Richard, Duke of York, to John Paston

LETTER XXI.

To our right trusty and welbeloved John Paston Esquire,

The Duc of York.

         RIGHT trusty and welbeloved We grete yow hertily wel
               and of your benivolence aide and tendre love by yow at
thinstance and at y^e reverence of Us to our Right trusty and
welbeloved in God The Prio^r and Convent of the hows of
Our Lady of Walsingham of our Patronage in suche mat^res as
they had adoo for c^rtain lyvelood by tham claymed to belonge
unto ye seid hows favorably and tendrely shewed as hertily as
we can we thank yow, and desire and pray yow of your good
continuance.

     And as fer as right lawe and good conscience wol to have in
favorable recom’endacion suche p’sonnes as been or shal bee cō-
mitted to take possession and saison in y^e name, and to ye use of
our ful worshipful Nepueu Therl of Warrewic in and of y^e

Manoirs and Lordeships of Boules and Walcots w^t yappertenaun-
tes in litel Snoring in ye Countee of Norff’ as our grete trust
is unto yow.

     And God have yow in his keping.

     Yeven undre our Signet at our Castel of Sandhall y^e xix day of
August.

 A. York.

12 by 4.

Sandal Castle,
              19th of August,
              1454, or 1455,
              32 or 33 H. VI.

 This Letter of the Duke of York, written by his Secretary, with his title at the top
and in the regal Style, was most probably sent when he was Protector of the Kingdom in
1454, or 1455.

     It is sealed on red wax, with his own signet, having the Arms of France and England
quarterly, and a Label of three points argent, charged with nine torteauxes.

The purport of the first part of it, is to thank J. Paston, for some services done by him,
in regard to some disputes, which the Prior and Convent of Walsingham had had,
relative to some Estates.

     The Orthography of this and of the Earl of Warwick’s Letter, differs very little from
the modern mode of Spelling.

 Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, &c. Father of Edward IV. Protector of the
Kingdom, under Henry VI. was slain, when very near the summit of his wishes, the
Throne, in the battle of Wakefield, in December 1460, having been imprudently
tempted out of his Castle of Sandal, by the Menaces and Defiances of Queen Mar-
garet

   He married Cecily, Daughter of Ralph Nevile, Earl of Westmoreland, and Sister to
Richard Nevile, Earl of Salisbury, Father of the Earl of Warwick.

     The Signature is copied from one subscribed to an Indenture between him and Sir
John Fastolf, on depositing some Jewels with Sir John for a Loan of Money, dated at
Fodringey, 18th of December, 1452, 31 H. VI. Pl. I. N^o 4.

LETTER XXI.

To our right trusty and well beloved John Paston, Esquire.

The Duke of York.

       RIGHT trusty and well beloved, We greet you heartily well.
            And of your benevolence, aid, and tender love by you,
at the instance and at the reverence of Us, to our right trusty
and well beloved in God, The Prior and Convent of the House
of Our Lady of Walsingham, of our Patronage, in such
matters as they had ado (business) for certain Livelyhood,
by them claimed to belong unto the said House, favourably and
tenderly shewed, as heartily as We can, We thank you.
And desire and pray you of your good continuance.

     And as far as right, law, and good conscience will, to have in
favourable recommendation such Persons as (have) been, or
shall be, committed to take possession and seisin, in the name,
and to the use of our full worshipful Nephew, The Earl of
Warwick, in and of the Manors and Lordships of Bowle’s
and Walcote?s with the Appurtenances in Little Snoring, in
the County of Norfolk, as our great trust is unto you. And
God have you in his keeping.

     Given under our Signet, at our Castle of Sandal, the 19th
day of August.

A. York.

12 by 4.

Sandal Castle,
              19th of August,
              1454, or 1455,
              32 or 33 H. VI.

 This Letter of the Duke of York, written by his Secretary, with his title at the top
and in the regal Style, was most probably sent when he was Protector of the Kingdom in
1454, or 1455.

     It is sealed on red wax, with his own signet, having the Arms of France and England
quarterly, and a Label of three points argent, charged with nine torteauxes.

The purport of the first part of it, is to thank J. Paston, for some services done by him,
in regard to some disputes, which the Prior and Convent of Walsingham had had,
relative to some Estates.

     The Orthography of this and of the Earl of Warwick’s Letter, differs very little from
the modern mode of Spelling.

 Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, &c. Father of Edward IV. Protector of the
Kingdom, under Henry VI. was slain, when very near the summit of his wishes, the
Throne, in the battle of Wakefield, in December 1460, having been imprudently
tempted out of his Castle of Sandal, by the Menaces and Defiances of Queen Mar-
garet

   He married Cecily, Daughter of Ralph Nevile, Earl of Westmoreland, and Sister to
Richard Nevile, Earl of Salisbury, Father of the Earl of Warwick.

     The Signature is copied from one subscribed to an Indenture between him and Sir
John Fastolf, on depositing some Jewels with Sir John for a Loan of Money, dated at
Fodringey, 18th of December, 1452, 31 H. VI. Pl. I. N^o 4.

256

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK, TO JOHN PASTON¹

To our right trusty and welbeloved John Paston, Esquire.
The Duc of York.

   RIGHT trusty and welbeloved, we grete yow hertily wel.
     And of your benivolence, aide, and tendre love by
     yow, at th’instance and at the reverence of us, to our
right trusty and welbeloved in God, the prior and convent of
the hows of Our Lady of Walsingham, of our patronage, in
suche matres as they had adoo for certain lyvelood by tham
claymed to belonge unto the seid hows, favorably and tendrely
shewed,—as hertily as we can we thank yow, and desire and
pray yow of your good continuance; and as far as right, lawe,
and good conscience wol, to have in favorable recommendacion
suche personnes as been or shal bee committed to take pos-
session and saison, in the name and to the use of our ful
worshipful nepveu, th’erl of Warrewic, in and of the manoirs
and Lordeships of Boules and Walcots,¹ with th’appertenauntes
in Litel Snoring in the countee of Norffolk, as our grete trust
is unto yow. And God have yow in His keping.

     Yeven undre our signet at our castel of Sandhall the xix.
day of August.

                                                                                              R. YORK.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 92.] This and the following letter could hardly have been
written in any year except 1454 or 1455, when the Duke of York was in power. In
the former year he is very likely to have been at his own castle of Sandal on the 19th
August, seeing that on the 24th July he was commissioned to convey the Duke of
Exeter to Pomfret Castle.

     ¹ According to Blomefield (vii. 186), Catherine, widow of John Cokerell of
Albergh Wykes in Suffolk, died seised of the manors of Walcotes and Boles in 6
Henry VI., which she left, with others, to Catherine, daughter of John Cokerell,
junior, her son, who died before his father. This younger Catherine died a minor in
10 Henry VI., and the jury knew not who was her heir. In 29 Henry VI. George
Heath of Mildenhall released to Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham, all his rights in
Walcotes and Boles; but in the 18th of Henry VII. Christopher Conyers and Alice
his wife conveyed it to the Heydons. Of its having been purchased by the Earl of
Warwick or having belonged to the Prior of Walsingham, as stated in the next letter,
Blomefield tells us nothing except that Richard, Earl of Warwick, presented to the
rectory of Snoring Parva in 1460 and 1466.

1454
AUG. 19

1454
AUG. 19