John, Prior of Bromholm, to John Paston

LETTER C.

        To my right Worchipful
        Maister Iohn Paston Sqwyer.

RIGHT worchipful Maister I recomaunde me un to yow
     desiryng to knowe of youre welfare and p’speryte wheche
ihu maynteyne and encreese to his pleser after youre hertys de-
syre thankyng yow eu^r of youre good maistership to me shewed
at alle tymes withoute deserte on my behalve p’yng yow and
hirtely besechyng of youre goode contynuance please it yowre
maistership for as moche as it moved on to y^e my good maisters
y^e Counsell of y^e duche of lancastr y^t they be weelwillyng to
make laboure on to my Sov’eyn Lady y^e Qween at youre good
instaunce for certeyn tymber toward my dortour at Bromholm
in wheche myn speeyall desyre is to haue viij p’ncypall beemys
euych on in length xj zerds I am not expeert in makyng of any
supplicacon besechyng youre maistership to take it uppon you to
do it make after youre avyce alegged all pou’te as youre wor-
chipfull discrecon can moche bett^r than I can enforme and J re-
mitte all to youre wysdam eu^r besechyng you to Calle y^is matyer
to youre remembraunce No more at y^is tyme but y^e holy T’nite
mote haue yow in his gou^runce and sende you longe lyf to en-
dure to his pleser Wreten the xiiij^e day of October.

                                       Youre Preest and chapeleyn,

                                                                       John P’our of Bromholm.

      11 ? by 4?.

       14th of October,
            1460, 39 H. VI.
            or 1465, 5 E. IV.

 We have here an Application from the Prior of Bromholm to the Queen, for a gift of
some Timber from off the Lands belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster, of which there
are many in the County of Norfolk. The petitioner seems modest in his request, asking
only for eight beams, each to be 33 feet long, from which circumstance the size of the
dormitory can be nearly ascertained.

John Titleshale was Prior of Bromholm from 1460 for about twenty years. This
Letter must have been written therefore either on the 14th of October 1460, or on the
same day in 1465, as Edward IV. married in that year, and J. Paston died in May 1466.

     If it was written in the former year, the request must have been to Queen Margaret;
if in the latter, to Elizabeth the Queen of Edward IV.

     Autograph. Pl. xx. N^o 33.

LETTER C.

To my right worshipful Master, John Paston, Esquire.

RIGHT worshipful Master, I recommend me unto you,
     desiring to know of your welfare and prosperity, which
Jesu maintain and increase to his pleasure after your heart’s de-
sire, thanking you ever of your good mastership to me shewed
at all times without desert on my behalf, praying you and hear-
tily beseeching of your good continuance, please it your master-
ship for as much as it (is) moved unto the my good masters the
Counsel of the Duchy of Lancaster, that they be well willing to
make labour unto my Sovereign Lady the Queen of your good
instance for certain timber toward my Dortour (Dormitory) at
Bromholm, in which mine especial desire is to have eight prin-
cipal beams, every one in length eleven yards. I am not expert
in making of any supplication, beseeching your mastership to
take it upon you to do it make after your advice, alledged all
poverty as your worshipful discretion can much better than I can
inform, and I remit all to your wisdom ever beseeching you to call
this matter to your remembrance. No more at this time, but the
Holy Trinity mote (please) have you in his governance, and send
you long life to endure to his pleasure. Written the 14th day of
October.

                         Your Priest and Chaplain,

                                                      JOHN, Prior of BROMHOLM.

       11 ? by 4?.

       14th of October,
            1460, 39 H. VI.
            or 1465, 5 E. IV.

 We have here an Application from the Prior of Bromholm to the Queen, for a gift of
some Timber from off the Lands belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster, of which there
are many in the County of Norfolk. The petitioner seems modest in his request, asking
only for eight beams, each to be 33 feet long, from which circumstance the size of the
dormitory can be nearly ascertained.

John Titleshale was Prior of Bromholm from 1460 for about twenty years. This
Letter must have been written therefore either on the 14th of October 1460, or on the
same day in 1465, as Edward IV. married in that year, and J. Paston died in May 1466.

     If it was written in the former year, the request must have been to Queen Margaret;
if in the latter, to Elizabeth the Queen of Edward IV.

     Autograph. Pl. xx. N^o 33.

972

JOHN, PRIOR OF BROMHOLM, TO JOHN PASTON³

To my right worchipful maister, John Paston, Sqwyer.

        RIGHT worchipful maister, I recomaunde me un to yow,
              desiryng to knowe of youre welfare and prosperyte,
              wheche Jesu maynteyne and encreese to His pleser
after youre hertys desyre, thankyng yow ever of youre good
maistership to me shewed at alle tymes withoute deserte on
my behalve, prayng yow, and hirtely besechyng of youre
goode contynuance. Please it yowre maistership, for as
moche as it [is] moved on to the my good maisters, the
counsell of the Duche of Lancastr, that they be weelwillyng
to make laboure on to my Sovereyn Lady the Qween at
youre good instaunce for certeyn tymber toward my dortour
at Bromholm, in wheche myn specyall desyre is to have viij.
princypall beemys, everych on in length xj. zerds. I am
not expeert in makyng of any supplicacion, besechyng youre
maistership to take it uppon you to do it make after your
avyce, alegged all poverte, as youre worchipfull discrecion can
moche better than I can enforme; and I remitte all to youre
wysdam, ever besechyng you to calle this matyer to youre
remembraunce. No more at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite
mote have yow in His governaunce, and sende you longe lyf
to endure to His pleser.

     Wreten the xiiij^e day of Octobr.

                                 Youre preest and chapeleyn,

                                                             JOHN, Priour of Bromholm.

³ [From Fenn, iii. 400.] On the date of this letter Fenn remarks as follows:—
’John Titleshale was prior of Bromholm from 1460 for about twenty years. This
letter must have been written therefore either on the 14th October 1460, or on the
same day in 1465, as Edward IV. married in that year, and J. Paston died in May
1466. If it was written in the former, the request [for timber] must have been to
Queen Margaret; if in the latter, to Elizabeth, the Queen of Edward IV.’ In these
observations Fenn overlooks the possibility of the letter having been addressed to any
other John Paston than the first of that name; and neither of the two years, which
alone suit that supposition, has much internal probability. It is inconceivable that
the letter could have been written in 1460, when Queen Margaret had retired into
Wales after the battle of Northampton, and it is almost equally improbable that the
date could have been 1465, when John Paston, the father, was in prison. We have
very little doubt that the letter was addressed to John Paston the youngest, called of
Gelston, long after his father’s death, and after that of his brother Sir John also.
John Tytleshale, who was Prior of Bromholm in 1460, was succeeded, at what date
we are not informed, by John Macham; and after him John Underwood, Bishop of
Chalcedon, suffragan of the Bishop of Norwich, was prior in 1509. The date of this
letter, however, must lie between 1480 and 1487, in which latter year John Paston
the youngest was created a knight for his services at the battle of Stoke.

1480-7

1480-7