Richard Southwell to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Richard Southwell to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 108
Date
?6 October 1454
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol III, item 262; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 94
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER XCIV.

           To the Right Revrent and
           Worshippfull Iohn Paston
           in haste.

RIGHT Revrent and Worshippfull Sr And my right trusti
     and welbelovid Cosin I recomaund me unto you praiyng
you hertily to remembr me unto my mastr Radclyff so that by
yor gode meanes I shall mowe have his gode mastrshipp the
whiche I have effectuelly to my power sewed fore this iij yer
and nevr desrved the cont’rye to my knowlegge by my trouth
and if it can or may be founden that I have I will obeye me and
offr’ me to Abyde the rewle of you and my Cosin yor brothir
&c. Also my lord of 1 Cauntrbury mastr Waltier 2 Blakette will
help forthe if nede be And as to the Remen’nt of the lordes if
the case requir that ye may understand by yor. Wysdum thei be
displeased with me as I trust to God thei be not I beseche you to
Remembr that I have aforetyme ben accused unto the King’s
highnesse and the Quenes for owyng my pore gode will and
srvice unto my lord of York and oyr &c. Wherof I suppose that
Thomas Bagh’m is remembred that I brought hym oones from
my lady a purs and v m’rc therin and to Sr. Phelipp Wenteworth
an oyr and a Cs therin for their gode will and advise therin to my
lady and all us that wer appelled for that cause notwithstanding
the king wrote to my lord by the meanes of the Duc of 3Somr-
sette that we shuld be avoyded from hym &c. And within this
ij yer we wer in like wise labored ageyns to the Quene so that
she wrote to my4 lord to avoyde us saiyng that the King and she
coude nor myght in no wise be assured of hym and my lady as
long as we wer aboute hym wt much oyr thing as may be suffi-
ciently p’ved by the Quenes Writing under herr own signett and
signe manuell the whiche I shewd to my lord of Caunterbury
and oyr lordes &c. I prey you haue me excused that I encombr
you wt thees matiers at this tyme for me thinketh ye shuld will
and desire me to do any thing to yor honr and pleas’ at any tyme
Wherto I shal be redy and welwilled to my power by the grace
of God who haue you evr in his keping and all yores Writon at
Norwiche on seint Feithes day in haste.

                                                                       Yores,

                                                                                             5 Ric.
                                                                                          Suthwell.

           11 ? by 6 ?.

             Paper Mark,
       A Bull’s Head and Star.
              Pl. VIII. No 2.

     Norwich, 6th of October,
          About 1460. 39 H. VI.

     This Letter appears to have been written towards the latter end of the reign of
Henry VI. and refers to some former transactions when he appears to have been a re-
tainer to the Duke of York, the exact date cannot be ascertained.

     1 Thomas Bourchier.

     2 This family came originally from the bishoprick of Durham, and a descendant of
it was created a Baronet in 1673.

      3  . . . . . . Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.

     4 John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, in whose household R. Southwell had an ap-
pointment.

     5 Richard Southwell married Amy, daughter and co-heir of Sir Edmund Wiching-
ham, of Wood-Rising, in Norfolk, and then made that his place of residence. His
mother was of the family of Berry, and by that mean he became related to the Pastons.

     Autograph. Pl. XX. No 27.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

LETTER XCIV.

 

To the right reverend and worshipful John Paston, in haste.

 

RIGHT reverend and worshipful Sir, and my right trusty
     and well-beloved Cousin, I recommend me unto you,
praying you heartily to remember me unto my Master Radcliff,
so that by your good means I shall and may have his good
mastership, the which I have effectually to my power sued for
this three years, and never deserved the contrary to my know-
ledge, by my truth, and if it can or may be found that I have,
I will obey (submit) me, and offer me to abide the rule of you
and my Cousin your Brother, &c.

     Also my Lord of 1 Canterbury, (and) Master Walter 2 Blacket
will help forth, if need be, and as to the remanent of the Lords,
if the case require that ye may understand by your wisdom they
be displeased with me, as I trust to God they be not, I beseech
you to remember that I have afore time been accused unto the
King’s Highness and the Queen’s for owing my poor good will
and service unto my Lord of York and others, &c. whereof I
suppose that Thomas Bagham is remembered that I brought him
once from my Lady a purse and five Marks (3l. 6s. 8d.) therein,
and to Sir Philip Wentworth another, and an hundred Shillings
therein for their good will, and advice therein to my Lady and
all us that were appealed for that case, notwithstanding the King
wrote to my Lord by the means of the 3 Duke of Somerset, that
we should be avoided from him, &c. And within this two years
we were in like wise laboured against to the Queen, so that she
wrote to my  4 Lord to avoid us, saying that the King and she
could nor might in no wise be assured of him and my Lady as
long as we were about him, with much other thing, as may be
sufficiently proved by the Queen’s writing under her own signet
and sign manual, the which I shewed to my Lord of Canterbury
and other Lords, &c.

     I pray you have me excused that I encumber you with these
matters at this time, for me thinketh ye should will and desire
me to do any thing to your honour and pleasure at any time,
whereto I shall be ready and well-willed ever to my power by
the grace of God, who have you ever in his keeping, and all
yours.

     Written at Norwich, on Saint Faith’s day, in haste.

                              Yours,

                                                            5 RICHARD SOUTHWELL.

            11 ½ by 6 ½.

             Paper Mark,
       A Bull’s Head and Star.
              Pl. VIII. No 2.

    Norwich, 6th of October,
          About 1460. 39 H. VI.

     This Letter appears to have been written towards the latter end of the reign of
Henry VI. and refers to some former transactions when he appears to have been a re-
tainer to the Duke of York, the exact date cannot be ascertained.

     1 Thomas Bourchier.

     2 This family came originally from the bishoprick of Durham, and a descendant of
it was created a Baronet in 1673.

     3  . . . . . . Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.

     4 John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, in whose household R. Southwell had an ap-
pointment.

 

     5 Richard Southwell married Amy, daughter and co-heir of Sir Edmund Wiching-
ham, of Wood-Rising, in Norfolk, and then made that his place of residence. His
mother was of the family of Berry, and by that mean he became related to the Pastons.

     Autograph. Pl. XX. No 27.

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

262

 

RICHARD SOUTHWELL TO JOHN PASTON2

 

To the right reverent and worshippfull John Paston, in haste.

   RIGHT reverent and worshippfull Sir, and my right
     trusti and welbelovid cosin, I recomaund me unto
     you, praiyng you hertily to remembr me unto my
Master Radclyff, so that by your gode meanes I shall mowe

have his gode mastershipp, the whiche I have effectuelly to
[m]y power sewed fore iij. yer, and never deserved the con-
trarye to my knowlegge, by my trouth; and if it can or
may be founden that I have, I will obeye me, and offre me
to abyde the rewle of you and my cosin your brothir, &c.

     Also my Lord of Caunterbury1 Master Waltier Bl[a]kette
will help forthe, if nede be; and as to the remenant of the
Lordes, if the case requir that ye may understand by your
wysdum thei be displeased with me—as I trust to God thei
be not,—I beseche you to remembr that I have aforetyme
b[en] accused unto the Kings Highnesse and the Quenes for
owyng my pore gode will and service unto my Lord of York
and other, &c. Wherof I suppose that Thomas Bagham is
remembred that I brought hym oones from my Lady a purs
and v. marc therin, and to Sir Phelipp Wenteworth an other
and a Cs. [100s.] therin for their gode will and advise therin
to my Lady and all us that were appelled for that cause, not-
withstanding the King wrote to my Lord by the meanes of
the Duc of Somersette,2 that we shuld be avoyded from hym,
&c. And within this ij. yer we wer in like wise laboured
ageyns to the Quene, so that she wrote to my Lord3 to
avoyde us, saiyng that the King and she coude nor myght
in no wyse be assured of hym and my Lady as long as we
wer aboute hym, with much other thing, as may be sufficiently
proved by the Quenes writing under herr own signett and
signe manuell, the whiche I shewd to my Lord of Caunterbury
and other Lordes, &c.

     I prey you have me excused that I encombr you with
thees matiers at this tyme, for me thinketh ye shuld will and
desire me to do any thing to your honour and pleaser at any
tyme, wherto I shal be redy and welwilled to my power by
the grace of God, who have you ever in his keping, and all
youres.

     Writon at Norwiche, on Seint Feithes day, in haste.

                                       Youres,                     RIC. SUTHWELL.

     2 [From Fenn, iii. 376.] This letter must have been written during one of the
periods of the Duke of York’s ascendency, and on a comparison of possible years I
am inclined to assign it to 1454. The date 1460, to which Fenn ascribes it, would
have been highly probable but for the fact that John Paston, who was returned to
Parliament in that year, does not appear to have arrived in London even on the 12th
October, so that probably he had not left. Norwich on the 6th.

 

     1 Thomas Bourchier.

     2 Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.

     3 John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, in whose household R. Southwell had an
appointment.—F.

 

 

 

1454 (?)
OCT. 6

 

 

1454(?)
OCT. 6