John St Andrew of Gotham to Sir Robert Plumpton

135 John St Andrew of Gotham¹ to Sir Robert Plumpton (No. 113, p. 68)

Right worshipfull Sir, in my best manner I lowly recomend me to you,
hartely desiring your welfare, thanking you of þe patience þat ye
sufferred at my poore place, I being from home. God giue me grace
once to see you ther againe, þat I may make you better chere & doe
you sume pleasure. Moreover, Sir, it pleased you to write to me of a
gentlewoman for my son. Sir, God giue me grace to deserve it, and I
thanke you hartely þat it pleased you so louyngly to remember both
him & me. Sir, her^a frinds bene worshipfull, and I am a poore
gentleman. Well I wotte they will learne, whosoeuer they medle withall,
what landes and substance he is of. I am willing to depart with him in
lands and in goods, as he may lyve, so þat I may haue, according to
reason, money or els lands, and to giue money. And, Sir, I am moued
in a place of worship and haue made promyse to see a gentlewoman.
Howbeit, lyke as I doe, ye shall haue knowledg, & I shalbe glad to be
moved and counseld by you, trystyng ye wilbe gud master and lover
to me. And thus Jesu preserue you. At Gotham in hast. Scribled with
the hand of your owne, at my litle poore.

John Saint Andrew^b

Endorsed: To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton kt delyver these

     ^a MS ther.

     ^b Appended: Copied þe 10 day of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ A Notts gentry family which claimed a distinguished ancestry, but had failed to
augment its fortunes by marriage, Payling, 73–4, 245; 147.

LETTER CVI.

To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton, kt. delyver these.

    Right worshipfull Sir, in my best maner I lowly recomend me
to you, hartely desiring your welfare, thanking you of the patience
that ye sufferred at my poore place, I being from home. God give
me grace once to see you ther againe, that I may make you better
chere and doe you sume pleasure. Moreover, Sir, it pleased you
to write to me of a gentlewoman for my son;a Sir, God give me
grace to deserve it, and I thank you hartely that it pleased you
so lovingly to remember both him and me. Sir, her frinds bene
worshipfull, and I am a poore gentleman. Well I wotte they will
learne, whosoever they medle withall, what landes and substance
he is of. I am willing to depart with him in lands and in goods,
as he may lyve, so that I may have, according to reason, money;
or els lands, and to give money. And, Sir, I am moved in a
place of worship and have made promyse to see a gentlewoman.
Howbeit, lyke as I doe, ye shall have knowledg, and shalbe glad to
be moved and counseld by you, trystyng ye will be good master
and lover to me. And thus Jesu preserve you. At Gotham in
hast, scribbled with the hand of your owne at my litle powre

                    JOHN SAINT ANDREW.^a

    ^a John saint Andrew of Gotham, com. Nott, esq. the writer of this letter, was suc-
ceeded by a son of the name of William, who married Margaret, daughter of John
Aston of Haywood, com. Stafford, esq. by his wife Elizabeth Delves, on or before 16
Hen. VII. 1500-1. ( Thoroton's Notts. 4to. 1797, vol. i. p. 40, and Clifford's Tixall,
p. 147.) This letter of the father for his son's disposal in marriage, shows how abso-
lutely a matter of bargain all such contracts were. Here, there is a question between
two gentlewomen, and the father has no objection to two strings to his bow; so that
the friends of the one are to be made acquainted with the offers of the friends of the
other gentlewoman, and then I presume the highest bidder would be sure to speed best.