Margaret Paston to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Margaret Paston to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 85
Date
?5 November 1452
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol II, item 221; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 39
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER XXXIX.

      To my Right worchepful
      husbond John Paston be this
      delyverid in hast.

RIGHT worchepful hushond I Comaund me to yow. J
     pray yow that ye wol do bye ij doseyn trenchors for I
Can none gete in this town Also I pray yow that ye wol send
me a booke wyt chardeqweyns that I may have of in the mo-
nynggs for the Eyeres be not holsom in this town therfor J pray
yow hertely lete John Suffeld bryng it hom wyt hym. No
more but the blyssid Ternyte have yow in hese kepyng And
send yow good sped in all yowre maters. Wrete on Sent leo-
nard even.

     My uncle Phelyppe commaund hym to yow and he
hath be so seke sith that I come to Redh’m that I wend he
shuld never a askapid it nor not is leke to do but if he have
redy help and therfore he shal into Suff this next weke to myn
aunt for there is a good Fesician and he shal loke to hym.
My Lady Hastyngs told me that Heydon hath spoke to Geffrey
Boleyn of London and is a greid wytht hym that he shuld
bargeyn wyt Sr Iohn Fastolff to bye the manr of Blyklyng as
it were for hymselff and if Boleyn byet in trowght Heydon shal
have it.

                                                                       Yor.

                                                                        M. P.

     I cam to Norwiche on Sowlemesday.

       I have copied this Letter as containing a recipe against bad air; but whether or not
Cardamoms are meant I cannot tell, they are said to be warm and attenuating, and to
comfort the head and stomach, and, therefore, I should suppose, proper to be taken in a
morning as a preservative against the effects of bad air.

 

     The fair leaves of Artichokes, when blanched and rendered less bitter, are likewise
called Chards; these as being flat might be kept in a Book, and in that state brought
from foreign parts ready for use, as we had no Artichokes till long after this time in
England. These were accounted very wholesome; it is probably therefore that these are
the things mentioned.

     Margaret Paston’s uncle Philip Berney died in 1453, therefore this Letter must be
written about that time.

     Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

           11 ¾ by 8.

 Paper Mark,
             A Bull.
         Pl. XXII. No 16.

 Norwich,
          Sunday, 5th of November,
          1452. 32 H. VI.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

LETTER XXXIX.

 

To my right worshipful husband John Paston, be this de-
livered in haste.

 

RIGHT worshipfnl husband, I commend me to you, I
     pray you that ye will do buy two dozen trenchers, for I
can none get in this town; also I pray you that ye will send me
a Book with Chardeqweyns that I may have of in the morning,
for the air be not wholesome in this town, therefore I pray you
heartily let John Suffield bring it home with him.
     No more, but the blessed Trinity have you in his keeping,
and send you good speed in all your matters. Written on St.
Leonard’s even.

     My uncle Philip commends him to you, and he hath been so
sick since that I came to Reedham, that I wend he should never
have escaped it, nor not is like to do, but if (unless) he have
ready help, and therefore he shall into Suffolk this next week,
to mine aunt, for there is a good Physician, and he shall look
to him.

     My Lady Hastyngs told me that Heydon hath spoken to
Jeffrey Boleyn of London, and is agreed with him that he
should bargain with Sir John Fastolf to buy the manor of Blick-
ling, as it were for himself, and if Boleyn buy it, in truth
Heydon shall have it.

     I came to Norwich on Soul mass day (2d of November.)

 

                                                Yours,

                                                        MARGARET PASTON.

 

 I have copied this Letter as containing a recipe against bad air; but whether or not
Cardamoms are meant I cannot tell, they are said to be warm and attenuating, and to
comfort the head and stomach, and, therefore, I should suppose, proper to be taken in a
morning as a preservative against the effects of bad air.

     The fair leaves of Artichokes, when blanched and rendered less bitter, are likewise
called Chards; these as being flat might be kept in a Book, and in that state brought
from foreign parts ready for use, as we had no Artichokes till long after this time in
England. These were accounted very wholesome; it is probably therefore that these are
the things mentioned.

     Margaret Paston’s uncle Philip Berney died in 1453, therefore this Letter must be
written about that time.

     Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

 Paper Mark,
             A Bull.
         Pl. XXII. No 16.

 Norwich,
          Sunday, 5th of November,
          1452. 32 H. VI.

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

221

 

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON2

 

To my right worchepful husbond, John Paston,
be this delyverid in hast.

 

        RIGHT worchepful husbond, I comaund me to yow. I
              pray yow that ye wol do bye ij. doseyn trenchors, for
              I can none gete in this town. Also I pray yow that
ye wol send me a booke wyth chardeqweyns3 that I may
have of in the monynggs, for the eyeres be nat holsom in this
town; therfor I pray yow hertely lete John Suffeld bryng it
hom wyth hym.

     No more but the blyssid Ternyte have yow in Hese
kepyng, and send yow good sped in all yowre maters. Wrete
on Sent Leonard even.

     My uncle Phelyppe1 commaund hym to yow, and he
hath be so seke sith that I come to Redham, that I wend he
shuld never a askapid it, nor not is leke to do but if he have
redy help; and therfore he shal into Suffolk this next weke
to myn aunt, for there is a good fesician, and he shal loke to
hym.

     My Lady Hastyngs2 told me that Heydon hath spoke to
Geffrey Boleyn3 of London, and is a greid wytht hym that he
shuld bargeyn wyth Sir John Fastolff to bye the manor of
Blyklyng as it were for hymselff, and if Boleyn byet in
trowght Heydon shal have it.                 Yowr,

                                                                                                    M. P.

     I cam to Norwiche on Sowlemesday.

 

     2 [From Fenn, iii. 168.] This letter was written during the life of Philip Berney,
most probably in 1452, while he lay sick of the wounds, of which he afterwards died.
See No. 227 further on.

     3 A preserve made of quinces.—See Index to Furnivall’s Manners and Meals in

    Olden Times. In the ordinances of the household of George, Duke of Clarence,
?charequynses? occur under the head of spices, their price being five shillings ?the
boke,? or ?2, 10s. for 10 lbs.?See The Society of Antiquaries? Collection of Ordinances
for the Royal Household, p. 103. The word also occurs pp. 455, 471 of same volume.

     1 Philip Berney.

     2 Margery, widow of Sir Edward Hastings of Elsing, Norfolk, who styled him-
self Lord Hastings and Stutvill.—See Blomefield, viii. 112, and ix. 513, 514.

     3 An ancestor of Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth. He was Mayor of London
in 1457.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1452(?)
NOV. 5

 

 

1452(?)
NOV. 5