Justice Yelverton to Sir John Fastolf

LETTER XV.

            ^* A l’re to S^r. John
            Fastoff from Justice
            relverton.

MY moste worshypfull and best betrusted maistr I recōmaund
     me to yow thankyng yow for manye grete gentlenesse
and kyndnesse that ye hafe showed unto me and for the grete
ease that I had of your man and your horsys also. As for
tydyngs owte of thys Contree here ys a m^rveyllous disposed
Contree and manye evylle wylled peple to S^r. Thomas Tuddenh’m
and Heydon And but yff they been putt in Comfort there by the
meene of a gode Shyreve and Undreshyreve they may hafe
remedye now by the ordre of lawe. And ellys grete jnconve-
nices arn lyke for to folowe ther off. therfor S^r. for the weele of
all our gode Contree mewyth the kyng my lord Chūncell’r and
all othyr lordes as ye thynk best for thys matier on thys behalf.
Also S^r. yff they noysse me by thee meene of my lord Scalys or
by anye othyr meene or by onye bylle sewed by Brygg or by
onye othyr man by her Craft that it please yow to sey for me yn
sāvacōn of my pore worshyp whych I wote well they may not
hurt but they doo me wrongs to the kyng my lord Chūncell’r
my lord of Wynchest’r my lord Cromewell and yn othyr places
as ye semyth that no credence be goven to myne hurt yn
myne absence. Also S^r. that William Geney and Brayn the
Clerks of the Sessions ben hastyed hedreward as well as they
may And S^r. my Cousyn Paston and my brothyr Cleere can tell
yow moch more thyng that j shuld wryte off to yow And I had
leyser but j shall wythynne short tyme sende yow more tydyngs
owte of thys contree by the grace of god whych hafe yow yn
hys holye kepyng.

                                               By your old S^rvaunt,

                                                                William Yelverton, Justice.

     The date of this Letter cannot be ascertained, though it must have been written after
1444, when William Yelverton was appointed a Judge of the King’s Bench. He seems
to fear a party, in opposition to him, in Norfolk, would injure him with the King and
Lords, and therefore wishes for Sir John Fastolf’s interference to prevent it.

 The Judge?s Mother was Widow to Robert Clere, and by that means he was half
brother to Edmund Clere, of Stokesby. Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 94.

     ^* This is written on the back of the Letter, which has no direction, in an ancient
hand.

        12 by 5 ?.

             Paper Mark,
       Cap and Fleur de Lys.
             Pl. VIII. N^o 4.

LETTER XV.

^* A Letter to Sir John Fastolf, from Justice relverton.

MY most worshipful and best betrusted master, I recommend
     me to you, thanking you for many great gentleness and
kindness that ye have shewed unto me; and for the great ease
that I had of your men and your horses also.

     As for tidings out of this country, here is a marvellous disposed
country, and many evil willed people to Sir Thomas Todenham
and Heydon, and but if they be put in consort there by the mean
of a good Sheriff and Undersheriff, they may have remedy now
by the order of law, and else great inconveniences are like for
to follow thereof; therefore Sir, for the weal of all our good
country, move the King, my Lord Chancellor, and all other
Lords as ye think best for this matter on this behalf. Also Sir,
if they noise me by the mean of my Lord Scales, or by any
other mean, or by any bill sued by Brygg, or by any other man
by their craft, that it please you to say for me in savation [salva-
tion] of my poor worship, which I wot well they may not hurt,
but [unless] they do me wrongs to the King, my Lord Chancellor,
my Lord of Winchester, my Lord Cromwell, and in other places,
as ye seemeth, that no credence be given to mine hurt in mine
absence. Also Sir that William Jenney and Brayn [q. Bryan]
the Clerks of the Sessions, be hasted hitherward as well as they
may; and Sir my Cousin Paston and my brother Clere can tell
you much more thing that I should write of to you, and [if] I
had leisure, but I shall within short time send you more tidings
out of this country, by the grace of God, which have you in his
holy keeping.

                               By your old Servant,

                                           WILLIAM YELVERTON, Justice.

       12 by 5 ?.

             Paper Mark,
       Cap and Fleur de Lys.
             Pl. VIII. N^o 4.

     The date of this Letter cannot be ascertained, though it must have been written after
1444, when William Yelverton was appointed a Judge of the King’s Bench. He seems
to fear a party, in opposition to him, in Norfolk, would injure him with the King and
Lords, and therefore wishes for Sir John Fastolf’s interference to prevent it.

 The Judge?s Mother was Widow to Robert Clere, and by that means he was half
brother to Edmund Clere, of Stokesby. Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 94.

     ^* This is written on the back of the Letter, which has no direction, in an ancient
hand.

154

JUSTICE YELVERTON TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF²

A Lettre to Sir John Fastoff from Justice Yelverton.³

MY moste worshypfull and best betrusted maister, I
     recommaund me to yow, thankyng yow for manye
     grete gentlenesse and kyndnesse that ye hafe showed
unto me, and for the grete ease that I had of your man and
your horsys also.

     As for tydyngs owte of thys contree, here ys a marveyllous
disposed contree, and manye evylle wylled peple to Sir Thomas
Tuddenham and Heydon, and but yff they been putt in com-
fort there by the meene of a good shyreve and undreshyreve,
they may hafe remedye now by the ordre of lawe, and ellys
grete inconvenices arn lyke for to folowe ther off. Therfor,
Sir, for the weele of all our gode contree, mewyth the Kyng,

my Lord Chaunceller,¹ and all othyr Lordes as ye thynk best
for thys matier on thys behalf.

     Also, Sir, yff they noysse me by thee meene of my Lord
Scalys, or by anye othyr meene, or by onye bylle sewed by
Brygg, or by onye othyr man by her [i.e. their] craft, that it
please yow to sey for me yn savacion of my pore worshyp,
whych I wote well they may not hurt but they doo me wrongs,
to the Kyng, my Lord Chaunceller, my Lord of Wynchester,²
my Lord Cromewell, and in othyr places, as ye semyth, that
no credence be goven to myne hurt yn myne absence.

     Also, Sir, that William Geney and Brayn, the clerks of the
Sessions, ben hastyed hedreward as well as they may; and, Sir,
my cousyn Paston and my brothyr Cleere can tell yow moch
more thyng that I shuld wryte off to yow, and I had leyser;
but I shall wythynne short tyme sende yow more tydyngs owte
of thys contree, by the grace of God, whych hafe yow yn hys
holye kepyng.

                                  By your old Servaunt,

                                                   WILLIAM YELVERTON, Justice.

     ² [From Fenn, iii. 50.] This would appear to have been written in 1450, just
after Yelverton’s arrival in Norfolk, whither, it will be seen by the last two letters, he
was going in November. The nomination of sheriffs had not yet taken place, and
was anxiously expected by many, in the hope that it would lessen the influence of Sir
Thomas Tuddenham and Heydon, who had hitherto been very powerful in Norfolk.

     ³ This is only an endorsement on the MS., and is not even contemporaneous. The
MS. itself is not addressed, being, as shown in the margin, only a copy, marked ‘Copia’
in the same hand as the document.

     ¹ Cardinal Kemp.

     ² The celebrated William de Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.

NOV.

1450
NOV