Margaret Paston to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 23

?31 January 1449

Gairdner, Vol II, item 82; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 102

LETTER CII.

         To my Ryght worchippfull
         hosbond Iohn Paston be this
         delyv’yd ī hast

RIGHT worchipfull hosbond I recōmand me to yow p’yīg
yow to wete that I have reccyved yo^r lett^r this day y^t ye sent
me be Yelvertonys man As for yo^r ¹signette J fond itt uppon
yo^r bord the same day y^t ye went hens and j send it yow be
Richard Heberd bryng^r herof As for yo^r eronds y^t ye wrete to
me fore Ric’ Charlēs is owte abough yo^r eronds abowte gr’sh’m
and for his awyn maters also and I suppose he komyth not hom
tyll it be tesday or Weddenesday next kom[SYM]g and alssone as he
komyth hom he shall go abowte yo^r eronds y^t ye wrete to me
fore I sent yow a letter wreten on tesday last past whiche as I
suppose Roger Ormesby delyv’yd yow I toke it to Alson Per-
tryche She rod w^t Clyppysbys wyff to london I p’y yow if ye
have an other Sone that ye woll lete it be named ² Herry in
remembrans of your brother Herry Also I p’y yow that ye woll
send me dats and synamū as hastyly as ye may I have speke w^t
Iohn Damme of that ye bad me sey to hem to sey to thom’s
note and he sey he was well payd y^t ye seyd and thowgh y’in as
ye dede. Ner’les I bad hym y^t he shuld sey to the seyd thom’s
y’in as it wer of hymself w^t owte yo^r avys or any others and he
seyd he shuld so and that it shuld be purveyd for this next weke
at the ferthest The blyssed t’nyte have yow in his kep[SYM]g Wretyn
att Norwyche in hast the Fryday next befor Candelmesse day

Be your ³ gron[SYM]g wyff

⁴ M. P.

11 by 5 ?.

             Paper Mark,
         A Catharine Wheel.
             Pl. XXI. N^o 6.

       Norwich.
             Friday, 1st Februry,
             1460. 39 H. VI.

¹In former times a person’s Signet or Seal was of the utmost consequence, and we
find by this Letter that J. Paston had made immediate enquiries after his, as soon as he
missed it.

I cannot in this place forbear mentioning the promiscuous and unauthorised use of arms,
which, to the disgrace of the Laws of Honour, now so generally prevails, since it has
been supposed that the College of Arms is not empowered to compel payment by at-
taching the Body or Goods of the offender, for any Fine set by the Court of Honour
upon those Persons who have assumed Arms, and bear them without a proper Grant,
or descent from the original Grantee.

When County Visitations were permitted, and the King of the Province of Arms
and Heralds went their Progresses, Distinctions of family Descents, and family Arms
were recorded and kept up, and the Heirs of Gentlemen’s Families for a small fee were
enabled to join themselves to their parent stock, by attending with their vouchers at the
time and place appointed, of which they were informed by a public Summons from the
Sheriff of their respective Counties.

It may be said, that in a free Government like ours, every man ought to have a right
to ornament his Carriage, his Plate, or the Wax on his Letters, with any Device most
agreeable to himself without being accountable to any one.

This being allowed, what will follow?

That every one may assume a Name, or even a Title, or may decorate himself with
the Insignia of any of the honourable Orders. But would not such an one be called a
Fool or a Madman? He certainly would.

I have often thought that Government might fairly avail itself of the present prevail-
ing taste for Arms-bearing, by compelling every person of what rank or degree soever
to take out an annual Licence or Certificate, for which a stated sum according to his
rank or degree should be paid for the liberty of bearing or displaying any Arms, Crest,
or Device, on his Banners, Carriages, Plate, Seals, &c. &c.

This would be a Tax which could not affect the Poor, nor in reality any one who did
not wish to put himself in the rank of a gentleman.

² On the back of the original Letter in an ancient hand is written ?It appere by this
Lrē y^t Justice Paston had a Sonne named Herry who dyed yonge.?

³ The conclusion of this letter is particular, and shews that the writer was very near
her time of lying-in, it was written I believe about 1460.

⁴ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25.

LETTER CII.

To my right worshipful Husband John Paston be this delivered
in haste.

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you, pray-
ing you to weet that I have received your letter this day
that ye sent me by Yelverton’s man. As for your ¹ Signet, I
found it upon your board the same day that ye went hence, and
I send it you by Richard Heberd, bringer hereof; as for your
errands that ye wrote to me for, Richard Charles is out about
your errands about Gresham, and for his own matters also, and I
suppose he cometh not home till it be Tuesday or Wednesday
next coming, and as soon as he cometh home he shall go about
your errands that ye wrote to me for.

I sent you a letter written on Tuesday last past, which, as I
suppose, Roger Ormesby delivered you, I took it to Alson Par-
tridge, she rode with Clippesby’s wife to London.

I pray you if ye have another son that ye will let it be named
² Harry, in remembrance of your brother Harry; also I pray
you that ye would send me Dates and Cinnamon as hastily as ye
may. I have spoken with John Damme of that ye bad me say
to him to say to Thomas Note, and he says he was well paid
that ye said and thought therein as ye did; nerles (nevertheless) I
bad him that he should say to the said Thomas therein as it were
of himself without your advice or any others; and he said he
should so, and that it should be purveyed for this next week at
the furthest, the blessed Trinity have you in his keeping. Writ-
ten at Norwich in haste the Friday next before Candlemas day,
By your ³ groaning wife

⁴ MARGARET PASTON.

11 by 5 ½.

             Paper Mark,
         A Catharine Wheel.
             Pl. XXI. N^o 6.

       Norwich.
             Friday, 1st Februry,
             1460. 39 H. VI.

¹In former times a person’s Signet or Seal was of the utmost consequence, and we
find by this Letter that J. Paston had made immediate enquiries after his, as soon as he
missed it.

I cannot in this place forbear mentioning the promiscuous and unauthorised use of arms,
which, to the disgrace of the Laws of Honour, now so generally prevails, since it has
been supposed that the College of Arms is not empowered to compel payment by at-
taching the Body or Goods of the offender, for any Fine set by the Court of Honour
upon those Persons who have assumed Arms, and bear them without a proper Grant,
or descent from the original Grantee.

When County Visitations were permitted, and the King of the Province of Arms
and Heralds went their Progresses, Distinctions of family Descents, and family Arms
were recorded and kept up, and the Heirs of Gentlemen’s Families for a small fee were
enabled to join themselves to their parent stock, by attending with their vouchers at the
time and place appointed, of which they were informed by a public Summons from the
Sheriff of their respective Counties.

It may be said, that in a free Government like ours, every man ought to have a right
to ornament his Carriage, his Plate, or the Wax on his Letters, with any Device most
agreeable to himself without being accountable to any one.

This being allowed, what will follow?

That every one may assume a Name, or even a Title, or may decorate himself with
the Insignia of any of the honourable Orders. But would not such an one be called a
Fool or a Madman? He certainly would.

I have often thought that Government might fairly avail itself of the present prevail-
ing taste for Arms-bearing, by compelling every person of what rank or degree soever
to take out an annual Licence or Certificate, for which a stated sum according to his
rank or degree should be paid for the liberty of bearing or displaying any Arms, Crest,
or Device, on his Banners, Carriages, Plate, Seals, &c. &c.

This would be a Tax which could not affect the Poor, nor in reality any one who did
not wish to put himself in the rank of a gentleman.

² On the back of the original Letter in an ancient hand is written ?It appere by this
Lrē y^t Justice Paston had a Sonne named Herry who dyed yonge.?

³ The conclusion of this letter is particular, and shews that the writer was very near
her time of lying-in, it was written I believe about 1460.

⁴ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25.

82

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght worchippfull hosbond, John Paston, be this
delyveryd in hast.

RIGHT worchipfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow,
praying yow to wete that I have receyved your letter
this day that ye sent me be Yelvertonys man. As for
your signette, I fond itt uppon your bord the same day that ye
went hens, and I send it yow be Richrad Heberd, bringer
herof. As for your eronds that ye wrete to me fore, Richard
Charles is owte abough your eronds abowte Gresham, and for
his awyn maters also, and I suppose he komyth not hom tyll it
be Tesday or Weddenesday next komyng; and alssone as he
komyth hom, he shall go abowte your eronds that ye wrete to
me fore.

I sent yow a letter wreten on Tesday last past, whiche, as I
suppose, Roger Ormesby delyveryd yow. I toke it to Alson
Pertryche. She rod with Clyppysbys wyff to London.

I pray yow if ye have an other sone that you woll lete it be
named Herry, in remembrans of your brother Herry;¹ also
I pray yow that ye woll send me dats and synamun as hastyly
as ye may. I have speke with John Damme of that ye bad
me sey to hem to sey to Thomas Note, and he sey he was wel
payd that ye seyd and thowgh therin as ye dede. Ner’les I
bad hym that he shuld sey to the seyd Thomas therin as it wer
of hymself with owte your avys or any others; and he seyd he
shuld so, and that it shuld be purveyd for this next weke at the
ferthest. The blyssed Trinyte have yow in his kepyng.

Wretyn att Norwyche, in hast, the Fryday next befor
Candelmesse day.

Be your gronyng wyff, M. P.

¹ [From Fenn, iii. 408.] Fenn thinks this was written about 1460, but I do not
see on what evidence. From the reference to Gresham, I should rather suppose it
belongs to 1449. By the subscription, it would appear that the writer was very near
the time of lying in; but we cannot tell the exact date of the birth of any of her
children. Lord Molyns dispossessed John Paston of the lordship of Gresham on the
17th of February 1448. After repeated remonstrances on the subject to no purpose,

¹ No notice is taken elsewhere of John Paston having a brother named Harry.

1449 (?)
JAN. 31