Margaret Paston to John Paston
- Medieval Family Life
- Title
- Margaret Paston to John Paston
- Reference
- Add. 34888, f. 173
- Date
- 1 March 1461
- Library / Archive
-
- The British Library
- Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
- Gairdner, Vol III, item 432; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 103
- Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)
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LETTER CIII.
A L’re to I. Paston ar. from his wife.
PLEASE it you to wytte that it is lete me witte by on
yt owith you good wyll that y’ is leid awayte up on you
in yis cuntre yf ye come here at large to bryng you to ye p’sence
of syyehe a lord in the north as shall not be for yor ease but to
ioprdie of yor lyf or gret and importable losse of yor goods And
he that hath take up on hym yis entrp’se now was undr shireff
to G. Sayntlowe he hath gret favour herto by the meanes of the
sone of Will’m Baxter that lyth beryed in the grey freres and as
it is reported the seid sone hath geve gret fylvr to ye lords in the
north to bryng ye matier a bowte and now he and alle his olde
felaweship put owt their fynnes and arn ryght flygge and mery
hopyng alle thyng is and shalbe as they wole haue it also it is
tolde me that the fadr of the bastard in this cuntre seid that now
shuld this shire be made sewir for hym and his heires hens for-
ward and for the baxsteris heyres also Wherby I conceyve they
thynke that they have none enemy but you &c. Wherfor like
it you to be ye more war of yor gydyng for yor prsones saufgard
and also that ye be not to hasty to Come in to yis cuntre til ye
here ye world more sewer I trowe the berar of this shall telle
more by mowthe as he shall be enfourmed of the rewell in this
cuntre God haue you in his kepyng Wretyn in hast the secund
Sunday of Lent by candel light at euyn.By yours, &c.
M.
12 by 5 ?.
Paper Mark,
A Flower.
Pl. XXI. No 3.1st of March,
1460-1. 39 H. VI.This Letter has no direction, and lest it should be opened, the paper which fastens
the Seal is, along the edge, marked with lines by a pen which communicate with the
latter, by which means the receiver might easily have discovered any attempts to have
opened it, as the lines would not then have exactly coincided again.On the back of it, but in a later hand, is written “A Irē to J. Paston, ar. from his
wife.” Seal. PI. XXIII. No 7. where the marks &c. are drawn.I should think that this Letter was written just before the important crisis that finished
Henry’s reign, and placed Edward on the throne; if so, it was written on the 1st of
March 1460-1, at a time when the Friends of Henry might be elated at the approach
of the Queen with her army, which had been lately victorious at St. Alban’s, not
foreseeing that in a few days the Duke of York would become their Sovereign. Giles
Saint Loe was High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1458.Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.
N. B. To this Letter the initial Letter of her Christian name is only affixed.Seal, a Fleur de Lys. The marks drawn by a pen to shew if it had been opened, are
here expressed. See Pl. XXIII. No 7. The square lines represent the paper folded
over the Letter on which the Seal is impressed; the angular ones shew the connecting
lines from that paper to the paper on which the Letter is written. - Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)
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LETTER CIII.
A Letter to John Paston, Esquire, from his Wife.
PLEASE it you to weet that it is let me weet by one
that oweth you good will, that there is laid await upon
you in this Country, if ye come here at large, to bring you to
the presence of such a Lord in the North as shall not be for
your ease, but to jeopardy of your life, or great and importable
loss of your goods; and he that hath taken upon him this enter-
prize now, was Under Sheriff to Giles Saintlowe; he hath great
favour hereto by the means of the Son of William Baxter that
heth buried in the Grey Friars; and as it is reported the said Son
hath gave great Silver to the Lords in the North to bring the
matter about, and now he and all his old fellowship put out their
fins, and are right flygge (ripe) and merry, hoping all thing
is and shall be as they will have it; also it is told me that the
father of the bastard in this Country said that now should this
Shire be made sure for him and his heirs, and for the Baxter’s
heirs also, whereby I conceive they think that they have none
enemy but you, &c.Wherefore like it you to be the more wary of your guiding
for your person’s safe-guard, and also that ye be not too hasty
to come into this Country till ye hear the world (is) more
sure. I trow the bearer of this shall tell more by mouth, as
he shall be informed of the rule in this Country. God have
you in his keeping. Written in haste, the second Sunday of Lent,
by candle light at even.By yours, &c.
MARGARET PASTON.
12 by 5 ?.
Paper Mark,
A Flower.
Pl. XXI. No 3.1st of March,
1460-1. 39 H. VI.This Letter has no direction, and lest it should be opened, the paper which fastens
the Seal is, along the edge, marked with lines by a pen which communicate with the
latter, by which means the receiver might easily have discovered any attempts to have
opened it, as the lines would not then have exactly coincided again.On the back of it, but in a later hand, is written “A Irē to J. Paston, ar. from his
wife.” Seal. PI. XXIII. No 7. where the marks &c. are drawn.I should think that this Letter was written just before the important crisis that finished
Henry’s reign, and placed Edward on the throne; if so, it was written on the 1st of
March 1460-1, at a time when the Friends of Henry might be elated at the approach
of the Queen with her army, which had been lately victorious at St. Alban’s, not
foreseeing that in a few days the Duke of York would become their Sovereign. Giles
Saint Loe was High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1458.Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.
N. B. To this Letter the initial Letter of her Christian name is only affixed.Seal, a Fleur de Lys. The marks drawn by a pen to shew if it had been opened, are
here expressed. See Pl. XXIII. No 7. The square lines represent the paper folded
over the Letter on which the Seal is impressed; the angular ones shew the connecting
lines from that paper to the paper on which the Letter is written. - Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume III'
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432
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON1
A Lettre to J. Paston, ar., from his wife.2
PLEASE it you to wytte that it is lete me witte by on
that owith you good wyll that there is leid awayte up
on you in this cuntre, yf ye come here at large, to
bryng you to the presence of syyche a Lord in the north as
shall not be for your ease, but to jopardie of your lyf, or
gret and importable losse of your goods. And he that
hath take up on hym this enterprise now was undr-shireff
to G. Sayntlowe. He hath gret favour herto by the meanes
of the sone of William Baxter that lyth beryed in the Grey
Freres; and, as it is reported, the seid sone hath geve gret
sylver to the Lords in the north to bryng the matier a bowte,
and now he and alle his olde felaweship put owt their fynnes,and arn ryght flygge and mery, hopyng alle thyng is and
shalbe as they wole have it. Also it is tolde me that the fadr
of the bastard in this cuntre seid that now shuld this shire be
made sewir for hym and his heires hens forward, and for the
Baxsteris heyres also, wherby I conceyve they thynke that they
have none enemy but you, &c.Wherfor like it you to be the more war of your gydyng
for your persones saufgard, and also that ye be not to hasty to
come in to this cuntre til ye here the world more sewer. I
trowe the berar of this shall telle more by mowthe, as he shall
be enfourmed of the rewell in this cuntre. God have yow in
His kepyng.Wretyn in hast, the secund Sunday of Lent by candel
light at evyn.By yours, &c. M
1 [From Fenn, iii. 412.] ‘This letter,’ says Fenn, ‘has no direction, and lest it
should be opened, the paper which fastens the seal is, along the edge, marked with
lines by a pen, which communicate with the latter (qu. with the letter?), by which
means the receiver might easily have discovered any attempts to have opened it, as the
lines would not then have exactly coincided again. On the back of it, but in a later
hand, is written, “A lettre to J. Paston, ar., from his wife.”‘Fenn considers, I think with great probability, that this letter was written ‘just
before the important crisis that finished Henry’s reign, and placed Edward on the
throne,’ when Margaret of Anjou was expected in London after winning the second
battle of St. Albans. Giles Saint Loe was sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1458.2 This title is taken from an endorsement in a later hand.
MARCH I
1461
MARCH I