John Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER LXX.

     SYR it is so y^t thys sat^rday John Rus sent me word by Rob't
        Botler y^t Will'm Yelu^rton hathe ben thys iij dayis in Yer-
mothe for to get new wytnessys up to London and as it is thowt
by the seid Iohn Rus and Rob't Botler ther wytnessyng is for to
proue y^t it was S^r John F. wyll y^t ther schold be morteysyd iij^c
mark by yer to y^e colage and also y^t syche aftat as my fadyr took
her at Cast^r at lames next befor y^t S^r John F. dyid was delyu'yd
to my fadyr to y^e intent for to perform y^e seyd wyll Barth' ew
Elys John Appylby and John Clerk ar the wytnessys And as for
Barthew Elys he is owtlawyd and also men say in yermowthe
y^t he is bawde betwyx a clerk of Yermowthe and hys owne wyse
And as for John Appylby he is half frentyk and so take in the
towne notw^t standyng he is an attorny as Barthew Elys is in the
baylys coort of Yermowthe And as for John Clerk of gorleston
he is ow^t lawyd at S^r John Fastolfys swte and at dyu's othyr
menys notw^tstandyng he is thorow w^tS^r Thowys for S^r J. F. for
thys cause y^t the seyd Clerk was on of S^r Thowys last wytnessys
befor thys I trow Iohn Loer shall be anothyr wyttnesse As for
Batthew Elys and Iohn Appylby they lye thys nyht at blybo-
rowgh onward on her wey to londonward make good weche on
hem I pray yow send vs seme good tydyngs Wretyn the sat^rday
lat at nyght next aftyr Kandylmas day J pray yow remebyr
John Grey and John burgeys we haue hom the most part of yo^r
barly saue fro Wynt'ton and y^t I trost to haue y^is next wek or
ellys we wyll strat for it by the grace of good whom I beseche

mak yow good J thynk ther comyng vp is for to dysproue yo^r
wytttnessys y^t he had in to the chance ry.

                                                                                  J. P.

                11 1/2 by 6 1/2.

                  Paper Mark,

          Bull's Head and Star.

                  Pl. XI. N^o10.

    On the back of this Letter in an ancient hand is written, "Testes idonei ad negandu
"vertitatem, ut patet infra."

    The disposal of Sir John Fastolf's large property occasioned many long and expensive
contests, some claiming by heirship, some by gift, and others by different titles under
his Will.

    The present dispute seems to have been relative to the Estate intended for the foun-

dation of his College at Caister.

 The account of the Characters of those, who were going to London to be examined
on this occasion, is curious.

    This Letter has neither subscription nor date, but by the contents it appears to have
been written to Sir John Paston by his Brother, and not till after the death of their
Father, it could not be written therefore before 1466.

    Autograph. Pl IV. N^o 12.

LETTER LXX.

John Paston, to Sir John Paston, Knight,

     SIR, it is so that this Saturday John Rus sent me word by
        Robert Butler, that William Yelverton hath been this three
days in Yarmouth, for to get new witnesses up to London, and
it is thought by the said John Rus and Robert Butler their wit-
nessing is for to prove that it was Sir John Fastolf's will that
there should be amortised 300 marks (200l.) by year to the
College; and also that such estate as my Father took here at

Caister, at Lammas next before that Sir John Fastolf died, was
delivered to my Father to the intent for to perform the said will.

    Bartholomew Ellis, John Appleby, and John Clerk are the
witnesses; and as for Bartholomew Ellis he is outlawed, and
also men say in Yarmouth, that he is bawd betwixt a Clerk of
Yarmouth and his own wife. And as for John Appleby he is
half frentyk (crazy) and so taken in the town, notwithstanding
he is an attorney, as Bartholomew Ellis is, in the Bailiff's court
of Yarmouth; and as for John Clerk of Gorleston, he is outlaw-
ed at Sir John Fastolf's suit, and at divers other men's, notwith-
standing he is through with Sir Thomas for Sir John Fastolf,
for this cause that the said Clerk was one of Sir Thomas Howys's
last witnesses before this. I trow John Loer shall be another
witness; as for Bartholomew Ellis and John Appleby they lie
this night at Blighborough, onward on their way to London
ward; make good watch on them.

    I pray you send us some good tidings.

    Written the Saturday late at night, next after Candelmas-day.

I pray you remember John Grey and John Burgess; we have
home the most part of your barley, save from Winterton, and
that I trust to have the next week, or else we will strait (distrain q?)
for it by the grace of God, whom I beseech make you good.

 I think their coming up is for to disprove your witnesses that
ye had into the Chancery.

                                                                                  JOHN PASTON.

February, after 1466.

        6 E.IV.

    On the back of this Letter in an ancient hand is written, "Testes idonei ad negandu
"vertitatem, ut patet infra."

    The disposal of Sir John Fastolf's large property occasioned many long and expensive
contests, some claiming by heirship, some by gift, and others by different titles under
his Will.

    The present dispute seems to have been relative to the Estate intended for the foun-

dation of his College at Caister.

 The account of the Characters of those, who were going to London to be examined
on this occasion, is curious.

    This Letter has neither subscription nor date, but by the contents it appears to have
been written to Sir John Paston by his Brother, and not till after the death of their
Father, it could not be written therefore before 1466.

    Autograph. Pl IV. N^o 12.

661

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON⁴

SYR, it is so that thys Saterday John Rus sent me word
     by Robert Botler, that William Yelverton hathe ben
     thys iij. dayis in Yermothe for to get new wytnessys up
to London; and, as it is thowt by the seid John Rus and
Robert Botler, ther wytnessyng is for to prove that it was Sir
John Fastolfs wyll that ther schold be morteysyd iij.^c. mark by
yer to the colage, and also that syche astat as my fadyr took
her at Caster at Lames next befor that Sir John Fastolf dyid,
was delyveryd to my fadyr to the intent for to perform the
seyd wyll.

     Bartholomew Elys, John Appylby, and John Clerk ar the
wytnessys; and as for Barthew Elys, he is owtlawyd, and also
men say in Yermowthe that he is bawde betwyx a clerk of
Yermowthe and hys owne wyfe; and as for John Appylby, he
is half frentyk, and so take in the towne, notwithstandyng he
is an attorny, as Barthew Elys is, in the Baylys Coort of
Yermowthe; and as for John Clerk of Gorleston, he is owt-
lawyd at Sir John Fastolfys swte, and at dyvers othyr menys,
notwithstandyng he is thorow with Sir T. Howys¹ for Sir
John Fastolf, for thys cause, that the seyd Clerk was on of Sir
T. Howys¹ last wytnessys befor thys.

     I trow John Loer shall be anothyr wyttnesse. As for
Barthew Elys and John Appylby, they lye thys nyht at
Blyborowgh onward on her wey to Londonward. Make good
weche on hem.

     I pray yow send us some good tydyngs. Wretyn the
Saterday, lat at nyght, next aftyr Kandylmas Day.

     I pray yow remembyr John Grey and John Burgeys. We
have hom the most part of your barly, save fro Wynterton,
and that I trost to have this next wek, or ellys we wyll strat
[distrain?] for it by the grace of God, whom I beseche mak
yow good.

     I thynk ther comyng up is for to dysprove your wyttnessys
that he had in to the Chancery.

                                                                                                J. P.²

     ⁴ [From Fenn, iv. 276.] This letter must have been written in February 1467.
It was evidently after Sir John Paston had succeeded to his father’s estates, but before
any arrangement had been come to between him and Yelverton. It will be found
hereafter that on the 11th January 1468 Sir John Fastolf’s executors, including
Yelverton, released their rights in Caister and other manors to Sir John Paston. On
the back of this letter, Fenn says, is written in an ancient hand, ‘Testes idonei ad
negandum veritatem, ut patet infra.’

 ¹ Fenn has ‘Sir Thowys’ in his left-hand copy, which we cannot help thinking a
misreading of ‘Sir T. Howys.’

     ² Fenn says this letter ‘has neither subscription nor date’; nevertheless these
initials stand at the foot of the text as he has printed it.

1467
FEB. 7

1467
FEB. 7