Sir John Fastolf to Stephen Scroope

LETTER XII.

A Stevyn Scrope.

WORSCHEPEFUL and my right wel beloved Sone I
     comaund me to yow and hertily thank yow for yo^r good
Av^rtismentys And right well avysed l’res to me sent from tyme
to tyme and so pray yow of your good continuance plese it
yow to wete yat for as mech as y^s p^rson S^r Thom’s Howes
cometh up at this tyme by the grevous pursewte of John
Andreus and Heydon to apere be fore ye Right Worschepeful S^r
my right wel be loved brother yo^r fadir and other ye kynges
Juges of ye Kynges benche I p’y zow hertily y^t ye wille have
in remembraunce for to recomaund me to hym whan ye speke
with hym And for to thank hym for his rightful favo^r shewed
in S^r Thom’s matier and in alle other matiers yat toucheth me
wheche ben attained in yat hey Courte And so it lyke yow pray
hym of his good continuance And I shall doo serve it unto hym
to my symple power for his good wyl to me shewed and to
myne And I trust to god yat he shal hold hym plesid And yat
it like yow to geve credence to ye seid S^r Thom’s of yat he shall
sey to zow for my Worschepe and p’fyte And y^t this l’re may
recomaund me to my doghtir yo^r wyf be sechyng ye blissed
Trinite to sende yow ye Acomplyshment of yo^r good desyre
Wretyn at Castre ye xxx day of Octobr.

                                                                                        J. F.

At the bottom, in a hand more modern than that of the letter, is written, “This Stephen
Scroope was sonne to Dame Millicent, late wife to Sir J. Fastolf, and, as seemeth by this
Lrē, maryed the daughter of Justice Yelverton, whereby the said Sir John called hym
brother.”

     This Letter is written in an easy yet respectful style, and the thanks of the writer are
hinted in the most delicate manner, for the “rightful favours” conferred upon him.

     Sir William Yelverton was appointed a Judge of the King’s Bench, in 1444. 23 H. VI.
and was continued in that high office by Edward IV.

 Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 15.

     It appears from a Letter of William Paston, to his brother John Paston, dated 6th of
September 1454, that Scroope was then either a Bachelor or Widower, a marriage being
in contemplation at that time, between him and their Sister Elizabeth. From the ex-
pressions there used, I am apt to believe he was then a Widower. If so, this Letter was
written before that year.

         10 by 5 ?.

         Paper Mark,
      Bull’s Head and Star.
          Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

            Caister,
            30th of October.
            Between 1444 and 1454. 23 and 33 H. VI.

LETTER XII.

To Stephen Scroope.

WORSHIPFUL and my right well beloved Son, I
     commend me to you, and heartily thank you for your
good advertisements, and right well advised Letters to me sent
from time to time, and so pray you of your good continuance.

     Please it you to weet, that for as much as the Parson Sir
Thomas Howes cometh up at this time by the grievous pursuit
of John Andrews and Heydon to appear before the right wor-
shipful Sir, my right well beloved brother, your father, and
other the King’s Judges of the King’s Bench; I pray you
heartily that ye will have in remembrance for to recommend
me to him, when ye speak with him, and for to thank him for
his rightful favour shewed in Sir Thomas’s matter, and in all
other matters that toucheth me, which be attained in that High
Court; and so it like you pray him of his good continuance,
and I shall do serve it unto him [recompence him] to my simple
power for his good will to me shewed, and to mine, and I trust
to God that he shall hold him pleased; and that it like you to
give credence to the said Sir Thomas of that he shall say to you
or my worship and profit, and that this Letter may recommend
me to my daughter your wife, beseeching the blessed Trinity to
send you the accomplishment of your good desire.

     Written at Caister, the 30th day of Octoer.

                                                                JOHN FASTOLF.

At the bottom, in a hand more modern than that of the letter, is written, “This Stephen
Scroope was sonne to Dame Millicent, late wife to Sir J. Fastolf, and, as seemeth by this
Lrē, maryed the daughter of Justice Yelverton, whereby the said Sir John called hym
brother.”

     This Letter is written in an easy yet respectful style, and the thanks of the writer are
hinted in the most delicate manner, for the “rightful favours” conferred upon him.

     Sir William Yelverton was appointed a Judge of the King’s Bench, in 1444. 23 H. VI.
and was continued in that high office by Edward IV.

 Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 15.

     It appears from a Letter of William Paston, to his brother John Paston, dated 6th of
September 1454, that Scroope was then either a Bachelor or Widower, a marriage being
in contemplation at that time, between him and their Sister Elizabeth. From the ex-
pressions there used, I am apt to believe he was then a Widower. If so, this Letter was
written before that year.

  10 by 5 ?.

         Paper Mark,
      Bull’s Head and Star.
          Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

            Caister,
            30th of October.
            Between 1444 and 1454. 23 and 33 H. VI.

360

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO STEPHEN SCROOPE³

A Stevyn Scrope.

WORSCHEPEFUL and my right wel beloved Sone,
     I comaund me to yow, and hertily thank yow for
     your good avertismentys, and right well avysed
lettres to me sent from tyme to tyme, and so pray yow of
your good continuance.

 Plese it yow to wete that, for as mech as the parson Sir
Thomas Howes cometh up at this tyme by the grevous pur-
sewte of John Andreus and Heydon, to apere be fore the right
worschepeful Sir, my right wel be loved brother, your fadir,¹
and other the Kynges Juges of the Kynges Benche,—I pray
zow hertily that ye wille have in remembraunce for to recomaund
me to hym whan ye speke with hym, and for to thank hym for
his rightful favour shewed in Sir Thomas matier, and in alle
other maters that toucheth me, wheche ben attained in that hey
courte; and so it lyke yow, pray hym of his good continuance,
and I shall doo serve it unto hym to my symple power for his
good wyl to me shewed, and to myne; and I trust to God
that he shal hold hym plesid. And that it like yow to geve
credence to the seid Sir Thomas of that he shal sey to zow for
my worschepe and profyte, and that this lettre may recomaund
me to my doghtir your wyf, be sechyng the blissed Trinite to
sende yow the acomplyshment of your good desyre.

     Wretyn at Castre, the xxx. day of Octobr.

     ³ [From Fenn, iii. 42.] The date of this letter is clearly the same as that of the
last, with only a day’s difference.

    ¹ On comparing this letter with the last, the person here referred to would seem to
be Justice Yelverton. Mr. Poulett Scrope, however, in his privately printed History of
Castlecombe (p. 277), says it was Sir Richard Bingham, whose daughter Joan Stephen
Scrope had by this time married. It is quite possible that Fastolf sent a similar
message to Bingham by Scrope, and to Yelverton by Paston and Howes.

OCT. 30

1457

OCT. 30