Margaret Paston to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 220

13 November 1463

Gairdner, Vol IV, item 551; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 24

LETTER XXIV.

To my Ryght Worchipfull

hoshond Iohn Paston be thys

lett^r delyv'yd in hast.

RIGHT Worchepfull husbond I recōmand me to you
please you to wet y^t I was at Norwic this wek to p'vey
suche thyngs as nedythe me ageyns thys Wynt^r And I was at
my moddr and wille I was ther ther cam in on wrothe a Kynnys-
man of Elysabet Clers and he sey yo^r dowt^r and preysyd hyr to
my mod^r and seyd y^t she was A goodly yong womā And my
mod^r p'yd hym for to gett for hyr on good mariage yf he knewe
any And he seyd he knewe on shuld be of a CCC mark be yer
ye wyche is S^r John Cley Son that is Chamb^rleyn w^t my lady of
¹ York and he ys of Age of xviij yer old zyf ye thynk it be for
to be spok of my mod^r thynkyth y^t it shuld be get for lesse mony
nowe in thys world than in shuld be her aft^r owthyr y^t j or sū
other good mariage It' I spake w^t Mast John Estagate for Peke-
rynes mat^r aft^r yo^r entent of y^e mat^r of y^e lett^r y^t ye sent home
and he seyd to me he shuld write to yow howe he had don ther in
and so he sent you a lett^t y^e wyche was sent you be John
² Wodows man w^t other lett's as for answer other mater daubeney
tellythe me he wret to you I be seche alle myghty god have you
in hys kepyng Wretyn at Cast' y^e Sonday next aft^r Seynt Mar-
teyne.

By yo^r
³ M. Paston.

12 ? by 4 ?.

From several of the Letters contained in these Volumes it appears that proposals for a
marriage often originated from the Friends of the Lady, not that she had any preposses-
sion in favour of the Gentleman, but because he Friends thought such a match might be
proper in respect to wordly matters.

This seems to have been the case here, and the grandmother of the young Lady wishes
the Friends of Sir John Cley to be spoken to on this subject, thinking that his Son's live-
lihood would be a sufficient one, and that a marriage might be concluded as times now go,
(for that must be the meaning of the words "now in thys world") on reasonable terms;
this marriage however never took effect.

¹ Cecily, Duchess of York, widow of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and mother
of Edward IV. She died in an advanced age, at her Castle of Berkhamstead, in May
1495, and was buried near her Husband, in the Choir of the Collegiate Church of Fo-
theringhay, in Northamptonshire.

² John Wodehouse, Esq. of Kimberley, Son of the renowned John Wodehouse, Esq.
who gained so much honour at the battle of Agincourt; he died in 1465, and lies buried
in Kimberley Chancel. The present Sir John Wodehouse of Kimberley, Bart, it the
twelfth in lineal descent from this ancestor.

³ Autograph. Pl. II. No. 20. Seal, Pl. XIV. No. 4. A Fleur de Lys.

EDWARD IV. 89

LETTER XXIV.

To my right worshipful Husband John Poston, be this Letter
delivered in haste.

RIGHT worshipful Husband, I recommend me to you,
please you to weet that I was at Norwich this week to
purvey such things as needeth me against this winter; and I was
at my Mother's and while I was there, there came in one
Wrothe, a kinsman of Elizabeth Clere's and he sey (saw) your
Daughter and praised her to my Mother, and said that she was
a goodly young woman; and my Mother prayed him for to get
for her one good marriage if he knew any; and he said he knew
one (that) should be of a 300 marks (200l.) by year, the
which is Sir John Cley's Son, that is Chamberlayn with my
Lady of ¹York, and he is of age of 18 years old; if ye think
it be for to be spoken of, my Mother thinks that it should be
got for less money now in this world than it should be hereafter,
either that one, or some other good marriage.

Item, I spake with master John Estgate for Pykering's matter
after you intent of the matter of the Letter that ye sent home,
and he said to me he should write to you how he had done
therein, and so the sent you a Letter, the which was sent you by
John ²Wodehouse's man with other Letters.

As for answer (of) other matters, Daubeney telleth me he
wrote to you. I beseech Almighty God have you in his keeping.
Written at Caister, the Sunday next after Saint Martin.

By your

³ MARGARET PASTON.

Caister, Sunday, November
between 1461 and 1465. 1 and 5 E. IV

From several of the Letters contained in these Volumes it appears that proposals for a
marriage often originated from the Friends of the Lady, not that she had any preposses-
sion in favour of the Gentleman, but because he Friends thought such a match might be
proper in respect to wordly matters.

This seems to have been the case here, and the grandmother of the young Lady wishes
the Friends of Sir John Cley to be spoken to on this subject, thinking that his Son's live-
lihood would be a sufficient one, and that a marriage might be concluded as times now go,
(for that must be the meaning of the words "now in thys world") on reasonable terms;
this marriage however never took effect.

¹ Cecily, Duchess of York, widow of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and mother
of Edward IV. She died in an advanced age, at her Castle of Berkhamstead, in May
1495, and was buried near her Husband, in the Choir of the Collegiate Church of Fo-
theringhay, in Northamptonshire.

² John Wodehouse, Esq. of Kimberley, Son of the renowned John Wodehouse, Esq.
who gained so much honour at the battle of Agincourt; he died in 1465, and lies buried
in Kimberley Chancel. The present Sir John Wodehouse of Kimberley, Bart, it the
twelfth in lineal descent from this ancestor.

³ Autograph. Pl. II. No. 20. Seal, Pl. XIV. No. 4. A Fleur de Lys.

551

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght worchipfull hosbond, John Paston,
be thys letter delyveryd in hast.

     RIHT worchepfull husbond, I recommand me to you.
        Please you to wete that I was at Norwic this wek
        to purvey suche thyngs as nedythe me ageyns thys
wynter; and I was at my modder, and wille I was ther, ther
cam in on Wrothe, a kynnysman of Elysabet Clers, and he
sey your dowter, and preysyd hyr to my moder, and seyd that
she was a goodly yong woman; and my moder prayd hym for
to gett for hyr on good mariage yf he knewe any; and he
seyd he knewe on shuld be of a CCC. mark be yer, the wyche
is Sir John Cley son, that is Chamberleyn with my Lady of
York,² and he ys of age of xviij. yer old. Zyf ye thynk it be
for to be spok of, my moder thynkyth that it shuld be get for
lesse mony nowe in thys world than it shuld be her after,
owthyr that j. [one], or sum other good mariage.

Item, I spake with Master John Estgate for Pekerynes
mater after your entent of the mater of the letter that ye sent
home, and he seyd to me he shuld write to yow howe he had
don ther in; and so he sent you a letter, the wyche was sent
you be John Wodows¹ man with other letters.

As for answer [of] other mater, Daubeney tellythe me
he wret to you. I be seche Alle myghty God have you in
Hys kepyng. Wretyn at Caster, the Sonday next after Seynt
Marteyne.

Be your M. PASTON.

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 88.] I have found no letters of Margaret Paston dated from
Caister before the year 1463; but I am inclined to think that this and the letter
following both belong to that year. The latter, being addressed to Sir John Paston,
at least cannot be earlier, and my reasons for believing it to be of that very year will
be seen in the note to it (p. 84, Note 2). It is just possible that this letter may be of a
different date, but considering that both were written in November, and both of them
certainly between the 12th and the 19th, and that in both Margaret Paston not only
dates from Caister, but speaks of Daubeney as being with her, the presumption, I
think, is pretty strong that they are of the same year.

² Cecily, Duchess of York, widow of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and
mother of Edward IV. She died in an advanced age, at her castle of Berkhamstead,
in May 1495, and was buried near her husband, in the Choir of the Collegiate Church
of Fotheringhay, in Northamptonshire.—F.

¹ John Wodehouse, Esq. of Kimberley, son of the renowned John Wodehouse,
Esq., who gained so much honour at the battle of Agincourt; he died in 1465, and
lies buried in Kimberley Chancel.—F.

1463
NOV. 13