John Paston to Edward IV

569

JOHN PASTON TO EDWARD IV.¹

To the Kyng, our Liege Lord.

BESECHYTH lowly your humble servaunt, John Paston
          the older, squier, that it please youre good grace, for
          such a fyne as your highnes hath apoynted your seid
besecher to content yow, wherof ye be put in suerte, to graunt
on to your seid besecher your gratious lettirs patentes of
licence to found, stabilissh, and endewe in the gret mancion
of Caster in Flegge in Norffolk, that late was John Fastolffs,
knyght, cosyn to your seid besecher, a college of vij. prestes,
wherof one to be master, and of vij. porefolk, to pray for your
noble astate and for the soule of the seid John Fastolff and
such other as he was behold to inperpetuite, aftir ordinauns
by your seid besecher in that behalff to be made; and to
inmortese, geve and graunt to the seid prestes and to ther
successours, for the sustentacion of hem and of the seid pore-
folk CXX. mark of annuite and rent charge, or annuites and
rentes charge, yerly goyng out of the maners callid Redhams,
Vaux, and Bosomes, in Caster forseid, Begviles in Wynterton,
Reppis in Bastewyk, Spencers in Heryngby, Loundhall in Sax-
thorp, Heylesdon, Drayton, Heynesford, Guton in Brandeston,
Beyton, Techewell, and of the thrid part of the maner of
Runham with th’apportenauns in the shire of Norffolk, and of
the maners of Hemnales in Cotton, Burneviles in Nakton,
Akthorp in Leystoft, Calcotes, Havelound, Spitlyngges, with
th’apportenauns in the shire of Suffolk, and out of any part of
the seid maners, with a clause of distresse for defaut of pay-
ment of the seid rente, and vj. acres of lond in the seid towne
of Caster, and the avowsons of the chirches of the same town,
and the fourth part of the seid mancion, or any part therof for
the habitacion of the seid prestes and porefolk, to be reparid
at the costs of your seid besecher, and his heires or assignes
for evir. And also by your seid lettirs patentes to graunt the
same prestes to be one body incorperate and to have succession
perpetuall, and a comon seall, and to be persones abill to plede
and to be impletid, and to purchase and alienyn all maner
londes, goodes and catell, by the name of the master and his
brethyrn of the college of Sen John Baptist of Castre aforeseid.
And also by your seid lettirs patentes to licence the seid prestes
to take and reseyve, and to hold to them and to ther succes-
sours the seid annuite, rent charge, vj. acres of lond, avousons,
and the seid ———¹ part of the seid mancion, for evir. And
to geve your Chaunceler of Inglond for the tyme beyng,
comaundement, power, and auctorite that where as in this
petision is not comprehendid the certeynte of termes, maters,
clauses, and other circumstaunces convenient and requisite after
forme of lawe for licens of the seid fundacion, that your seid
Chaunceler, that notwithstandyng, do make your seid lettirs
patentes in forme of lawe effectuall and sufficient in that behalf
after the very entent aforeseid, not excedyng the valew and
somme before specifyd, without any fyne or fee other thanne
is afore specifyd to be payd for the seid lettirs patentes, licens,
or grauntes, by your seid besecher or by the seid prestes; and
thei shall pray hertly to God for yow.

     Endorsed in a later hand:—Supplicatio Jo. Paston [pro] fundacione Collegii apud
Caistor [secundum] formam testamenti Jo. Fastolf, mil.

II.

To the Kyng, our Sovereyn Lord.

Please it yowr highnes to graunte unto yowr humble servant John Paston the
older, Squier, yowr gracious lettres patents of licence to fownde, stabelysh, and
endewe in the gret mancion of Castre be Mekyll Yermowth in Norffolk, that
late was John Fastolffs, knyght, cosyn to yowr seyd besecher, a colage of vij.
prystes wheroff on to be master, and vij. pourmen, to praye for your noble
astate, and for the sowle of the said Fastolff and suche othir as he was be holde
to inperpetuite, and to inmortese and gyve to the seyd prystes, and to ther
successours for the sustentacion of hem, and of the seyd pourmen C. marke of
annunite and rent charge, yerly goyng owt of all maneres, londes, and tenementz
that were the seyd Fastolffs within the Shyres of Norffolk and Suffolk, and vj.
acres of londe in the sayd town of Castre, and the iiij. parte of the sayd mancion
for the habitacion of the sayd prystes and pourmen, to be repared at the costes
of your seyd besecher and hys heyres and assignes for ever, as suerly and law-
fully as your seyd besecher can devise. And also be your letters patentz to
graunt the same prystes to be one bodie incorperate, and to have succession
perpetuall, and a comon seall, and to be persones abyll to plede and be impletid,
and to purchase and alienyn all maner londs, tenements, godes, and catell, be
the name of the master and hys brethyrn of the collage of Saynt John Baptiste
of Castre aforsayd. And also be your letters patentz to licence the sayd
prystes to take and receyve, and to holde to theym and to ther successours the
sayd annaunite, rente charge, vj. acres of lond, avowsons, and the seyd iiij. parte
of the said mancion for ever, with owte eny ffyne or fe to be payde for the sayd
lettres patentz, licens or grauntes be your sayd besecher, or be the said pristes.
And thei shall pray hertly to God for you.

     Endorsed in a later hand:—Peticio Joh’is Paston Arm’ ad Regem pro collegio in
Caister.

     ¹ [From MSS. in the Bodleian Library.] This, and the alternative petition which
follows, seem to have been drawn up in the year 1464, as one or other of them must
have been the subject of the agreement of the 10th September in that year (No. 571).
The two are printed from two parchment MSS. in the Bodleian Library. There is
also, among the Paston MSS. in the British Museum, a third copy, fair written on
parchment like the other two, of which the text corresponds in the beginning to the
second petition, and in the latter part to the first.

     ¹ A blank on an erasure.

1464

1464

1464