John Paston to Margaret Paston

Add. 34888, f. 150

28 July 1460

Gairdner, Vol III, item 412; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 11

LETTER XI.

    To my Wurschipfull Coysyn
    Margaret Paston be this
    delyvrd in haste.

I Recomaunde me unto you letyng you witte that yor Unkyll
Iohn Berney is deed whoos soule god haue mery desyryng
you to sende for Thom's Holler and enquere of hym wher his
goode is and what he is wurthe and that he take goode eede to
all suche goods as he had bothe meveable and on mevable for I
undre stande that he is wurthe in money V^c marke and in plate
to the valwe of other V^c marke beside other goods Wherfor I
wolde ye schulde not lete hym wete of his dissese unto the tyme
that ye had enquered of the seide Thom's Holler of all suche
maters as be a bovyn wreten And whan he hathe enformed you
therof than lete hym wete verely that he is deede desiryng hym
that no man come on to his place at Redh'm but hym selfe unto
the tyme that I come It'm I lete you witte that gret prte of
his goode is at Will'm Tavrners as I understande Thom's Holler
woll telle you Justely the trouthe as I suppose and deseyre hym
on my behalfe that he doo soo and ther is writyng therof and

telle Thom's Holler that I and he be executors named And
therfore lete hym take heede that the goods be kept saffe And
that nobody knowe wher it shall lie but ye and Thom's Holler
And Thom's Holler as yor Unkyll tolde me is prevy wher all
his goods lithe and all his writyng And so I wol that ye be
prevy to the same for casualte of deethe and ye toop shal be his
executors for me as longe as ye doo trewly as i trowe verely ye
woll Wreten at london the xxviijt day of Jule.

J requer yow be of god
cumfort and be not heuy if
ye wil do owth for me

Yowr
John Paston.

12 by 6.
    Paper Mark.
    A Coronet.
    Pl. XXVI. No. 2.

This Letter is not the only one from John Paston, to his wise, which is directed to his
Cousin Margaret Paston.

He had therefore, I suppose, at this time some particular reasons for concealing his cor-
respondence; it might be either for some public reason on the late change of government,
or for some private reason on his own affairs.

John Berney was the second son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, and inherited from
his father estates in Witching ham; he was unclo to Margaret Paston, and died in July,
1461.

His worth in money and plate was considerable for that age, and the caution which
was taken in those unsettled times to conceal property, is worthy observation.

As Thomas Holler was become, by the decese of John Berney, the only person who
had knowledge of some of his property, the desire which he expresses that his wife should
first get information, and then acquaint him with his friend's death, seems to insinuate
doubts of his honesty respecting the goods, &c. The hint too that he has a written ac-
count of them, implies the same suspicion.

Autograph. Pl. XXIV. No. 5.

LETTER XI.

To my worshipful Cousin Margaret Paston, be this delivered
in haste.

I Recommend me unto you, letting you weet that your Uncle
John Berney is dead, (on) whose soul God have mercy, de-
siring you to send for Thomas Holler and enquire of him where
his good is, and what he is worth, and that he take good heed to
all such goods as he had both moveable and unmoveable, for I
undersstand that he is worth in money five hundred marks (3331.
6s. 8d.) and in plate to the value of other five hundred marks,
besides other goods; wherefore I would ye should not let him
weet of his decease unto the time that ye had enquired of the
said Thomas Holler of all such matters as be above written, and
when he hath informed you thereof, then let him weet verily
that he is dead, desiring him that no man come unto his place
at Reedham but himself, unto the time that I come.

Item, I let you weet that great part of his good is at William
Taverner's as I understand. Thomas Holler will tell you justly
the truth as I suppose, and desire him on my behalf that he do
so, and there is writing thereof; and tell Thomas Holler that

I and he be executors named, and therefore let him take heed
that the goods be kept safe, and that no body know where it
shall lie but ye and Thomas Holler; and Thomas Holler, as
your Uncle told me, is privy where all his good lieth and all
his writings, and so I will that ye be privy to the same for
casualty of death, and ye two shall be his executors for me as
long as ye do truly, as I trow verily ye will. Written at Lon-
don the 28th day of July.

I require you be of good comfort and be not heavy, if ye will
do ought for me.

Your,
JOHN PASTON.

Lodon,
Tuesday, 28 July, 1461.
I E. IV.

This Letter is not the only one from John Paston, to his wise, which is directed to his
Cousin Margaret Paston.

He had therefore, I suppose, at this time some particular reasons for concealing his cor-
respondence; it might be either for some public reason on the late change of government,
or for some private reason on his own affairs.

John Berney was the second son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, and inherited from
his father estates in Witching ham; he was unclo to Margaret Paston, and died in July,
1461.

His worth in money and plate was considerable for that age, and the caution which
was taken in those unsettled times to conceal property, is worthy observation.

As Thomas Holler was become, by the decese of John Berney, the only person who
had knowledge of some of his property, the desire which he expresses that his wife should
first get information, and then acquaint him with his friend's death, seems to insinuate
doubts of his honesty respecting the goods, &c. The hint too that he has a written ac-
count of them, implies the same suspicion.

Autograph. Pl. XXIV. No. 5.

412

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my wurschipfull coysyn, Margaret Paston,
be this delyvered in haste.

      I RECOMAUNDE me unto you, letyng you witte that
          your unkyll, John Berney, is deed, whoos soule God
         have mercy; desyryng you to sende for Thomas Holler,²
and enquere of hym wher his goode is, and what he is wurthe,
and that he take goode eede to all suche goods as he had bothe
meveable and on mevable; for I undre stande that he is
wurthe in money v^c. [500] marke, and in plate to the valwe
of other v^c. marke, beside other goods. Wherfor I wolde ye
schulde not lete hym wete of his dissese unto the tyme that ye

had enquered of the seide Thomas Holler of all suche maters
as be a bovyn wreten, and whan he hathe enformed you therof,
than lete hym wete verely that he is deede, desiryng hym that
no man come on to his place at Redham but hym selfe, unto
the tyme that I come.

Item, I lete you witte that gret parte of his goode is at
William Taverners, as I undrestande. Thomas Holler woll
telle you justely the trouthe as I suppose, and deseyre hym on
my behalfe that he doo soo, and ther is writyng therof; and
telle Thomas Holler that I and he be executours named, and
therfore lete hym take heede that the goods be kept saffe, and
that nobody knowe wher it shall lie but ye and Thomas Holler.
And Thomas Holler, as your unkyll tolde me, is prevy wher
all his goode lithe and all his writyng, and so I wol that ye be
prevy to the same for casualte of deethe, and ye too shal be
his executours for me as longe as ye doo trewly, as I trowe
verely ye woll.

Wreten at London, the xxviij^t. day of Jule.

I requer yow be of god cumfort and be not hevy, if ye
wil do owth for me.

Yowr, JOHN PASTON.

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 36.] According to Fenn, Margaret Paston’s uncle, John
Berney, second son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, died in July 1461, and he
accordingly places this letter in that year. It is evident, however, that John Berney
was dead at the date of Nos. 431 and 462, the former written in January 1561, the
latter certainly not so late as the 28th July in the same year, for Thomas Denys was
murdered at the very beginning of the month. Indeed, it is clear that in No. 462
Margaret Paston wishes to arrange about the approaching anniversary of her uncle’s
death. John Berney must therefore have died in July 1460, although from the
troubled character of the times his will (which is preserved in the Principal Registry
at Somerset House), made on the 2nd June 1460 (Monday after the Feast of St.
Petronilla the Virgin), was not proved till the 1st December 1461.

² When Berney’s will was proved at Lambeth, 1st December 1461, administration
was granted provisionally to Thomas Hooler, who was to send in accounts before the
morrow of the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 26) following. Power was, however,
reserved of committing administration to John Paston. But John Paston did not
appear on the day, and left the undivided administration to Hooler.

1460
JULY 28