John Paston, Junior, to his father

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
John Paston, Junior, to his father
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 207
Date
May 1462
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol IV, item 518; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 28
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)

LETTER XXVIII.

 

                    To my ryght wursschipfull
                    Fadre Iohn Paston.

 

       PLESIT you to wete that I am at Leyn And vnder stande be
            dyv's prsonys as I am in formed yt ye 1 Master of Car-
broke wold take a rewle in the Mar' Talbot as for capteyn And
to yeue Iaketes of his levry to dyv's prsonis qwych be waged be
oder me And nouth be hym beyng in the said shep qwerfor
in as moch as I haue as I haue but few sowdeors in myn levry her to
strenketh me in yat qwych is the Kynges Comandement I kepe
wt me yowr too me Dawbenney and Calle qwich I purpose shall
seyle wt me to Yermeth for I have purueyed harneyse for hem
and ye shall well understande be ye grace of god yat the said
mayster of Carbroke shall have non rewle in the sheppes as 2 I
had puposid he shuld have had because of his besynesse and for
this is on of the specyall cause I kepe yowr said me wt me be-
sechyng you ye takyt to non dysples' of ther taryng wt me nat
wtstandyng yer 3 herde at Wyggenalle shall be don this Day be
the grace of God whoo have you in kepyng wrete at Leyn the
morow after my deprtyng from you.

     It' as far such tydynges as be her
Th' shall in forme you.

                                                                                    4 John Paston.

12 by 4 1/4.

                        Seal,
            A Stag couchant.
               Pl. XXVIII. No 4.

 

     We have here a Letter written by John Paston to his father, from Lynn in Norfolk, at
a time when, by the King's command, he was to convey Soldiers from thence to Yar-
mouth on ship board, I suppose for foreign service. It appears from hence, likewise, that
the Soldiers wore the Livery of those who retained them.

   1 The Master of Carbrooke, I believe means the Master of the Commandry of Carbrooke
in Norfolk, formerly a Society of Knights Templars, and the only one in the county.
who were bound to go on Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, either as religious Devotees, or as
Soldiers to fight against the Infidels.

    2 It appears that in this ease the Master was subordinate to J. Paston, and under his
command.

    3 I do not understood the meaning of the word herden
This Letter was written between 1461 and 1466.

   4 Autograph. Pl. IV. No 9.

 

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)

                                                                   LETTER XXVIII.

 

To my right worshipful Father, John Paston.

 

       PLEASE you to weet that I am at Lynn, and understand by
            divers persons, as I am informed, that the 1 Master of Car-
brooke would take a rule in the Mary Talbot as for Captain, and
to give Jackets of his Livery to divers persons which be waged
by other men, and not by him, being in the said ship; where-
fore in as much as I have but few Soldiers in mine Livery here,
to strengthen me in that which is the King's Commandment, I
keep with me your two men Dawbeney and Calle, which I
purpose shall sail with me to Yarmouth, for I have purveyed
harness for them, and ye shall well understand by the grace of
God, that the said Master of Carbrooke shall have none rule in
the Ships, as 2 I had purposed he should have had, because of
his business and for this is one of the special casue I keep your
said men with me, beseeching you ye take it to none displeasure
with me, notwithstanding their herden 3 at Wygenhall shall be
done this day by the grace of God who have you in his keeping
Written at Lynn, the morrow after my departing from you.

     Item, as for such tidings as be here
     Th. shall inform you.

                                                                            4 JOHN PASTON.

 

Written between
         1461 and 1466.
         1 and 6 E. IV.

 

      We have here a Letter written by John Paston to his father, from Lynn in Norfolk, at
a time when, by the King's command, he was to convey Soldiers from thence to Yar-
mouth on ship board, I suppose for foreign service. It appears from hence, likewise, that
the Soldiers wore the Livery of those who retained them.

     1 The Master of Carbrooke, I believe means the Master of the Commandry of Carbrooke
in Norfolk, formerly a Society of Knights Templars, and the only one in the county.
who were bound to go on Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, either as religious Devotees, or as
Soldiers to fight against the Infidels.

     2 It appears that in this ease the Master was subordinate to J. Paston, and under his
command.

     3 I do not understood the meaning of the word herden
This Letter was written between 1461 and 1466.

    4 Autograph. Pl. IV. No 9.
Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume IV'

518

 

JOHN PASTON, JUNIOR, TO HIS FATHER1

 

To my ryght wurschipfull fadre, John Paston.

 

PLESIT you to wete that I am at Leyn, and under stande
     be dyvers personys, as I am in formed, that the Mayster
     of Carbroke2 wold take a rewle in the Marè Talbot as
for capteyn, and to yeve jaketes of his levery to dyvers per-
sonis qwych be waged be oder men, and nouth be hym, beyng
in the said shep. Qwerfor in as moch as I have but few
sowdeors in myn levery her, to strenketh me in that qwych is
the Kynges commandement, I kepe with me yowr too men,
Dawbenney and Calle, qwich I purpose shall seyle with me to
Yermeth; for I have purveyed harneyse for hem. And ye
shall well understande, be the grace of God, that the said
Mayster of Carbroke shall have non rewle in the sheppes, as I
had purposid he shuld have had, because of his besynesse, and
for this is on of the specyall causes I kepe yowr said men with
me, besechyng you ye takyt to non dysplesur of ther taryng
with me. Nat withstandyng, ther herden1 at Wyggenalle
shall be don this day be the grace of God, Whoo have you
in kepyng.

     Wreten at Leynn, the morow after my departyng from
you.

     Item, as far such tydynges as be here, Th. shall in forme
you.                                                                               JOHN PASTON.

 

 

     1 [From Fenn, iv. 100.] On the 29th May 1462 a commission was granted to
Sir John Howard and Sir Thomas Walgrave to arrest the ships, the Mary Talbot and
the Mary Thomson, both of Lynn, and other vessels in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex,
for a fleet which the King was fitting out (see Patent Roll, 2 Edw. iv., p. 1, m. 14,
in dorso). Sir Thomas Walgrave may perhaps have been the person designated in
this letter as the Master of Carbrooke. At all events, the date is clearly about this
time.

     2 At Carbrooke, in Norfolk, was a commandry formerly belonging to the Knights
Templars, which, like most of the possessions of the order, when it was suppressed in
Edward II.’s time, was given to the Knights of St. John.

 

     1 I do not understand the meaning of the word ‘herden.’—F.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1462

MAY