Margaret Paston to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Margaret Paston to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34889, f. 107
Date
?[28]December 1470
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol V, item 766; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 73
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)

LETTER LXXIII.

 

     To Iohn Pafton
     ye yonger be yis
     deliu'ed in hast.

 

   I Grete you wele and send you godds blyssyng and myn latyng
     you wete that sith ye deprted my Cosyn Calthorp sent me a
lettr Compleyning in his wrytyng that for asmych as he can not
be payd of his ten'nts as he hat be befor this tyme he p'posith
to lesse his howshold and to leve the streytlyer wharfor he desir-
eth me to pruey for yor Sustr Anne he seth she waxeth hygh
and it wer tyme to prvey her a mariage I marveyll what causeth
hym to write so now outher she hath displeased hym or ell he
hath takyn her wt diffaught therfor I p'y you Comune wt my
Cosyn Clere at london and wete how he is dysposyd to her ward
and fend me word for I shall be fayn to send for her and wt me
she shall but Iese her tyme and wt ought she wull be the bettr
occupied she shall oftyn tymes meve me and put me in gret in-
quietenesse remembr what labor I had wt yor sustr y?for do yor
p te to help her forth that may be to yor wurchiep and myn It'
remembr the bill yt I spake to you of to gete of yor brother of
such money as he hath receyvid of me sith yor faders disseas se
yor vnkyll Mautby if ye may and fend me Sume tydyngs as Sonee
as ye may God kepe you Wretyn the Fryday next befor sent
Thorn's of Caunt'bury in haft.

                        11 ? by 6.                                 By yor moder.

 

     The date of this Letter from Margaret Paston does not appear, but it seems to have
been written within a few years after her husband's death, though as the age of her
Daughter Ar.ne at her father's decease is not known, we cannot exactly ascertain it?
Anne was now grown tall, and becoming a woman. The endeavouring to educate

young women in the houses of their superiors, or of their friends and relations at a di-
stance from home has been before noticed, (see Letter XXXV. Vol. I. p. 144.) and was
certainly a very proper method of having them instructed. Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)

LETTER LXXIII.

 

To John Paston, the younger, be this delivered in haste.

 

   I Greet you well, and send you God?s blessing and mine, let-
     ting you weet that since ye departed my Cousin Calthorpe
sent me a Letter complaining in his writing that for as much as
he cannot be paid of his tenants as he hath been before this time,
he proposeth to lessen his household, and to live the straitlier,
wherefore he desireth me to purvey for your filter Anne, he faith
she waxeth high (grows tall), and it were time to purvey her a
marriage; I marvel what causeth him to write so now, either
she hath displeased him or else he hath taken her with some de-
fault; therefore I pray you commune with my Cousin Clere at
London, and weet how he is disposed to her ward, and send me
word, for I shall be fain to send for her, and with me she shall
but lose her time, and without she will be the better occupied she
shall often times move me and put me in great inquietness; re-
member what labour I had with your sister, therefore do your
part to help her forth, that may be to your worship and mine.

     Item, remember the bill that I spake to you of to get of your
Brother of such money as he hath received of me since your
Father's decease; see your Uncle Maultby if ye may, and send
me some tidings as soon as ye may; God keep you. Written
the Friday next before Saint Thomas of Canterbury, in haste,
(29th of December).

                                        By your Mother
                                                                                  MARGARET PASTON.

 

Friday, December, between
                        1466 and 1470. 6 and 10 E. IV.

 

     The date of this Letter from Margaret Paston does not appear, but it seems to have
been written within a few years after her husband's death, though as the age of her
Daughter Ar.ne at her father's decease is not known, we cannot exactly ascertain it?
Anne was now grown tall, and becoming a woman. The endeavouring to educate
young women in the houses of their superiors, or of their friends and relations at a di-
stance from home has been before noticed, (see Letter XXXV. Vol. I. p. 144.) and was
certainly a very proper method of having them instructed. Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

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

766

 

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON1

 

To John Paston the yonger, be this delivered in hast.

 

IGRETE you wele, and send you Godds blyssyng and
     myn, latyng you wete that sith ye departed my Cosyn
     Calthorp sent me a letter, compleyning in his wrytyng
that for asmych as he can not be payd of his tenaunts as he
hat be befor this tyme, he purposith to lesse his howshold, and
to leve the streytlyer. Wharfor he desireth me to purvey for
your suster Anne; he seth she waxeth hygh, and it wer tyme
to purvey her a mariage.

     I marveyll what causeth hym to write so now; outher she
hath displeased hym, or ell[es] he hath takyn her with diff-
aught. Therfor I pray you comune with my Cosyn Clere at
London, and wete how he is dysposyd to her ward, and send
me word, for I shall be fayn to send for her, and with me she
shall but lese her tyme, and with ought she wull be the better
occupied she shall oftyn tymes meve me, and put me in gret
inquietenesse. Remembr what labour I had with your suster,
therfor do your parte to help her forth, that may be to your
wurchiep and myn.

     Item, remembr the bill that I spake to you of, to gete of
your brother of such money as he hath receyvid of me sith
your faders disseas. Se your Unkyll Mautby, if ye may, and
send me sume tydyngs as sonee as ye may. God kepe you.

     Wretyn the Fryday next befor Sent Thomas of Caunter-
bury, in hast.

                                                                                   By your Moder.

 

     1 [From Fenn, iv. 288.] This letter was probably written in or about the year
1470. Anne Paston, the sister of John Paston, here mentioned, was married to
William Yelverton, a grandson of the Judge, in 1474 (Itin. W. Wyrc. 369), and the
match had been already determined (as will appear in a future letter) before June
1472. At the date of this letter she was still staying in Calthorpe’s household, into
which, after the manner of the times, she had been sent for her education; and
Calthorpe desiring to reduce his establishment, suggested, somewhat earlier than her
mother anticipated, that it was time to provide a husband for her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1470(?)
DEC. [28]