Margaret Paston to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 87

30 January 1453

Gairdner, Vol II, item 224; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 80

LETTER LXXX.

         To my Right Worchippfull
         hosbond John Paston be thys
         delyv’yd in hast.

RIGHT worchipfull hosbond I recom’and me to yow de-
syrīg to here of your welfar p’yīg yow to wete that S^r
Thomas Howes hath purveyd iiij dormants for the ¹ drawte
cham’ and the malthouse and y^e browere Wherof he hath bought
iij and the forte y^t shall be the lengest and grettest of all he shall
have from Heylesdon whiche he seyth my mayst^r Fastolf shall
geve me be cause my cham’ shall be made y^r w^t as for y^e layīg
of the seyd dormants they shall be leyd this next weke be cause
of the malthous and as for the remenant I trow it shall abyde
tyll ye come hom be cause I can nother be p’veyd of pysts ne
of bords not yette I have take the mesure in the draute cham’ y^r
as ye wold yo^r cofors and yo^r ² cowntewery shuld be sette for
the whyle and y^r is no space besyde the bedd thow the bedd wer
remevyd to the dore for to sette bothe yo^r bord and yo^r kofors
ther and to have space to go and sitte be syde Wherfor I have
p’veyd that ye shall have the same drawte cham’ that ye had
befor ther as ye shall ly to yo^r self and whan yo^r gerr is remevod
owte of yo^r lytil hous the dore shall be lokkyd and your baggs
leyd in on of the grete koforis so y^t they shall be sauff I trost
Ric’ Charles and John Dow have fetched hom y^e ³ chyld from
Rokelond toftes and it is apraty boy and it is told me y^t wyll
is att Blykl[SYM]g w^t a pore man of y^e town a yonge woman that
was sometyme w^t Burton of this town sent me word y’of I p’y
yow send me word if ye woll y^t any thyng y^t ye woll be do to
hym or ye com hom Ric’ Charles send^t yow word y^t Wylles
hath be at hym here and offerd hym to make hym astate in all
thyngs accordīg to ther in dentur and if he do the contrary ye
shall sone have word my moder p’yith yow for to remembr my
sust^r and to do yo^r p’te feythfully or ye come hom to help to
gette her agode ⁴mariage it semyth be my moders langage y^t
she wold nev^r so fayn to have be delyu’yd of her as she woll
now it was told here that Knyvet the Heyer is for to mary bothe
his wyff and child be dede as it was told here Wherfor she wold
y^t ye shuld inquyr whedd^r it beso or no and what hys lyvelode
is and if ye thynke y^t it be for to do to lete hym be spoke w^t
y’of I p’y yow y^t ye be not strange of wrytīg of letters to me be
twix y^is and y^t ye come hom if I myght J wold have ev^ry day on
from yow the blyssed t’nyte have yow ī his kep[SYM]g wrete att
Norwyche on y^e tesday next aft^r y^e cōv^rcon seynt poull.

Be yours,

⁵ M. P.

11 ? by 8.

             Norwich,
         Tuesday January,
              sometime
       Before 1459. 38 H. VI.

In this Letter we have an account of Reparations and Alterations making in their
house, with a Description of their Bed-chamber, and its furniture.

What the word Drawte means, when applied to a Chamber, I am not certain.

² Countewery must mean his Counter, Desk, or Board to sit and write, &c. at.

³ The Child now brought home seems to have been at nurse at Rockland Tosts.
Williams’s situation at Blickling appears to have been an improper one.

⁴ The marriage of his sister Elizabeth was an object of great consequence to his mo-
ther, as those two did not, from many things which occur, agree properly together;
but I cannot ascertain, from the Pedigree of the family of Knevet, which of them is
here meant.

⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25. Seal a Fleur de lys. Pl. XXIII. N^o 7.

LETTER LXXX.

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

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you, de-
siring to hear of your welfare; Praying you to weet that
Sir Thomas Howes hath purveyed four Dormants (Beams) for
the ¹ Drawte Chamber, and the Malthouse, and the Brewery,
whereof he hath bought three, and the fourth, that shall be the
longest and greatest of all, he shall have from Heylesdon, which he
saith my master Fastolf shall give me, because my chamber shall
be made therewith. As for the laying of the said Dormants,
they shall be laid this next week because of the Malthouse, and
as for the remanant I trow it shall abid ‘till ye come home, be-
cause I can neither be purveyed of posts, nor of boards not yet.

I have taken the measure in the drawte chamber, there as ye
would your coffers and your ² Cowntewery should be set for the
while, and there is no space beside the bed, though the bed were
removed to the door, for to set both your Board and your Cof-
fers there, and to have space to go and sit beside; wherefore I
have purveyed that ye shall have the same drawte chamber that
ye had before there, as ye shall lye to yourself; and when your
gear is removed out of your little house, the door shall be locked,
and your bags laid in one of the great Coffers, so that they shall
be safe, I trust.

Richard Charles and John Dow have fetched home the ³ Child
from Rockland Tofts, and it is a pretty boy; and it is told me
that Will is at Blickling with a poor man of the town; a young
woman that was some time with Burton of this town sent me
word thereof; I pray you send me word if ye will that any thing
that ye will be done to him ere ye come home. Richard Charles
sendeth you word, that Willes hath been at him here, and offer-
ed him to make him estate in all things according to their inden-
ture, and if he do the contrary ye shall soon have word.

My Mother prayeth you for to remember my Sister, and to do
your part faithfully ere ye come home to help to get her a good
⁴marriage; it seemeth by my mother’s language that she would
never so fain to have be delivered of her as she will now.

It was told here that Knivet the heir is for to marry; both
his wife and child be dead, as it was told here; wherefore she
would that ye should enquire whether it be so or no, and what
his livelihood is, and if ye think that it be for to do, to let him
be spoken with thereof.

I pray you that ye be not strange of writing of Letters to me
betwixt this and that ye come home, if I might I would have
every day one from you. The blessed Trinity have you in his
keeping. Written at Norwich, on the Tuesday next after the
Conversion (of) Saint Paul. (25 January.)

By yours,

⁵ MARGARET PASTON.

11 ? by 8.

             Norwich,
         Tuesday January,
              sometime
       Before 1459. 38 H. VI.

In this Letter we have an account of Reparations and Alterations making in their
house, with a Description of their Bed-chamber, and its furniture.

What the word Drawte means, when applied to a Chamber, I am not certain.

² Countewery must mean his Counter, Desk, or Board to sit and write, &c. at.

³ The Child now brought home seems to have been at nurse at Rockland Tosts.
Williams’s situation at Blickling appears to have been an improper one.

⁴ The marriage of his sister Elizabeth was an object of great consequence to his mo-
ther, as those two did not, from many things which occur, agree properly together;
but I cannot ascertain, from the Pedigree of the family of Knevet, which of them is
here meant.

⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25. Seal a Fleur de lys. Pl. XXIII. N^o 7.

224

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worchippfull hosbond, John Paston, be thys
delyveryd in hast.

       RIGHT worchipfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow,
            desyring to here of your welfar; praying yow to wete
            that Sir Thomas Howes hath purveyed iiij. dormants²
for the drawte chamer,³ and the malthouse, and the browere,
wherof he hath bought iij., and the forte, that shall be the
lengest and grettest of all, he shall have from Heylesdon,
whiche he seyth my Mayster Fastolf shall geve me, be cause
my chamer shall be made ther with. As for the laying of
the seyd dormants, they shall be leyd this next weke, be
cause of the maithous, and as for the remenant, I trow it
shall abyde tyll ye come hom, be cause I can nother be
purveyed of pysts [posts?], ne of bords not yette.

I have take the mesure in the draute chamer, ther as ye
wold your cofors and cowntewery⁴ shuld be sette for the
whyle; and ther is no space besyde the bedd, thow the bedd
wer remevyd to the dore, for to sette bothe your bord and
your kofors ther, and to have space to go and sitte be syde.
Wherfor I have purveyd that ye shall have the same drawte
chamer that ye had befor ther, as ye shall ly to your self;
and whan your gerr is remevod owte of your lytil hous, the
dore shall be lokkyd, and your baggs leyd in on of the grete
koforis, so that they shall be sauff, I trost.

Richard Charles and John Dow have fetched hom the
chyld¹ from Rokelond Toftes, and it is apraty boy; and it is
told me that Wyll is att Blyklyng with a pore man of this
town. A yonge woman that was sometyme with Burton of
this town sent me word therof; I pray yow send me word if
ye woll that any thyng that ye woll be do to hym or ye com
hom. Richard Charles sendeth yow word that Wylles hath be
at hym here, and offerd hym to make hym astate in all thyngs
according to ther in dentur, and if he do the contrary ye shall
sone have word.

My moder prayith yow to remembr my suster, and to do
your parte feythfully or ye com hom to help to gette her
agode mariage. It semyth be my moders langage that she
wold never so fayn to have be delyveryd of her as she woll
now.

It was told here that Knyvet the heyer is for to mary;
bothe his wyff and child be dede, as it was told here. Wherfor
she wold that ye shuld inquyr whedder it be so or no, and what
hys lyvelode is, and if ye thynke that it be for to do, to lete
hym be spoke with therof.

I pray yow that ye be not strange of wryting of letters to
me be twix this and that ye come hom. If I myght I wold
have every day on from yow. The blyssed Trinyte have yow
in his kepyng. Wrete att Norwyche, on the Tesday next after
the Convercion [of] Seynt Poull.

Be yours, M. P.

¹ [From Fenn, iii. 324.] The beginning of this letter refers to building opera-
tions, which I presume to be the same as those to which the next letter relates, and
therefore of the same date. They were probably at Caister Castle.

² Large beams.

³ Draught chamber. A withdrawing-room.—Halliwell.

⁴ Cowntewery must mean his counter, desk, or board to sit and write, etc.,

¹ Probably a member of the Berney family (see Sir John Fastolf’s letter of the
28th January 1451). Philip Berney, as will be seen by No. 217, was disseised of the
manor of Rockland Tofts during the year 1452.

1453
JAN. 30