Margaret Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XCIII.

     I Grete you wele letynf you wetethat yor brother and his fe-
         leshep stand in grete joprte at Caustr and lakke vetayll and
^I Dawbeney and ^z Berney be dedde and diu^rse other gretly hurt
and thei fayll gunnepowder and arrowes and the place fore bro-
kyn w^t Gonnes of y^e toder prte so that but thei haue hasty help
thei be like to lese bothe ther lyses and the place to the grettest
rebuke to you that eu^r came to any jentilman for eu^ry man in
this Countre marvaylleth gretly that ye suffre them to be so
longe in so gret Joprte w^t ought help or other remedy The
Duke hathe be more ferventlyset y'up on and more Cruell sith
y^t Wretyll my lord of Claraunce man was ther than he was be
for and he hath sen for all his ten'nts from eu'y place and other
to be ter at Cayust^r on Thorysday next comyng that ther is thatn
like to be the grettest multitude of peeill y^t came Y' yet and thei
p'pose them to make a gret assaught for thei haue sent for Gan-
nes to lynne and other place be the seeys syde y^t w^t ther gret
multitude of Gannes w^t other shoot and ordyn' nce ther shall no
man dar appere in ye place thei shall hold them so besy wt ther
gret pepill yt it shall not lye in their pore wtin to hold it ageyn
them w^t outht god help them or haue hasty socor from you
Therfor as ye wull haue my blyssyng I charge youand require
you y^t ye se yo^r brother be holpyn in hast And if ye can haue
nonmeane rather desire writyng from my lord of Clarens if he be
at london or ell of my lord Archebushop of york to y^e Duke of
Norff. yt he well fr'unte them y^t be in y^e place her lyfes and
ther goodes and in eschewyng of insurreccons w^t other in con-
uenyens y^t be like to growe w'in the Shire of Norff. this tro-
belows werd be cause of such conuenticles and gaderyngs w'in
the seid shire for cause of y^e seid place thei shal suffre hym to
entre up on such appoyntment or other like takyn be the advyse
of yo^r councell ther at london if ye thnk this be not good till
the law hath detrmyned otherwyse and lete hym write a nother
lettr to yo^r brother to deliu^r the place up on the same appoynt-
ment and if ye theynk a s i can suppose that the Duke of Norff-
wull not aggre to this be cause he gr'unted this aforn and thei
in the place wuld not accept in than j wuld the seid massanger
shuld w^t the seid letters bryng fro the seid lord of Clarence or
ell my lord Archebushop to my lord of Oxenford other letters
to rescue them forthe wt thowghe the seid Erle of Oxenford shuld
haue the place duryng his lyse for his labo^r Spare not this to be
don in hast if ye wull haue ther lyves andbe setr by in Norff.
though ye shuld leys the best man^r of all for the rescuse J had
leuer ye last y^e iysselode than ther lyses ye must gete a Massanger
of the lords or sume other notabill man to bryng ther letters do
your, devor now and lete me send you no mor Massangers for this
maters but send me be the berer her of more certeyn Comfort than
ye haue do be all other that J haue sent be for Jn any wyse lete
the letters y^t shall Come to y^e Erle of Oxenford comyn w^t the
letters that shall comyn to y^e Duke of Niorff. y^t if he wull not
aggree to the ton that ye may haue redy yo^r rescuse y^t it nede
no mor to send y'for God kepe you Wretyn the Tuesday next
befor holy rood Day in hast.

                                                                      By yo^r moder

       11? by 12 ?.

           Paper Mark,

    Bull's Head and Star.

        Pl. XXII. N^o 13.

    My Reders I make no doubt will be equally pleased with myself, in having so authen-
tic an account of the manners of the times placed before them, wherein a disputed title
to an estate is not contested in the Courts of Law, but by a regular and well conducted
fiege laid to the Castle claimed by the besiegers.

    Every warlike preparation is made by both parties, and the assault and desence is car-
ried on with the greatest military skill.

    The number of the besiegers is said by Blomesield to have amounted to three thousand,
while the number of those who desended the place did not exceed thirty persons; a proof
of the strength of the fortres attacked , which , with this handful of men, held out some
time.

    The anxiety of Margaret Paston for the safety of her son and his companions, interests
us in her savour , ande her advice to Sir john to apply to the Earl of Oxford for his assist-
ance to raise the siege, though, if attended with success, he should enjoy the Manor of
Caister for his life, is a curious circumstance, and throws light upon the manners and
politics of the times.

    ¹ John Dawbeney, Esq. whose death is here mentioned, was a gentleman of a good
family in the County of Norfolk, and was probably and ancestor of a family now residing
at Coulton, in the same County, who write themselves Daveney.

    ² Osbert Berney, the other person here mentioned as dead, was not killed at this fiege;
he survived, and died without iffue some years after, when he was buried in Bradeston
Church, in Norsolk, there being a brass plate in the Chancel, having the following
inscription to his memory:

    "Hic jacet Dsnbertus, lillius joh. bernen, Armig be Rebeham Dni et oe
Branston, "

    He was the son of John Berney, Esq. by Catherine, daughter of Osbert Mundeford, of
Hockwell, esq.

    ³ Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

LETTER XCIII.

To Sir John Paston, Knight.

      I Greet you well, letting you weet that your Brother and his
          fellowship stand in great jeopardy at Caister, and lack vic-
tuals, and ^I Daw beney and ^z Berney be dead, and dievers other
greatly hurt; and they fail Gunpowder and Arrows, and the
Palce (is) sore broken with guns of the other party, so that but
(unless) they have hasty help, they be like to lose both their lives
and the place, to the greatest rebuke to you that ever came to
any gentleman, for every man in this country marvelleth greatly
that ye suffer them to be so long in so great jeopardy without
help or other remedy.

    The Duke hath been more frevently set thereupon, and more
cruel, since that Writtil, my Lord of Clarence's man was there,
than he was before, and he hath sent for all his tenants from
every place, and others, to be there at Caister on Thursday next
comming, that there is then like to be the greatest multitude of
people that came there yet; and they purpose then to make a
great assault, for they have sent for guns to Lynn and other
places, by the sea 's side, that with their great multitude of guns
with other shot and ordnance, there shall no man dare appear
in the place, they shall hold them so busy with their great
(number of) people, that it shall not lie in their power within to
hold it against them, without God help them, or (they) have
hasty succour from you; therefore, as ye will have my blessing,
I charge you and require you, that ye see your brother be holpen
in haste, and if ye can have none mean rather desire writing
from my Lord of Clarence, if he be at London, or else of my
Lord Archbishop of york, to the Duke of Norfolk, that he will
grant them that be in the place their lives and their goods, and
in eschewing of insurrections with other inconveniences that be
like to grow within the shire of Norfolk, this troublous werd
(tumultuous world), because of such conventicles and gatherings
within the said Shire, for cause of the said place, they shall suffer
him to enter upon such appointment or ther like, taken by the
advice of your counsel there at London, if ye think this be not
good, till the law hath determined otherwise, and let him write
another Letter to your brother to deliver the place up on the same
appointment ; and if ye think, as I can suppose, that the Duke
of Norfolk will not agree to this , because he granted this afore,
and they in the place would not accept it , then I would the said
messenger should with the said Letters bring from the said Lord
of Clarence, or else my Lord Archbishop, to my Lord of Ox-
ford other Letters to rescue them forthwith, though the said Earl
of Oxford should have the place during his life for his labour;
spare not this to be done in haste if ye will have their lives, and
be set by (esteemed) in Norfolk, thought ye should lose the best
manor of all for the rescous. I had lever (rather) ye lost the live-
lihood than their lives; ye must get a messenger of the Lords,
or some other notable man, to bring these Letters; do your devoir
now, and let me send you no more messengers for this matter,
but send me by the bearer hereof more certain comfort than ye
have done by all other that I sent before ' in any wise let the
Letters that shall come to the Earl of Oxford, come with the
Letters that shall come to the duke of Norfolk, that if he will
not agree to the one, that ye may have readey your rescous, that
it need no more to send, therefore god keep you. Written the
Tuesday next before Holy Rood day, in haste.

                       By your Mother

                                                                            ³ MARGARET PASTON.

    Norwich, Tuesday,

        12th of September,

        146.   9 E. IV.

    My Reders I make no doubt will be equally pleased with myself, in having so authen-
tic an account of the manners of the times placed before them, wherein a disputed title
to an estate is not contested in the Courts of Law, but by a regular and well conducted
fiege laid to the Castle claimed by the besiegers.

    Every warlike preparation is made by both parties, and the assault and desence is car-
ried on with the greatest military skill.

    The number of the besiegers is said by Blomesield to have amounted to three thousand,
while the number of those who desended the place did not exceed thirty persons; a proof
of the strength of the fortres attacked , which , with this handful of men, held out some
time.

    The anxiety of Margaret Paston for the safety of her son and his companions, interests
us in her savour , ande her advice to Sir john to apply to the Earl of Oxford for his assist-
ance to raise the siege, though, if attended with success, he should enjoy the Manor of
Caister for his life, is a curious circumstance, and throws light upon the manners and
politics of the times.

    ¹ John Dawbeney, Esq. whose death is here mentioned, was a gentleman of a good
family in the County of Norfolk, and was probably and ancestor of a family now residing
at Coulton, in the same County, who write themselves Daveney.

    ² Osbert Berney, the other person here mentioned as dead, was not killed at this fiege;
he survived, and died without iffue some years after, when he was buried in Bradeston
Church, in Norsolk, there being a brass plate in the Chancel, having the following
inscription to his memory:

    "Hic jacet Dsnbertus, lillius joh. bernen, Armig be Rebeham Dni et oe
Branston, "

    He was the son of John Berney, Esq. by Catherine, daughter of Osbert Mundeford, of
Hockwell, esq.

    ³ Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

724

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

I GRETE you wele, letyng you wete that your brother
     and his felesshep stand in grete joperte at Cayster,
     and lakke vetayll; and Dawbeney² and Berney³ be
dedde, and diverse other gretly hurt; and they fayll gunne-
powder and arrowes, and the place sore brokyn with gonnes
of the toder parte, so that, but thei have hasty help, thei be
like to lese bothe ther lyfes and the place, to the grettest
rebuke to you that ever came to any jentilman, for every man
in this countre marvaylleth gretly that ye suffre them to be so
longe in so gret joperte with ought help or other remedy.

     The Duke hathe be more fervently set therup on, and more

cruell, sith that Wretyll, my Lord of Claraunce man, was
ther, than he was befor, and he hath sent for all his tenaunts
from every place, and other, to be ther at Cayster at Thorys-
day next comyng, that ther is than like to be the grettest
multitude of pepill that came ther yet. And thei purpose
them to make a gret assaught—for thei have sent for gannes
[guns] to Lynne and other place be the seeys syde—that, with
ther gret multitude of gannes, with other shoot and ordy-
naunce, ther shall no man dar appere in the place. Thei shall
hold them so besy with ther gret pepill, that it shall not lye in
their pore within to hold it ageyn them with ought God help
them, or have hasty socour from you.

     Therfor, as ye wull have my blyssyng, I charge you and
require you that ye se your brother be holpyn in hast. And
if ye can have nonmeane, rather desire writyng fro my Lord
of Clarens, if he be at London, or ell[es] of my Lord Arche-
busshop of York, to the Duke of Norffolk, that he wull
graunte them that be in the place her lyfes and ther goodes;
and in eschewyng of insurreccions with other in convenyens
that be like to growe within the shire of Norffolk, this
trobelows werd [world], be cause of such conventicles and
gaderyngs within the seid shire for cause of the seid place,
thei shall suffre hym to entre up on such appoyntment, or
other like takyn be the advyse of your councell ther at
London, if ye thynk this be not good, till the law hath
determyned otherwyse; and lete hym write a nother letter
to your brother to deliver the place up on the same appoynt-
ment. And if ye think, as I can suppose, that the Duke of
Norffolk wull not aggre to this, be cause he graunted this
aforn, and thei in the place wuld not aceept it, than I wuld
the seid massanger shuld with the seid letters bryng fro the
seid Lord of Clarence, or ell[es] my Lord Archebusshop, to
my Lord of Oxenford, other letters to rescue them forth
with, thowghe the seid Erle of Oxenford shuld have the
place duryng his lyfe for his labour. Spare not this to be
don in hast, if ye wull have ther lyves, and be sett by in
Norffolk, though ye shuld leys the best maner of all for the
rescuse. I had lever ye last the lyffelode than ther lyfes. Ye
must gete a massanger of the Lords or sume other notabill
man to bryng ther letters.

     Do your devoir now, and lete me send you no mor
massangers for this maters; but send me be the berer her of
more certeyn comfort than ye have do be all other that I have
sent be for. In any wyse, lete the letters that shall come to
the Erle of Oxenford comyn with the letters that shall comyn
to the Duke of Norffolk, that if he wull not aggree to the ton,
that ye may have redy your rescuse that it nede no mor to
send therfor. God kepe you.

     Wretyn the Tuesday next befor Holy Rood Day, in hast.

                                                                            Be your Moder.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 382.] This and the other letters relating to the siege of
Caister are all rendered certain in point of date by the documents touching its
surrender on the 26th September.

     ² John Dawbeney, Esq.

     ³ Osbert Berney, the other person here mentioned as dead, was not killed at the
siege. He survived, and died without issue some years after, when he was buried in
Bradeston Church in Norfolk, there being a brass plate in the chancel having the
following inscription to his memory:—’Hic jacet Osbertus filius Joh. Berney, Armig.
de Redeham Dni. et de Brayston.’ He was the son of John Berney, Esq., by Catherine,
daughter of Osbert Mundeford of Hockwell, Esq.—F.

SEPT. 12

1469
SEPT. 12

1469
SEPT. 12