Margaret Paston to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Margaret Paston to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 7
Date
after 1440
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol II, item 38; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 4
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER IV.

 

              To my Worshepfull husbond
             John Paston abidyng at
             Petyrhous in Cambrigg.

RYTH reuerent and worsepful husbon I recomawnde me
     to zow wt alle myn sympyl herte and prey zow to wete yt
there come up xi hundyr flemyns at Waxhā qer’of wer taky’ and
kylte and drouch[SYM] viij hūdyrte and yi had nowte a be ze xul a be
atte home yis qwesontyde and I suppose yt ze xul be atte home
er owte lōg be I thanke yow hertely for my lettyr for I hadde
nō of zow syn I spooke wt zow last of for ye matyr of Jon
Mariot ye qwest passyd nowte of yt day for my lorde of Norfolke
was ī towne for Wedyrbys matyr qwer for he wolde nowtlatyd
pase off for furye of I kowe fynche ne bylbys makeye no
purwyans for hys gode No mor I wryte to zow atte yis tyme
but ye holy trenyte hawe zow ī kepyng Wret[SYM] ī Norweche on
trenyte Sune day.

                                                                   your,

                                                                        Margaret Paston.

 

             11 ¾ by 3 ½.a

 I can fix no certain date to this Letter, either from this extraordinary account of the
destruction of so great a number of Flemings, or from J. Paston’s residence at Peter
House, in Cambridge, though by this it appears to have been written early in his life,
and soon after his marriage, which took place before the year 1440. The words too
wt alle m’y sympyl herte” seem the expression of a young and unexperienced woman.
The writing and spelling likewise vary from her usual manner; and her Christian name is
differently written.

     Autograph. Pl. ii. No 20.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

            LETTER IV.

 

To my worshipful Husband John Paston, abiding at Peter-
House, in Cambridge.

RIGHT reverend and worshipful husband, I recommend
     me to you with all my simple heart, and pray you to weet
that there came up eleven hundred Flemings at Waxham,
thereof were taken and killed and drenchyn [drowned] eight
hundred, and they had not have been, ye should have been at
home this Whitsuntide, and I suppose that ye should be at home
creout long be.

     I thank you heartily for my letter, for I had none of you
since I spake with you last of for the matter of John Maryot;
the Quest passed not off that day, for my Lord of Norfolk was
in town for Wedyrby’s matter, wherefore he would not let it pass
off, for further of I kowe [know, q.] Fynch nor Bylbys maketh
no purveyance for his good.

     No more I write to you at this time, but the Holy Trinity
have you in keeping. Written at Norwich, on Trinity Sunday.

                                                       Your,

                                                              MARGARET PASTON.

 

       Norwich,
            Trinity Sunday.
            Date uncertain.
            After 1440. 19 H. VI.

 I can fix no certain date to this Letter, either from this extraordinary account of the
destruction of so great a number of Flemings, or from J. Paston’s residence at Peter
House, in Cambridge, though by this it appears to have been written early in his life,
and soon after his marriage, which took place before the year 1440. The words too
wt alle m’y sympyl herte” seem the expression of a young and unexperienced woman.
The writing and spelling likewise vary from her usual manner; and her Christian name is
differently written.

     Autograph. Pl. ii. No 20.

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

38

 

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON1

 

To my worshepfull husbond, John Paston, abidyng at Petyrhous
in Cambrigg.

 

RYTH reverent and worsepful husbon, I recomawnde me
     to zow with alle myn sympyl herte, and prey zow to
     wete that there come up xi. hundyr Flemyns at Wax-
ham, quereof wer takyn, and kylte, and dronchyn [drowned]
viij. hundryte. And thei had nowte a be, ze xul a be atte
home this Qwesontyde, and I suppose that ze xul be atte home
er owte long be.

     I thanke yow hertely for my lettyr, for I hadde none of
zow syn I spooke with zow last of for the matyr of Jon
Mariot; the qwest passyd nowte of that day, for my Lorde of
Norfolke was in towne for Wedyrbys matyr,2 qwer for he
wolde nowt latyd pase off, for further (?) of I kowe [know?]
Fynch ne Bylbys makethe no purwyans for hys gode.

     No mor I wryte to zow atte this tyme, but the Holy
Trenyte hawe zow in kepyng. Wretyn in Norweche, on
Trenyte Sune day.           Yowr,     MARKARYTE PASTON.

 

     1 [From Fenn, iii. 18.] The date of this letter is uncertain. From the fact of
John Paston’s residence at Peter House in Cambridge, it would appear, as Fenn
remarks, to have been written early in his married life, and we know that he was
married as early as 1440.

     2 Probably Thomas Wetherby, who was Mayor of Norwich in 1432-3, is referred
to. He took offence at the Aldermen and Commons of the city for not naming the
person he wished as his successor, and for some years afterwards showed his hostility
by instigating prosecutions against the city, causing their attorneys to abandon their
pleas, and so forth..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After
1440