John Russe to John Paston

333

JOHN RUSSE TO JOHN PASTON

To my Maister Paston, in haaste.

     Please your good maistirship to wete that my Lord of Norffolk yaf in
comaundement to Cristofre and to the balif of Colneise to laboure with us
acording to your mocion. And as to Skilly, fermour of Cowhaugh, we enteryd
there, and seyd we wold have payment for the half yeer past, and sewrete for
the half yeer comynge, or ellys we wold distreyne and put hym out of pocession,
and put in a newe fermoure; and so oure demenyng was suche that we toke no
distresse, and yit we have hym bounde in an obligacion of xviijli. payabil at
Michelmesse without condecion, and vjs. viijd. we receyvid of hym for opoces-
sion, for the ferme as yit remayneth on gatherid in the fermourez handes. But
I seyd hym I wold be ther ageyn for the recedu of the half yeer ferme past
withinne this xiiij. dayes; and he seyd he wold do hise delygence to gather it
up. But he spak with Wentworth sethyn, whiche yef hym an uttyr rebuke, as
he swor to me, and seyd he wold have hys payment of Skylly, and sewe hise
oblygacion this next terme whiche he is bounden in to Wentworth for the yeerly
payment of the same ferme; and the seyd Wentworth seyd he wyll takyn an
accyon of trespas this next terme ageyn us that were there; and Devyle seyd
ye were hender the londes at the begynning of your sute thanne ye be now, and
that shalbe knowe be Lammesse next comyng, for he hathe thynges to shewe ye
saw nevyr yit. Skilly offerid me xls. to have delyvered hym ageyn hise
obligacion, and he wold have put me in pocession of a distresse, and [i.e. if] I
wold have delyvered it hym; he seithe he dede nevyr so mad a dede, for
Wentworth wold no bettyr mean thane we had takyn a distresse. He shuld
sone have remedyed that; but now he seith Skylls is withoute remedy, but he
will be payd, &c.

     Item, Sir, as to the fermourez of the manor of Langston in Brustal, we
have also sewyrte be oblygacion withoute condecion payabil at Michilmesse, and
toke no distresse but enteryd the londes; but we had gret peyne to brynge hem
ther to, for ther is one John Cook of Braunford hath it in ferme of Wentworth
all, and he leteth it out ageyn be parcelles to iij. sondre persones. But he was
not at home, where for we have the same fermourez bounde for payment, and
they had no mony redy, but they have promysed to delyvere Herry Deye at
Yepiswiche this day xxs. in party of payment.

     Item, Sir, as to the fermour of the maner of Bentley, clepid Bentley
Houses, we have hym bonde in lyke wyse for the ferme of the seyd maner
from Michilmesse last past tyl Mychelmesse next comyng, in an obligacion of
x. marks payabil at Michilmesse next comyng, without ony condecyon; and in
party of payment I have receyvid of hym xiijs. iiijd., and he promyseth me iiij.
markes at Lammesse next comyng. And as for Bradwell, my maistir¹ hathe
sewyrte; and as for Kyrley Hawe, I was with the fermour yistirday, but he
wyll paye no peny, nor be bounde neithir. Wherfor my maistir shal sende us
to take a distresse tomorwyn, and I truste we shal fynde sum meanys to have
hym bounde, &c.

     Item, John Andrewe hathe in fee yerly of the maner of Coughaugh xxs.,
and Thomas Denys xiijs. iiijd. of the maner of Foxhole, but as ferre as I can
enquere, there is payd no more feez out of non of the maneris to none othir men
but to these tweyne.

     Item, as for the endenturis, I sende here with a copy of Skyllyez endenture
and a copy of Deynis endenture, fermour of the maner of Bentley, clepid
Bentley Houses; and Herry Deye shal brynge a copy of John Cooks endenture
of the ferme of the maner of Langston in Brustall; and as for Wareyn Bonde,
he mad nevyr endenture for the ferme of Kyrkley Hawe, for he hathe ocupyed
it but sethin Michilmesse last past; and so he holdith it but be promyse upon
compnaunt [covenant?]. And we shal gete a copy of Sewalys endenture,
fermour of Bradwelle, and me semyth, savyng your bettyr avyse, it war right
expedient that ye shuld for the sped of this mater be at London in al haste.

     Primo die Junii anno xxxiiij.²

                                 Youre humble servaunt and bedeman,

                                                                                                             JOHN RUSSE.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

     ¹ Sir John Fastolf.

     ² The thirty-fourth year of the reign of Henry VI. This date is added in a
different hand, apparently that of John Paston, to whom the letter is addressed.

1456
JUNE 1

1456
JUNE 1