Margaret Paston to John Paston - Medieval Family Life

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Title

Margaret Paston to John Paston

Reference

Add. 34888, f. 199

Date

?[3]December 1461

Library / Archive

Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)

Gairdner, Vol IV, item 496; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 30

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)

LETTER XXX.

To my right wurchepfull
bushand John Paston.

RIGHT Wurchepfull husbond I recomaund me to you
Please it you to wete that myn Awnte is dissesid whos
sowle god assoyll And if it please you to send word how ye wull
y^t we do for the lifflode that she had at Walcote whed^r ye wull
y^t any body take possession thir in yo^r name or not And if it
like you to haue w^t you my Cosyn William her sone I trow ye
shuld fynde hym a necessay man to take heade to yowr howshold
and to bye all manr of stuffe nedefull y'to and to se to y^e rewle
and gode gidyn y'of it hath be told me be for y^t he can gode
skill of such thyngs And if ye wull y^t I send for hym and speke
wt hym ther of I shall do as ye send me word for in feyth it is
tyme to crone yor old officers for diurse thyngs wher of I haue
know prte be Dawbeney and more I shall telle you whan ye
Come hame Also it is thought be my Cosyn Elisabeth Clere
and y^e viker and other y^t be yo^r frends that it is right necessary
for you to haue Hew of Fen to be yo^r frende in yo^r maters for
he is callid right feythfull and trosty to his frends y^t trost hym
And it is reported her he may do myche w^t the Kyng and y^e
lords And it is seid yt he may do myche wt hem y^t be yo^r adu^r-
saryes And y'for godds sake if ye may haue his gode wille

forsake it not Also it is thought the more lerned men that ye
haue os yo^r owyn Contre of yor councell The more wurchepful
it is to you.

Also if ye be at home this Cristmes it wer wele do ye shuld do
p^ruey a Garnyssh or tweyn of Powtr veshell ij basanes and ij
hewers and xij Candlestikes for ye have to few of any of thes to
s'ue this place I am a ferd to p^rvey mych stuffe in this place till
we be suerrer y of.

The blissid T'nyte haue you in his blissid kepyng Wretyn
the Thrusday next aftr sent Andrew.

Be yow^r

M. P.

11 ? by 8 ?

As it is always best to have the characters of the writers of these Letters from their
contemporaries, I have given this Letter as furnishing us with that of Hugh Fenn.

The mention of pewter vissel shews us what was then fashionable; and the aunt here
mentioned I believe was a Berney.

This Letter appears to have been written after the decease of Sir John Fastolf, and in
the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.

Autograph. Pl. II. No. 25.

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)

LETTER XXX.

To my right worshipful Husband John Paston.

RIGHT worshipful Husband I recommend me to you,
please it you to weet that mine Aunt is deceased, whose
soul God assoil, and if it please you to send word how ye will
that we do for the livelihood that she had at Walcot, whither
ye will that any body take possession there in your name or not,
I trow ye should find him a necessary man to take heed to your
household, and to buy all manner of stuff needful thereto, and
to see to the rule and good guiding thereof, it hath been told me
before that he can good skill of such things, and if ye will that
I send for him, and speak with him thereof, I shall do as ye
send me word, for in faith it is time to crone you old officers
for divers things whereof I have known part by Dawbeney, and
more I shall tell you when ye come home.

Also it is thought by my Cousin Elizabeth Clere, and the
vicar, and others, that be your friends, that it is right necessary
for you to have Hew (Hugh) of Fenn to be your friend in your
matters, for he is called right faithful and trusty to his friends
that trust him, and as it is reported here, he may do much
with them that be your adversaries, and therefore for God's fake,
if ye may have his good will, forsake it not ; also it is thought
the more learned men ye have of your own country of your
counsel, the more worshipful it is to you.

Also, if ye be at home this Christmas, it were well done ye
should do purvey a garnish or twain of pewter vessel, two basins
and two ewers, and twelve candlesticks, for ye have too few of
any of these to serve this place ; I am afraid to purvey much stuff
in this place till we be surer thereof. The blessed Trinity have
you in his blessed keeping. Written the Thursday next after
saint Andrew

By your

MARGARET PASTON.

Thursday, December
between 1461 and 1466.
1 and 6 E. IV.

As it is always best to have the characters of the writers of these Letters from their
contemporaries, I have given this Letter as furnishing us with that of Hugh Fenn.

The mention of pewter vissel shews us what was then fashionable; and the aunt here
mentioned I believe was a Berney.

This Letter appears to have been written after the decease of Sir John Fastolf, and in
the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.

Autograph. Pl. II. No. 25.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume IV'

496

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right wurchepfull husband, John Paston.

RIGHT wurchepfull husbond, I recomaund me to you.
Please it you to wete that myn awnte is dissesid,
whos sowle God assoyll. And if it please you to send
word how ye wull that we do for the lifflode that she had at
Walcote, wheder ye wull that any body take possession thir in
your name or not. And if it like you to have with you my
cosyn William her sone, I trow ye shuld fynde hym a necessary
man to take hede to yowr howshold, and to bye all maner of
stuffe nedefull therto, and to se to the rewle and gode gidyn
therof. It hath be told me be for that he can gode skill
of such thyngs; and if ye wull that I send for hym and speke
with hym ther of, I shall do as ye send me word, for in feyth
it is tyme to crone your old officers for diverse thyngs wher of
I have know parte be Dawbeney, and more I shall telle you
whan ye come hame.

Also it is thought be my cosyn Elizabeth Clere, and the
viker² and other that be your frends, that it is right necessary
for you to have Hew of Fen to be your frende in your
maters; for he is callid right feythfull and trosty to his frends
that trost hym, and it is reported her he may do myche with
the Kyng and the Lords, and it is seid that he may do myche
with hem that be your adversaryes: and therfor, Godds sake,
if ye may have his gode wille, forsake it not. Also it is
thought the more lerned men that ye have of your owyn
contre of your councell, the more wurchepful it is to you.

Also if ye be at home this Cristmes, it wer wele do ye
shuld do purvey a garnyssh or tweyn of powter vesshell, ij.
basanes, and ij. hewers, and xij. candlestikes, for ye have to
few of any of thes to serve this place. I am a ferd to purvey
mych stuffe in this place till we be suerrer therof. The Blissid
Trinyte have you in His blissid kepyng.

Wretyn the Thursday next after Sent Andrew.

Be yowr M. P.

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 106.] Except that it seems to be of the reign of Edward IV.,
the date of this letter is about as uncertain as that of the last; but as they are both
written about the same time of year, and both recommend John Paston to use the
counsel of Hugh Fenn, it is highly probable that they are of the same year. Perhaps
the last letter may have been written by the vicar mentioned in this.

² The vicar of Paston? Robert Williamson was vicar of Paston at this time.

DEC. [3]

1461(?)
DEC. [3]