Sir Edmund Bedingfield to John Paston

Add. 27446, f. 64

16 May 1487

Gairdner, Vol VI, item 1014; Fenn, Vol V, Henry VII item 7

LETTER VII.

Un to my Ryght Wurshypfull
Cosyn John Paston Esquyer for
the body

RYGHTZ Wurshypfull Cosyn I Recomawnd me on to you
as hertly as J can letyng you wytte J was w^t my lorde
Stuarde as on Munday laste paste by the desyir of them y^t
J myght not sey ney to I herde all that was seyd there but
they gaate non avawntage wurde nor promyse of me but
they thought Jn asmoche as they ware the beste Jn the
shere y^t eu˜y man owghte to wayte and go w^t them wherto
y^t was answerd that ou^r mast^r nexte the Kynge havynge hys
Comysshon muste nedys haue the Ientylmen And the
Contre to A wayte up on hym by the vertu of the same but y^t
was thought J owght not to obeye no copy of the Comisshon
w^t oute J had the same und^r wexe where Jn hathe ben gret
Argume˜t whyche J und^rstoode by Reporte A fortnyte paste
And that Causyd me to sende unto my lorde to haue the
very Comysshon whyche he sente me And a lett^r where of
J sende you y^e copy here Jn Closyd As for you y^e be sore
takyn Jn sum place seying y^t y^e Jnte˜de swyche thyngs as
ys lyke to folow gret myscheffe J seyd J undyrstood non
swyche nor thyngs lyke y^t And y^t ys thoughte y^e Jntende
nat to go forthe thys Jorneye nor no Jentylma˜ Jn y^t quart^r
but Rob’t Brandon that hath promysyd to go w^t them As
they seye J und^rsto˜de S^r Wyll’m ¹Bolen And S^r Harry
²Heydon were at thatforde Jn to Kente ward but they
Returnyd Jn to Norff A geyne I thynke they wull not goo
thys Jorney yf the Kynge nede S^r Harry was At Attylborow
on Sat^rday J wene he had A vyce there to turne a zen
wher for Cosyn y^t ys good to und^rstonde the s^rtente what
Jentylme˜ Jntende to goo And be assuryd to go togey^r y^t J
may haue wurde my Cosyn Hoptun hathe p’mysyd that he
wull be oon As for Wysman he seythe he wull be of the
same but I can haue no holde fury^rmore ³Cosyn y^t ys seyd
y^t aft^r my lordys departyng to the Kynge y^e ware mette at
Barkwey whyche ys construid that ye had ben w˜ the lady
lovell but Wrathe seyd neu^r well And Jn Asmoche as we
und^rstonde my lordys ples’ y^t ys well doon we dele wysly
y’aft^r And nexte to the Kynge J answerd pleynly I was
bownde to do hym s^ruice And to fullfylle hys comawndme˜t
to the vtt^rmest of my powere by the g’ce of god Who
eu^r p’s˜ue you to hys ples’ Wretyn at Oxburgh the xvj day
of Maye.

Yo^r Cosen

⁴E BEDYNGFELD.

     8¾ by 8.
           Paper Mark.
            A Unicorn.
          Pl. xii. No. 23.

This letter, and the next, were written whilst the rebellion, headed by the
Earl of Lincoln, in favour of Lambert Simnel, was on foot. The rebels were
now in Ireland, on their way to England, where they arrived very soon, and
were defeated by the King’s forces, at the battle of Stoke by Newark, in the
following month.

Lord Lovel had a command in the rebel army, and is supposed to have been
either slain in the battle or drowned in the Trent, as he was endeavouring to
escape.

¹ Sir William Boleyn, of Blickling, had been made a Knight of the Bath at
the Coronation of Richard III. He died in 1505.

² Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, Knight, had been Steward of the
Household to Cecilia Duchess of York, and died in 1503.

³ J. Paston seems to have been suspected of favouring the Lord Lovel.

⁴ Sir Edmund Bedingfeld was made a Knight of the Bath at the Coronation
of Richard III.; he was likewise in high favour with Henry VII. who paid him
a royal visit at Oxburgh, in Norfolk. He died in 1496. He seems to under-
stand the politics of the time, and to have been earnest for the interest of his
sovereign and his friends.

Autograph, Pl. vi. No. 30.

LETTER VII.

Unto my Right Worshipful Cousin, John Paston, Esquire for
the body (to the King’s Majesty, prout patet alibi per ejus
literam.)

RIGHT worshipful Cousin, I recommend me unto you as
heartily as I can, letting you weet I was with my Lord
Steward as on Monday last past, by the desire of them that
I might not say nay to; I heard all that was said there, but
they got none advantage, word, nor promise of me, but they
thought, in as much as they were the best in the shire, that
every man ought to wait and go with them; whereto it was
was answered, that our master, next the King, having his
commission, must needs have the gentlemen and the country
to await upon him by the vertue of the same; but it was
thought I ought not to obey no copy of the commission,
without I had the same under wax, wherein hath been great
argument, which I understood by report a fortnight past;
and that caused me to send unto my Lord to have the very
commission, which he sent me, and a letter, whereof I send
you the copy herein closed.

As for you, ye be sore taken in some place, saying that
ye intend such things as is like to follow great mischief; I
said I understood none such, nor things like it; and it is
thought ye intend not to go forth this journey, nor no gen-
tleman in that quarter but Robert Brandon, that hath pro-
mised to go with them, as they say.

I understand Sir William ¹Boleyn and Sir Harry ²Heydon
were at Thetford into Kent ward, but they returned into
Norfolk again; I think they will not go this journey, if the
King need. Sir Harry was at Attleborough on Saturday;
I ween he had advice there to turn again; wherefore, Cousin,
it is good to understand the certainty what gentlemen intend
to go; and be assured to go together, that I may have
word; my Cousin Hopton hath promised that he will be
one. As for Wiseman, he saith he will be of the same, but
I can have no hold. Furthermore, ³Cousin, it is said, that
after my Lord’s departing to the King ye were at Barkway,
which is construed that ye had been with the Lady Lovel,
but wrath said never well; and inasmuch as we understand
my Lord’s pleasure, it is well done [that] we deal wisely
thereafter. And, next to the King, I answered plainly, I
was bound to do him service, and to fulfil his command-
ment to the utmost of my power, by the grace of God, who
ever preserve you to his pleasure. Written at Oxburgh, the
16th day of May.

Your Cousin,

EDMUND ⁴BEDINGFELD.

             Oxburgh,
     Wednesday, 16th May,
           1487. 2 H. vii.

This letter, and the next, were written whilst the rebellion, headed by the
Earl of Lincoln, in favour of Lambert Simnel, was on foot. The rebels were
now in Ireland, on their way to England, where they arrived very soon, and
were defeated by the King’s forces, at the battle of Stoke by Newark, in the
following month.

Lord Lovel had a command in the rebel army, and is supposed to have been
either slain in the battle or drowned in the Trent, as he was endeavouring to
escape.

¹ Sir William Boleyn, of Blickling, had been made a Knight of the Bath at
the Coronation of Richard III. He died in 1505.

² Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, Knight, had been Steward of the
Household to Cecilia Duchess of York, and died in 1503.

³ J. Paston seems to have been suspected of favouring the Lord Lovel.

⁴ Sir Edmund Bedingfeld was made a Knight of the Bath at the Coronation
of Richard III.; he was likewise in high favour with Henry VII. who paid him
a royal visit at Oxburgh, in Norfolk. He died in 1496. He seems to under-
stand the politics of the time, and to have been earnest for the interest of his
sovereign and his friends.

Autograph, Pl. vi. No. 30.

1014

SIR EDMUND BEDINGFIELD TO JOHN PASTON¹

Un to my ryght wurshypfull cosyn, John Paston, Esquyer,
for the Body.

     RYGHT wurshypfull cosyn, I recomawnd me un to you
         as hertly as I can, letyng you wytte I was with my
         Lorde Stuarde² as on Munday laste paste, by the
desyir of them that I myght not sey ney to. I herde all that
was seyd there, but they gaate non avawntage, wurde, nor
promyse off me; but they thought in asmoche as they ware
the beste in the shere, that every man owghte to wayte and go
with them. Wherto yt was answerd that oure master,³ nexte
the Kynge, havynge hys commysshon, muste nedys have the
jentylmen and the contre to a wayte up on hym by the vertu
of the same; but yt was thought I owght not to obeye no
copy of the commisshon, withoute I had the same under wexe,
where in hathe ben gret argument, whyche I understoode by
reporte a fortnyte paste, and that causyd me to sende unto my
lorde to have the very commysshon, whyche he sente me, and
a letter, where off I sende you the copy here in closyd.

As for you, ye be sore takyn in sum place, seying that ye
intende swyche thynges as ys lyke to folow gret myscheffe. I
seyd I undyrstood non swyche, nor thynges lyke it; and yt ys
thoughte ye intende nat to go forthe thys jorneye, nor no
jentylman in that quarter but Robert Brandon that hath
promysyd to go with them, as they seye.

I understonde Sir Wylliam Bolen⁴ and Sir Harry Heydon⁵
ware at Thetforde in to Kente ward, but they returnyd in to
Norffolk a geyne; I thynke they wull not goo thys jorney, yff
the Kynge nede. Ser Harry was at Attylborow on Saterday.
I wene he had a vyce there to turne a zen; wher for, cosyn,
yt ys good to understonde the sertente what jentylmen intende
to goo, and be assuryd to go together, that I may have wurde;
my cosyn Hoptun hathe promysyd that he wull be oon. As
fore Wysman, he seythe he wull be off the same, but I can
have no holde.

Furthermore, cosyn, yt ys seyd that after my lordys
departyng to the Kynge ye ware mette at Barkwey, whyche ys
construid that ye had ben with the Lady Lovell, but wrathe
seyd never well; and in asmoche as we understonde my
lordys plesur, yt ys well doon we dele wysly therafter. And,
nexte to the Kynge, I answerd pleynly I was bownde to do
him service, and to fullfylle hys comaundment to the uttermest
off my powere, by the grace off God, Who ever preserve you
to Hys plesur.

Wretyn at Oxburgh, the xvj. day of Maye.

Your cosyn, E. BEDYNGFELD.¹

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter and that which follows were written
during the period of Lambert Simnel’s rebellion. The rebels were at this time in
Ireland, but they soon after invaded England, and were defeated at the battle of
Stoke on the 16th June 1487. Francis, Viscount Lovel, took part in the movement,
and is supposed to have perished in the battle, or shortly after it.

² John Ratcliff, Lord Fitzwalter.—See Campbell’s Materials for a History of
Henry VII., i. 92, 241.

³ Probably the Earl of Oxford.—See next letter.

⁴ Sir William Boleyn, of Blickling, had been made a Knight of the Bath at the
Coronation of Richard III. He died in 1505.—F.

⁵ Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, Knight, had been steward of the household
to Cecilia, Duchess of York, and died in 1503.—F.

¹ Sir Edmund Bedingfeld was made a Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of
Richard III. He was likewise in high favour with Henry VII., who paid him a royal
visit at Oxburgh, in Norfolk. He died in 1496.—F.

1487
MAY 16