John Paston to Margaret Paston

475

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON³

To my mastres Paston and Richard Calle.

FIRST, that Richard Calle fynde the meane that a distresse
     may be taken of such bestes as occupie the ground at
     Stratton, and that cleyme and contynuauns be made
of my possession in any wise, and that thei be not suffrid to
occupie withowt thei compoune with me; and that aftir the
distresse taken the undirshreve be spoke with all that he make
no replevyn with out agrement or apoyntement taken, that the
right of the lond may be undirstand.

     ij. Item, I here sey the peple is disposed to be at the shire
at Norwich on Sen Lauerauns Day for th’affermyng of that thei
have do afore, wherof I hold me wele content if thei do it of
her owne disposicion, but I woll not be the cause of the labour
of hem, ner bere no cost of hem at this tyme, for be the lawe
I am suer befor, but I am wel a payed it shall be on han
halyday for lettyng of the peples werk. I undirstand ther
shall be labour for a coroner that day, for ther is labour made
to me for my good wyll here, and I wyll nothyng graunt
withowt the under shreves assent, for he and I thought that
Richard Bloumvyle were good to that occupacion. Item, ye
shall undirstand that the undirshreve was some what fleker-
yng whill he was here, for he informyd the Kyng that the
last eleccion was not peasibill, but the peple was jakkyd and
saletted, and riottously disposid, and put hym in fere of his
lyfe. Wherefore I gate of hym the writte whech I send yow
herwith, to that entent, thow any fals shrewe wold labour, he
shuld not be sure of the writ, and therfore ye most se that the
undirshreve have the writ at the day, in case the peple be
gadered, and thanne lete th’endentures be made up or er they
departe.

     iij. Item, that ye remembyr Thomas Denys wyfe that her
husbond had divers billes of extorcion don be Heydon and
other, whech that he told me that his seid wyfe beryid whan
the rumour was, so that thei were ny roten. Bidde her loke
hem up and take hem yow.

     iiij. Item, as for the seyd distreynyng at Stratton, I wold
that Dawbeney and Thomas Bon shuld knowe the closes and
the ground, that thei myght attende ther to, that Richard were
not lettyd of other occupacions, and I wold this were do as
sone as is possibill, or I come home. Notwithstandyng, I
trowe I shall come home or the shire, but I woll nat it be
knowe till the same day, for I will not come there with owt I
be sent fore be the peple to Heylisdonne. Notwithstandyng,
and the peple were wele avertised at that day, they shuld be
the more redy to shewe the oribyll extorcions and briberys
that hath be do upon hem to the Kyng at his comyng, desyring
hym that he shuld not have in favor the seyd extorcioners, but
compelle hem to make amendes and sethe [satisfaction] to the
pore peple.

     v. Item, that Berney and Richard Wright geve suche
folkys warnyng as wyll compleyne to be redy with her billes if
thei list to have any remedy.

     vj. Item, that the maters ayens Sir Miles Stapilton may at
Aylesham be remembyrd.

     vij. Also if ye can be any craft get a copy of the bille that
Sir Miles Stapilton hath of the corte rolles of Gemyngham,
that ye fayle not, but assay and do yowr devyr, for that shuld
preve some men shamefully fals. Master Brakle seyd he
shuld a get oon of Freston. I wold he shuld assay, or ellys
peraventure Skypwith, or ellys Master Sloley; for if Stapilton
were boren in hande that he shuld be founde fals and ontrewe,
and first founder of that mater, he wold bothe shewe the bille
and where he had it.¹

     viij. Item, I wold the prestis of Caster were content for
Midsomer term.

     ix. Item, ther is a whith box with evidens of Stratton, in on
of the canvas baggis in the gret cofir, or in the spruse chest.
Ric. Calle knowith it well, and ther is a ded of feffement and
a letter of atorne mad of the seyd londs in Stratton to John
Damm, W. Lomner, Ric. Calle, and John Russe. I wold a
new dede and letter of atorne were mad owth theroff be the
feffees of the same laund to Thome Grene,² Thome Playter,
the parson of Heylisdon, Jacobo Gloys, klerke,³ Johanni
Pamping, and that the ded bere date nowh, and that it be
selid at the next shire; for than I suppose the seyd feffes will
be ther if it may not be don er that tyme. I wold have the
seyd dedis leyd in a box, both old and new, and left secretly at
Ric. Thornis hows at Stratton, that whan I com homwar I
mygh fynd it ther, and mak seson [seisin] and stat to be take
whil I wer ther. Wret at London on Lammes Day.

     ¹ [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 181.] The year in which this letter was written is
certain, not only from the reference to the murder of Thomas Denys, which was in
July 1461, but also from the mention of the prorogation of Parliament to the 4th of
November.

     ² Probably meaning the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula (1st August).

     ³ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is printed from a draft which is partly
in John Paston’s own hand. The contents clearly refer to, first, the Norfolk election
of 1461, which it was proposed to confirm by a new meeting of the electors at the
shire-house; and secondly, the necessity of electing a new coroner after the murder of
Thomas Denys. The date is therefore certain.

 ¹ Between this and the next paragraph is the following sentence crossed out:—
’Item, I send yow a writ direct to the Meyer and Shreves of Norwich for to receyve
of hem an C. [hundred] mark yerly for suche jowellys as the Kyng hath of me.’

     ² This name is substituted for three others crossed out, viz. ‘John Grenefeld,
Thomas Playter, Water Wrottisle, Squyer.’

     ³ Here occurs the name, ‘Christofere Grenacre,’ crossed out.

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1461
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1461
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