomende me vnto
you. And please your good mastershipp to witte there is a clerk att
York, the whilke purposes to say his first mes the Sunday next after the
feast of the Natiuitie of our Lady the Virgin, and if ye would vouchsafe
that he might haue a morsal of venison aganst the said Sunday, for
Robart Manfeld sake.² And trewly I shall lett him wytte both how ye
did to his kinswoman against her wedding, and now for this said priest,
for he is full brother to the said woman and they are both right neare
of his kin. I am siker he thank you full hartely fro I lett him witt, and
that shalbe in all the gudly hast at I may; with the grace of God, who
encrease your good estate to his pleas<ure>.^b Written in hast att York,
the Friday next before the said feast.²

     Your owne servant and bedeman            John Johnson of Yorke

Endorsed: To my worshipfull & reverent maister Sir William Plompton kt

     ^a Marginal note: 16 letter.

     ^b Marginal note: Coppied 12 January 1612, Tewsday.

     ¹ The letter was probably written before 1469 when Sir William was dismissed from
his office as master forester.

     ² The writer, who was asking a considerable favour, must have known that Manfeld’s
gratitude would be useful to Sir William, C. Dyer, Standards of Living in the Later Middle
Ages: Social Change in England c.1200–1520 (1988), 61.

LETTER XXII.

To my right worshipfully and reverent maister, Sir William Plomp-
ton, kt.

    Right worshippfull and reverent Sir and maister, I recomende
me unto you. And please your good maistershipp to witte, there
is a Clerke att York, the whilke purposes to say his first mes the
sunday next after the feast of the nativities of our Lady the Vir-
gin a; and if ye wold vouchsafe that he might have a morsel of
venison aganst the said sunday for Robart Manfeld sake, and
trewly I shall lett him wytte both how ye did to his kinswoman
against her wedding, and now for this said preist; for he is full
brother to the said woman, and they are both right neare of his
kin. I am siker he will thank you full hartely, fro I lett him witt,
and that shalbe in all the gudly hast at I may, with the grace of
God, who encrease your good estate to his pleasure. Written in
hast att York, the friday next before the said feast.

             Your owne servant and Bedeman, JOHN JOHNSON of Yorke.

^a 8 Sept.