Richard Calle to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Richard Calle to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34889, f. 5
Date
27 February 1464
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol IV, item 558; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 20
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)

LETTER XX.

 

     To my mooste revrt and
     wurschipfull Mastre my
     M. Iohn Paston be this
     delyverd.

 

PLESITH it yor goode Mastreschip to undrestande yt I
haue receyved a byll of John Boteler weche speketh of yor
heygh at Heylesdn and of yor barly in other places but I undre-
stand not what ye wold I schulde do therin nevertheles I schal do
make it redy and as for yor heygh I schull tell you whan I come
hume And as for money at Heylesd'n I can non gete And at
Sueynesthorp I haue take iiij m'rc It' as for tidyngs the sescons
schal be at Thetford on Wednesday next comyn where I vn-
drestande M. Berney wol be wt moche people be cauce ther is
vj dayes that the prevy seale whas delyyerd hy weche he can not
                                               

doo for the vj day is to morwe there is on comen to Felbrigge to
Will' m Yelvrton on other and to Robt Rough an other And non
of them wol goo to the Kyng and the undrescherif tolde me that
ther is comen A comyscon doun to hes maistre that in cas they
Come not up to the Kyng be ther prevy seales that than he rere
the contre and take hem and bryng hem to the Kyng where so
eur he be It' Jamys Gresh'm tellethe me the same and as for
tidyngs fro Lond'n we here non but yt John Colman telleth me
that if Berney or Robt Rough come up they are like to die y' be
come to london embasetors From the Duke of Burgun' weche
cauced the Kyng to spede hy the rather to lond'n it' as for any
newe Assises at Thetford ther is non bur that hathe hanged this
v yere as the scherif tellethe me I whas p'posed to be at home
this nyght tell I had yor bille weche cauceth me to ride on to
Drayton for diurs thyngs &c. Almyghty Ihu preserve you Wretē
at Norwiche the ij munday of clene lente.     

 

                      Yor pore Beedemā and frv'nt,
                                                                                       Ric Calle.

 

                 12 by 7 ?.

          Seal, Pl. XXIII. No 8.

     An Eagle's Head erased.

              Motto illegible.

 

                Paper Marks,

                    Wheels, &C.

                PL. XXII. No 10.

 

     The Persons here mentioned to have been summoned to attend the King under his writ
of Privy Seal were at this time I suppose suspected not only of concerning themselves in
the affairs of their late sovereign Henry VI. but of acting for his interest, particularly
Berney and Rough, or such violent proceedings as that of raising the county to apprehend
them, would scarcely have been commanded : it might however be for some other cause.

If William Yelverton had offended, he soon made his peace, for he now was, and con-
tinued to be, a justice of the King's Bench.

     This embaffy from Philip Duke of Burgundy fixes the date of this Letter to the year
1461-2 as in the beginning of this year his ambassadors arrived.

     Autograph .     Pl. XVIII. No 9.

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)

                                              LETTER XX.

 

               To my most reverend and worshipful Master, my Master John
                                        Paston, be this delivered.

 

PLEASETH your good mastership to understand that I
have received a bill of John Boteler, which speaketh of
your hay at hellesdon, and of your barley in other places, but I
understand not what ye would I should do therein; nevertheless
I shall do make (have it made) ready; and as for your hay I
shall tell you when I come home; and as for money at Helles-
don I cannot get, and at Swainsthorp I have taken four marks
(2l. 13s. 4d.)

     Item, as for tidings the Sessions shall be at Therford on Wed-
nesday next coming, where I understand Master Berney will be
with much people, because there is come to him a Privy Seal
that he should be with the King within fix days (after) that the
Privy Seal was delivered him, which he cannot do, for the sixth
  

day is to-morrow; there is one come to Felbrigg, to William
Yelverton one other, and to Robert Rough another, and none
of them will go to the King; and the Under Sheriff told me
that there is come a Commission down to his Master, that in case
they come not up to the King by their Privy Seals, that then he
rear the Country and take them and bring them to the King
wheresoever he be.

     Item, James Gresham telleth me the same and as for tidings
from London we hear none, but that John Colman telleth me
that if Berney of Robert Rough come up they are like to die.

     There be come to London Ambassadors from the Duke of Bur-
gundy, which caused the King to speed him the rather to London.

     Item, as for any new Assizes at Thetford there is none but
that hath hanged this five years, as the sheriff telleth me.

     I was purposed to be at home this night till I had your bill
which causeth me to ride on to Drayton for divers things, &c.

Almighty Jesu preserve you.

     Written at Norwich, the second Monday of clean Lent.

 

                            Your poor Beadsman and Servant,
                                                                                    RICHARD CALLE.

 

  Norwich

         Monday, 15 March,

         1461-2. 2 E. IV.

 

     The Persons here mentioned to have been summoned to attend the King under his writ
of Privy Seal were at this time I suppose suspected not only of concerning themselves in
the affairs of their late sovereign Henry VI. but of acting for his interest, particularly
Berney and Rough, or such violent proceedings as that of raising the county to apprehend
them, would scarcely have been commanded : it might however be for some other cause.

If William Yelverton had offended, he soon made his peace, for he now was, and con-
tinued to be, a justice of the King's Bench.

     This embaffy from Philip Duke of Burgundy fixes the date of this Letter to the year
1461-2 as in the beginning of this year his ambassadors arrived.

     Autograph .     Pl. XVIII. No 9.
Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume IV'

558

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON1

 

To my mooste reverent and wurchipfull mastre, my
Mastre John Paston, be this delyverd.

      PLESITH it your goode mastreschip to undrestande that
          I have receyved a byll of John Boteler, weche speketh
          of your heygh at Heylesdn, and of your barly in other
places, but I undrestand not what ye wold I schulde do therin;
nevertheles I schal do make it redy. And as for your heygh I
schull tell you whan I come hume; and as for money at Hey-
lesdon I can non gete, and at Sueynesthorp I have take iiij.
marc.

     Item, as for tidyngs the Sescions schal be at Thetford on
Wednesday next comyng, where I undrestande Mr. Berney
wol be with moche people, be cauce ther is come to hym a
Prevy Seale that he schuld be with the Kyng within vj. dayes
that the Prevy Seale whas delyverd hym, weche he can not doo,
for the vj. day is to morwe. Ther is on comen to Felbrigge,
to William Yelverton on other, and to Robert Rough an other,
and non of them wol goo to the Kyng; and the Undrescherif
tolde me that ther is comen a comyscion doun to hes maistre,
that in cas they come not up to the Kyng be ther Prevy Seales,
that than he rere the contre and take hem and bryng hem to
the Kyng wher so ever he be.

     Item, Jamys Gresham tellethe me the same, and as for
tidyngs fro London we here non, but that John Colman telleth
me that if Berney or Robert Rough come up they are like to
die.

     Ther be come to London Embasetors from the Duke of
Burgundy, weche cauced the Kyng to spede hym the rather to
London.

     Item, as for any newe assises at Thetford ther is non but
that hathe hanged this v. yere, as the Scherif tellethe me.

     I whas purposed to be at home this nyght tell I had your
bille, weche cauceth me to ride on to Drayton for divers thyngs,
&c. Almyghty Jesu preserve you.

     Wreten at Norwiche, the ij. Munday of clene Lente.

Your pore beedeman and servaunt,

                                                                                    RIC. CALLE.

     1 [From Fenn, iv. 72.] This letter and the next both mention assizes at Thetford.
The latter, which is dated on Wednesday, the last (29th) day of February, and which
was certainly written in the year 1464, mention them as being held on that very day.
The present letter, dated on the second Monday in Lent, says they are to be held on
Wednesday following. Now the second Monday in Lent 1464 fell on the 27th of
February, that is to say just two days before that particular Wednesday on which we
know that the assizes really were held. This alone seems almost sufficient evidence
of the date of the letter. As for the King’s going up to London, it appears by the
dates of the Privy Seals that on the 9th February he was at Gloucester, on the 16th
and 17th at Kimbolton; and it is stated in the next letter that he was at Waltham on
the 27th, which shows that he really was moving towards the capital. This was not
the case in 1462, the year to which Fenn assigns the letter; nor do I know his
authority for stating that there was a Burgundian Embassy in the beginning of that year.

 

 

 

 

 

FEB. 27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1464
FEB. 27