Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER LJX

    * A Lre to I Paston arm. from
    his wise shewing his imprsoment
    in the ffleete.

RYTH Worchepfull husbond I recomand me to yow plesyt
yow to wet that I receyvyd yowyr lettyr yt ye sent me by
Iohn Holme on Wednysday last past And also I receyvyd a
nothyr lettyr on fryday at nyt yt sent me by Nycolas New-
manys man of the whyche lettyrs I thanc yow for I schold ellys
a thowt yt it had be wers wt yow than it hathe be or schall be
    by the g'ce of Almyty God and yet I kowd not be mery sethyn
I had the last lettyr tyll thys day y^t the meyir sent to me and sent
me werd y^t he had knowlege for very trowthe y^t ye wer de-
lyv'yd owt of the Flct and y^t Howard was comytyd to ward for
dyv's gret compleynts y^t wer mad to the kyng of hym it was
talkyd in Norwyche and in dyv's othyr plasys in ye Contre on
Sat^rday last past y^t ye wer comytyd to Flet and in good seyth As
I herd sey the pepyle was ryth myche bownde to thank God and
all the y^t love yow y^t ye have fo gret love of the pepyll as ye
have ye ar myche behold to the ^I Meyir and to ^z Gylberd and
to dyv's othyr of y^e aldyrmen for feythfully the' owe yow good
wyll to ther porys I have spoke w^t Syr Thom's Howys for
swyche thyngys as ye wrot to me for and he promysyd me y^t he
schold labor it aftyr yowyr intent as fast as he kowd and in good
feyth as my brodyr and playtr kan tell yow as be hys seyig to
us he is and wole be feythfull to yow and as for Wyll'm Wyr-
cestyr he hathe be set so up on the 3 hone what by the prson and
by othyr as my brodyr and Playtr schall telle yow ^yt they hope he
wole do well i now the p^rson seyd Ryth well and pleynly to hym
the p^rson tolde me y^t he had spook w^t Syr Wyll'm 4 Chambyr-
leyn and w^t hys wyfe and he thynkyth y^t they wole do well j

now aftyr yowyr intent so y^t they be plesantly intretyd the p^rson
told me y^t he wyst well y^t Syr Wyll'm Chambyleyn cowd do
more ese in swyche maty's as ye wrot of towchyg my lord of
5 Bedford than ony man kowd do y^t leveyth at thys day Also he
told me yt he felt by hem y^t they wold owe yow ryth good wyll
fo y^t ye wold owe hem good wyll the p^rson hopyth v^rily to make
yow Acordyd when he Comyth to london It' my brodyr and
Playtr wer w^{t  6}Calthorp to inquer of the mat^r  y^t ye wrot to me
of What Answer he gave hem they schall tell yow I sent the
7 p^rson of Heylysdon to ⁸ Gurnay to spek to hym of the same
matr and he seyth feythefully ther was no swyche thyng desyiryd
of hym and thow it had be desyiryd he wold nowthyr a seyd nor
done a yens yow he seyd he had evr fownde you lovyng and
feythfull to hym and so he seyd he wold be to yow to hys power
and desyiryg me y^t I wold not thynk hym the Contrary as for
Iohn Gros he is at slole ther for he myth not be spok w^t I p'y
yow y^t ye wole send me word whedyr ye wole y^t I schall remeve
frome hens for it begynyth to was a cold abydyng her Syr
Thom's Howys and Iohn Rus schall make an end of All thyngys
aftyr yowyr intent as myche as they Can do ther in Y^is wek and
he p^rposyth to come forward to yow on y'^e monday next aftyr
seynt leonardys day my brodyr and Playt^r schold a be w^t yow
er thys tym but y^t they wold a byd tyl thys day wer past be

cause of the schyer I spok to my brodyr Wyll'm as ye bad me
and he told me so god hym help y^t he hyryd ij horse ij day is be
for y^t ye redyn y^t he myth a ryde forthe w^t yow and be cause y^t
ye spak not to hym to ryde w^t yow he seyd y^t he woud ye wold
⁹ have had hym w^t yow. ¹⁰ Thom's Fastolfys modyr was her on
y^e next day aftyr ye wer redyn to have spoke w^t yow for hyr
sone He sche p' yith yow at the rev^rens of God y^t ye wole be hys
good mastyr and to help hym in hys ryth y^t he may have hom
hys lyvelod owt of ther handys yt have had it in hys nownage
sche seyth y^t they wold mak hym a yer yonger then he is but
sche seyth y^t he is more thane xxj and upon y^t sche dare takc
ano the and the blyssyd trynyte have yow in hys kepyg and send
yow good Sped in all yowyr maty's and send y^e vyctary of All
yowyr Enmyis Wretyn in hast on 11 Sowlemas daye.

                                                                  By yowyrs
                                                                                ¹²M.P

        11? by 12 ?.
        Paper Mark,
            A Flower.
        Pl. XXI. No 3.

    * There is no direction to this Letter, but the words above inserted are written in an
ancient hand upon the back of it.

    The first imprisonment of John Paston was in consequence of a Writ of Trespass
brought against him by William Jenney, Esq. Serjeant at Law, in Easter Term, 4 E. IV.
1464, when the issue being found for the plaintiff, a capias pro sine was awarded for the
     King; Paston absconded, and the Exigent was awarded and directed to the Sheriff or
Suffolk, and he was called at four County Courts; but before the fifth he surrendered
himself, and was committed to the Fleet. The second in 1465, upon a vile suggestion
that he was a bondsman of the King. He died in London the 26th of May 1466, and
was buried in the Priory of Bromkolm, in Norfolk.

    ¹ Thomas Ellis was Mayor of Norwich in 1460, and again in 1465.

    ² John Gilbert had been Mayor in 1459, and in 1464. He died in 1472.

    ³ This expression is taken from setting a razor, and means that he had been talked to
not only in a smooth, but likewise in a sharp and severe manner.

    ⁴ I should have concluded this to have been Sir William Chamberlain, of Gedding, in
Suffolk, a Knight of the Garter, who bravely fought under the Duke of Bedford, in the
Wars in France, and who it is here said "cowd do more ese in swyche matyrs as ye wrot
of towchyg my Lord of Bedford than on man known do yt leveyth at thys day, " if the
account given of him in Blomsield's History of Norfolk, did not say that his Will was
proved in 1462-The date however may possibly be there mistaken. He married Anne.
the Daughter and Heir of Sir Robert de Herling, Knight, and lies buried with her, under
an arched Monument, in the Chancel of Herling Church.-I do not find that he lest any
Children.

     ⁵ John, Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, died at Paris in 1435.

    ⁶ Q? If Sir William Calthorpe, Knight, High Sheriff of Norfolk, &c. in 1464, and
who died very old, in 1494.

    ⁷ Thomas Hert, was instituted to the Rectory of Hellesdon in 1448.

    ⁸ Thomas Gurney, of Norwich, Esq. died in 1471.

    ⁹ The word not seems here to have been omitted in the Original Letter.

    ¹⁰ I am not certain in what degree of relationship this Thomas Fastolf stood to Sir
John Fastolf; he was I believe a Cousin, and a Suffold branch of the Fastolf Family, as
a Thomas Fastolf resided near Ipswich, in 1474. See Letter LV. Vol. III. P. 225.

 We see here the iniquitous proceedings of those who got the Wardship of Minors into
their hands, by endeavouring to make their Wards younger, that they might keep longer
possession of their property.

    ¹¹ All-souls, otherwise Soulmas-day, 2d of November.

    ¹² Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25. Seal . Pl. XIV. N^o4.

LETTER LIX.

*A Letter to john Paston, Esq. from his Wise, shewing his
Imprisonment in the Fleet.

RIGHT worshipful Husband I recommend me to you,
please it you to weet that i received your Letter that ye
sent me by John Holme on Wednesday last past, and also I received
another Letter on Friday at night, that ye sent me by Nicholas
Newman's man, of the which Letters I thank you, for I should
else have thought that it had been worse with you than it hath
been, or shall be, by the grace of Almighty God, and yet I could
not be merry, since I had the last Letter till this day that the
Mayor sent to me, and sent me word that he had knowledge for
very truth that ye were delivered our of the Fleet; and that
Howard was committed to ward for divers great complaints that
were made to the King of him; it was talked in Norwich, and
in divers other places in the country on Saturday last past, that
ye were committed to the Fleet, and in good faith, as I heard
say, the people was right sorry thereof, both of Norwich and in
the country, ye are right much bound to thank God, and all
those that love you, that ye have so great love of the People as
ye have; ye are much beholden to the ^I Mayor, and to ^z Gil-
bert, and to divers others of the Aldermen, for faithfully they
owe you good will to their powers.

    I have spoken with Sir Thomas Howes for such things as ye
wrote to me for, and he promised me that he should labour it
after your intent as fast as he could, and in good faith, as my
brother and Playters can tell you, as by his saying to us, he is
and will be faithful to you; and as for William Worcester he
hath been set so upon the 3hone what by the parson and by
others, as my brother and Playters shall tell you, that they hope
he will do well enough; the Parson said right well and
Plainly to him.-The Parson told me that he had spoken with
Sir William 4 Chamberlayn, and with his wife, and he thinketh

that they will do well enough after your intent, so that they be
pleasantly intreated; and the Parson told me that he wist well,
that Sir William Chamberlayn could do more ease in such mat-
ters as ye wrote of touching my Lord of ⁵ Bedford, that any
man could do that liveth at this day; also he told me that he
felt by them that they would owe you right good will, so that
ye would owe them good will; the Parson hopeth verily to make
you accorded when he cometh to London.

    Item, my brother and Playters were with ⁶ Calthorpe to en-
quire of the matter that ye wrote to me of , what answer he
gave them, they shall tell you; I sent the ⁷ Parson of Hellesdon
to ⁸ Gurney to speak to him of the same matter, and he faith
faithfully there was no such thing desired of him, and though he
had been desired, he would neither have said nor done against
you; he said he had ever found you loving and faithful to him,
and so he said he would be to you to his power, and desiring me
that I would not think him the contrary.

    As for John Gros he is at Sloley, therefore he might not be
spoken with.

    I pray you that ye will send me word whether ye will that I
shall remove from hence, for it beginneth to wax a cold abiding
here. Sir Thomas Howes and John Russ shall make an end of
all things after your intent, as much as they can do therein this
week, and he proposeth to come forwards to you on the Mon-
day next after St. Leonard's day.

    My Brother and Playters should have been with you ere this
time, but that they would abide till this day were past, because

of the Shire. I spoke to my Brother William as ye bad me, and
he told me, so God him help, that he hired two horses two days
before that ye rode, that he might have ridden forth with you;
and because that ye spoke not to him to ride with you, he said
that he wend ye would ⁹ have had him with you.

    ¹⁰ Thomas Fastolf' s Mother was here on the next day after ye
were ridden, to have spoken with you for her Son, he (and) she
prayeth you at the reverence of God, that ye will be his good
Master, and to help him in his right, that he ma have home
his livelihood out of their hands that have had it in his nonage;
she faith that they would make him a year younger than he is,
but she faith that he is more than twenty-one, and upon that she
dare take an oath.

    'And the blessed Trinity have you in his keeping, and send
you good speed in all your matters, and send ye victory of all
your Enemies. Written in haste, on ¹¹ Soulmas-day.

                                                                       By yours
                                                                                ¹² MARGARET PASTON.

    Soulmas-day,
        2d of November, 1465.
        5 E. IV.

* There is no direction to this Letter, but the words above inserted are written in an
ancient hand upon the back of it.

    The first imprisonment of John Paston was in consequence of a Writ of Trespass
brought against him by William Jenney, Esq. Serjeant at Law, in Easter Term, 4 E. IV.
1464, when the issue being found for the plaintiff, a capias pro sine was awarded for the
     King; Paston absconded, and the Exigent was awarded and directed to the Sheriff or
Suffolk, and he was called at four County Courts; but before the fifth he surrendered
himself, and was committed to the Fleet. The second in 1465, upon a vile suggestion
that he was a bondsman of the King. He died in London the 26th of May 1466, and
was buried in the Priory of Bromkolm, in Norfolk.

    ¹ Thomas Ellis was Mayor of Norwich in 1460, and again in 1465.

    ² John Gilbert had been Mayor in 1459, and in 1464. He died in 1472.

    ³ This expression is taken from setting a razor, and means that he had been talked to
not only in a smooth, but likewise in a sharp and severe manner.

    ⁴ I should have concluded this to have been Sir William Chamberlain, of Gedding, in
Suffolk, a Knight of the Garter, who bravely fought under the Duke of Bedford, in the
Wars in France, and who it is here said "cowd do more ese in swyche matyrs as ye wrot
of towchyg my Lord of Bedford than on man known do yt leveyth at thys day, " if the
account given of him in Blomsield's History of Norfolk, did not say that his Will was
proved in 1462-The date however may possibly be there mistaken. He married Anne.
the Daughter and Heir of Sir Robert de Herling, Knight, and lies buried with her, under
an arched Monument, in the Chancel of Herling Church.-I do not find that he lest any
Children.

     ⁵ John, Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, died at Paris in 1435.

    ⁶ Q? If Sir William Calthorpe, Knight, High Sheriff of Norfolk, &c. in 1464, and
who died very old, in 1494.

    ⁷ Thomas Hert, was instituted to the Rectory of Hellesdon in 1448.

    ⁸ Thomas Gurney, of Norwich, Esq. died in 1471.

    ⁹ The word not seems here to have been omitted in the Original Letter.

    ¹⁰ I am not certain in what degree of relationship this Thomas Fastolf stood to Sir
John Fastolf; he was I believe a Cousin, and a Suffold branch of the Fastolf Family, as
a Thomas Fastolf resided near Ipswich, in 1474. See Letter LV. Vol. III. P. 225.

 We see here the iniquitous proceedings of those who got the Wardship of Minors into
their hands, by endeavouring to make their Wards younger, that they might keep longer
possession of their property.

    ¹¹ All-souls, otherwise Soulmas-day, 2d of November.

    ¹² Autograph. Pl. II. N^o25. Seal . Pl. XIV. N^o 4.

488

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

A Lettre to J. Paston, Armig., from his wife, shewing his
imprisonment in the Fleete.²

RYTH worchepfull husbond, I recomand me to yow.
     Plesyt yow to wet that I receyvyd yowyr lettyr
     that ye sent me by John Holme on Wednysday last
past, and also I receyvvd a nothyr lettyr on Fryday at nyt,
that ye sent me by Nycolas Newmanys man, of the whyche
lettyrs I thanc yow; for I schold ellys a’ thowt that it had be
wers with yow than it hathe be, or schal be, by the grace of
Almyty God. And yet I kowd not be mery, sethyn I had the
last lettyr tyll thys day that the Meyir sent to me, and sent
me werd that he had knowlege for very trowthe that ye wer
delyveryd owt of the Flet, and that Howard was comytyd to
ward for dyvers gret compleynts that wer mad to the Kyng of
hym. It was talkyd in Norwyche and in dyvers othyr plasys
in the contre on Saterday last past, that ye wer comytyd to
Flet, and in good feyth, as I herd sey, the pepyle was ryth
sory ther of, bothe of Norwyche and in the contre. Ye ar
ryth myche bownde to thank God, and all tho that love yow,
that ye have so gret love of the pepyll as ye have. Ye ar
myche behold to the Meyir¹ and to Gylberd,² and to dyvers
othyr of the aldyrmen, for feythfully they owe yow good wyll
to ther porys.

     I have spoke with Syr Thomas Howys for swyche thyngys
as ye wrot to me for, and he promysyd me that he schold
labour it aftyr yowyr intent as fast as he kowd; and in good
feyth, as my brodyr and Playter kan tell yow, as be hys seying
to us, he is and wole be feythfull to yow. And as for Wylliam
Wyrcestyr, he hathe be set so up on the hone, what by the
parson and by othyr, as my brodyr and Playter schall telle
yow, that they hope he wole do well i now. The parson seyd
ryth well and pleynly to hym. The parson tolde me that he
had spook with Syr Wylliam Chambyrleyn,³ and with hys
wyfe, and he thynkyth that they wole do well i now aftyr
yowyr intent, so that they be plesantly intretyd. The parson
tolde me that he wyst well that Syr Wylliam Chambyrleyn
cowd do more ese in swyche matyers as ye wrot of, towchyng
my Lord of Bedford,⁴ than ony man kowd do that leveyth at
thys day. Also he tolde me that he felt by hem that they
wold owe yow ryth good wyll, so that ye wold owe hem good
wyll. The parson hopyth verily to make yow acordyd when
he comyth to London.

     Item, my brodyr and Playter wer with Calthorp¹ to inquer
of the mater that ye wrot to me of. What answer he gave
hem, they schall tell yow. I sent the Parson of Heylysdon²
to Gurnay³ to spek to hym of the same mater, and he seyth
feythefully ther was no swyche thyng desyiryd of hym, and
thow it had be desyiryd, he wold nowthyr a’ seyd nor done a
yens yow. He seyd he had ever fownde you lovyng and
feythfull to hym, and so he seyd he wold be to yow to hys
power, and desyiryng me that I wold not thynk hym the con-
trary. As for John Gros, he is at Slole; ther for he myth not
be spok with.

     I pray yow that ye wole send me word whedyr ye wole
that I schall remeve frome hens, for it begynyth to wax a cold
abydyng her. Syr Thomas Howys and John Rus schall make
an end of all thyngys aftyr yowyr intent, as myche as they can
do ther in this wek, and he purposyth to come forward to yow
on the Monday next aftyr Seynt Leonardys Day.

     My brodyr and Playter schold a be with yow er thys tym,
but that they wold a byd tyl thys day wer past, be cause of the
schyer. I spok to my brodyr Wylliam as ye bad me, and he
told me, so God hym help, that he hyryd ij. horse ij. dayis be
for that ye redyn, that he myth a’ ryde forthe with yow; and
be cause that ye spak not to hym to ryde with yow, he seyd
that he wend⁴ ye wold⁵ have had hym with yow.

     Thomas Fastolfys modyr was her on the next day aftyr
ye wer redyn, to have spoke with yow for hyr sone. Sche⁶
prayith yow, at the reverens of God, that ye wole be hys good
mastyr, and to help hym in hys ryth, that he may have hom
hys lyvelod owt of ther handys that have had it in hys nown-
age. Sche seyth that they wold mak hym a yer yonger than
he is, but sche seyth that he is more thane xxj., and upon that
sche dare take an othe.

     And the Blyssyd Trynyte have yow in Hys kepyng, and
send yow good sped in all yowyr matyrs, and send the vyctary
of all yowyr enmyis.

     Wretyn in hast, on Sowlemas Daye.¹

                                                 By yowyrs,                                    M. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 232.] This letter is ascribed by Fenn to the year 1465,
in consequence of the allusion to John Paston’s imprisonment in the Fleet. But
there were more occasions than one on which he was confined there. Fenn himself
knew of two. Paston was committed to the Fleet, as we know from William
Worcester, on Saturday, the 3rd November 1464. He was also confined there in
August and September 1465, and may very possibly have been released by the begin-
ning of November. But I am inclined to think this letter refers to an imprisonment
prior to either of these. For, in the first place, the news of it seems only to have been
recent. It had become general subject of conversation at Norwich, ‘on Saturday last,’
whereas in 1465 it must have been known two months earlier. Secondly, Sir William
Chamberlain, whose influence Sir Thomas Howes hopes will be of service, must have
died in the spring of 1462. According to Blomefield (Hist. of Norfolk, i. 321), his
will was dated the 3rd March 1461 (which would be in the modern computation
1462), and was proved on the 21st April 1462. It may be presumed, therefore, that
on receiving the letter from his brother Clement (No. 484), written on the 11th
October 1461, John Paston hastened up to London and was immediately thrown into
prison. By this letter, however, we find that he was soon afterwards released, and
his great enemy Howard sent to prison in his stead.

     ² There is no direction to the letter, but the words above inserted are written in
an ancient hand upon the back of it.—F.

  ¹ William Norwich was Mayor of Norwich in 1461.

     ² John Gilbert was Mayor in 1459 and in 1464. He died in 1472.

     ³ Sir William Chamberlain of Gedding, Suffolk, a Knight of the Garter, who had
served under the Regent Bedford in the French wars. He married Anne, daughter
and heir of Sir Robert de Herling, who, though she long survived him, and had two
husbands after him, the second of whom was John, Lord Scrope of Bolton, was
buried by her own desire beside her first husband, in the chancel of Herling Church

     ⁴ John, Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, died at Paris in 1435.—F.

 ¹ Query, if Sir William Calthorpe, Knight, High Sheriff of Norfolk, etc., in
1464, and died very old in 1494.—F.

     ² Thomas Hert was instituted to the Rectory of Hellesdon in 1448.—F.

     ³ Thomas Gurney of Norwich, Esq., died in 1471.—F.

     ⁴ ‘Woud’ in Fenn in the original text, but this is evidently a misprint. The
right-hand copy reads ‘wend,’ i.e. weened or thought, and the note immediately
following shows that this was the reading intended.

     ⁵ The word ‘not’ seems here to have been omitted in the original letter.—F.

     ⁶ The word ‘He’ occurs in the text before ‘Sche,’ but is evidently a mistake.

     ¹ All Souls’, otherwise Soulmas Day, 2nd of November.—F.

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