Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

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Title
Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston
Reference
Add. 27445, f. 102
Date
27 May 1476
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol V, item 891; Fenn, Vol V, Edward IV item 32
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume V' (1st transcript)

LETTER XXXII.

 

To Mestresse Margret Paston,
      in Norwyche or to hyr Sone
      John Paston K’

 

PLEASE it yow to weete yt as for my maters and theye
appeyr nott the doo blessyd be godde as well as I wolde
they dyd saffe that it shalle cost me grett mony and it hathe
cost me moche laboor it is soo yt the Kynge most have C
m’rke and other costs will drawe xl m’rke and my matr is
examynyd by the Kyngs cowncell and declaryd a foor all
                                                                                        . . . .
the lords and nowe lakkythe noo thynge but the pryvy
                                                            ....
seals and wryghtyng to Mastr Colvill to avoide For the
.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..
Kyng hath promysed me as moche as I wolde he sholde
fullefille and alle the lords Jugs seriaunts have affermyd my
title goode. Nott wtstandyng sowthewell Jams Hubberde
and Sr W. Braundon wher at ther owne desyrs offryd to
afferme and advowe my tytell for goode and yt my lorde of
Norff yt ded is had noo tytell thett they knywe they tolde
my tale as ille as they cowde and yitt a lye or too to helpe
it and yit it servyth them nott they be knowen as they ar
in cowncell be it seyde and so most all thys lettr be I have
moche payne to get so moche mony neurthelesse but if
myne oncle schewe hym selfe werse than eur he was I shalle
nott fayle if he kepe me promyse and that is but as he dyde
last yt is butt to be my syuerte and I to make hym syuerte
ageyn. the kynge deprtyth thys daye and wille non se heer
tyll Frydaye whyche lettyth me or ellys by thatt daye I
wolde haue hopyd to haue comen homeward and erst
prauente no moor but Jhe have yow in kepyng Wretyn at
london ye xxvj daye of Maye the mondaye next holy thur-
rysdaye ye assencon ye kynge wolde have bowte it but he
was enformyd of the trowthe and yt it was nott for a prynce
and of the greet pryse yt I wolde selle it att for ye I myght
                                                                       l    l
nott for ber it for he sholde have payed m m m’rke or moor
if he hadde hadde it.

                                                               Your

                                                                            J PASTON K

                                                               sone

  11¾ by 7½.

    We may now congratulate Sir John Paston on having made good his title to
Caister, though at a considerable expense to himself. The King, we find,
must be paid an hundred marks for his consent; this, therefore, appears to
have been one of his methods of raising money.

     Sir John had reason to be dissatisfied with his friends, who not only luke-
warmly asserted his right, but endeavoured to depreciate it. The value of
the manor, &c. of Caister is here ascertained, which is a curious circumstance.

     Sir John Paston?s joy on the occasion of regaining his estate has made him
overlook two mistakes in this Letter. First, he directs it to his mother, or
“to hyr Sone John Paston, K”: it should have been John Paston, Esq. but in
his hurry he thought he was writing his own name, and therefore added
the K.

     Secondly, he dates it “ the xxvj daye of Maye the Mondaye next Holy thur-
rysdaye. In 1476, (the year wherein this letter must have been written,) the
xxvij day of May was the Monday next after Holy Thursday.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume V' (2nd transcript)

LETTER XXXII.

 

To Mistress Margaret Paston, at Norwich, or to her Son
John Paston.

 

PLEASE it you to weet, that as for my matters, and [if] they
appear not, [do not grow worse,] they do, blessed be God, as
well as I would they did, save that it shall cost me great
money, and it hath cost me much labour; it is so that the
King must have an 100 marks (66l. 13s. 4d.), and other costs
will draw 40 marks (26l. 13s. 4d.) And my matter is
examined by the King’s council, and declared afore all the
Lords, and now lacketh nothing but the Privy Seals, and
writing to Master Colvill to avoid, for the King hath pro-
mised me as much as I would he should fulfil, and all the
Lords, Judges, and Sergeants, have affirmed my title good:
notwithstanding Southwell, James Hobart, and Sir W.
Brandon, at their own desires, offered to affirm and avow
my title for good, and that my Lord of Norfolk, that dead
is, had no title that they knew; they told my tale as ill as
they could, and yet a lie or two to help it, and yet it serveth
them not, they be known as they are; in counsel be it said,
and so must all this letter be.

     I have much pain to get so much money; nevertheless,
but if [unless] mine uncle shew himself worse than ever he
was, I shall not fail, if he keep me promise, and that is but
as he did last, that is but to be my surety, and I to make him
surety again. The King departeth this day, and will none
see here till Friday, which letteth me, or else by that day I
would have hoped to have come homeward, and erst [before]
peradventure.

     No more; but Jesu have you in keeping. Written at
London, the 26th day of May, the Monday next Holy
Thursday, the Ascension. The King would have bought
it, but he was informed of the truth, and that it was not for
a Prince, and of the great price that I would sell it at, for
that I might not forbear it, for he should have paid 2,000
marks (1333l. 6s. 8d.) or more, if he had had it.

                                                              Your son,

                                                                      JOHN PASTON, Kt.

                 London,
         Monday, 29th May,
            1476. 16 E. iv.

 

  We may now congratulate Sir John Paston on having made good his title to
Caister, though at a considerable expense to himself. The King, we find,
must be paid an hundred marks for his consent; this, therefore, appears to
have been one of his methods of raising money.

     Sir John had reason to be dissatisfied with his friends, who not only luke-
warmly asserted his right, but endeavoured to depreciate it. The value of
the manor, &c. of Caister is here ascertained, which is a curious circumstance.

     Sir John Paston?s joy on the occasion of regaining his estate has made him
overlook two mistakes in this Letter. First, he directs it to his mother, or
“to hyr Sone John Paston, K”: it should have been John Paston, Esq. but in
his hurry he thought he was writing his own name, and therefore added
the K.

     Secondly, he dates it “ the xxvj daye of Maye the Mondaye next Holy thur-
rysdaye. In 1476, (the year wherein this letter must have been written,) the
xxvij day of May was the Monday next after Holy Thursday.

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

891

 

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON1

To Mestresse Margret Paston, in Norwyche, or to hyr
sone John Paston, Knyght.

 

PLEASE it yow to weete that as for my materes, and
     theye appeyre nott,2 the doo, blessyd be Godde, as
     weell as I wolde they dyd, saffe that it shalle cost me
grett mony, and it hathe cost me moche laboor. It is soo
that the Kynge most have C. marke, and other costes will
drawe xl. marke. And my mater is examynyd by the Kynges
Cowncell, and declaryd affoor alle the Lordes, and now lakkythe
noo thynge but [the Pry]vy Seals, and wryghtyng to Master
Colv[ill]3 to avoide; for the3 [Kyng hath p]romysed me as
moche as I wolde he sholde fullefille, and alle the Lordes,
Juges, Serjauntes, have affermyd my title goode. Nott with-
standyng Sowthewell, James Hubberde, and Sir W. Braundon,
where at ther owne desyrs, offryd to afferme and advowe my
tytell for goode, and that my Lorde off Norffolk that ded is
had noo tytell, thatt they knywe, they tolde my tale as ille as
they cowde, and yitt a lye or too to helpe it, and yit it servyth
them nott, they be knowen as they ar (in Cowncell be it seyde,
and so most all thys letter be).

     I have moche payne to gete so moche mony. Neverthe-
lesse, but iff myne oncle schewe hym selfe werse than ever he
was, I shalle nott fayle, if he kepe me promyse, and thatt is
but as he dyde last, that is butt to be my sywerte, and I to
make hym sywerte ageyn.

     The Kynge departythe thys daye, and wille nott be heer
tyll Frydaye, whyche lettyth me, or ellys by thatt daye I wolde
have hopyd to have comen homeward, and erst per aventure.
No moor, but Jesus have yow in kepyng.

     Wretyn at London, the xxvj. daye of Maye, the Mondaye
next Holy Thurrysdaye, the Assencion.

     The Kynge wold have bowte it, but he was enfformyd off
the trowthe, and that it was nott for a prynce, and off the
greet pryse that I wolde selle it att; for that I myght nott
for bere it, for he scholde have payed m1.m1. marke or moor, iff
he hadde hadde it.

                                     Your sone,                         J. PASTON, K.

 

     1 [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter relates to Sir John Paston’s claim to
Caister after the Duke of Norfolk’s death, which claim he succeeded in establishing
in June 1476, as appears by the letter following. The date 26th May at the end of
the letter is an error. The ‘Monday next Holy Thursday’ was the 27th.

     2 i.e. if they do not get worse.

     3 Paper decayed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1476
MAY 27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1476
MAY 27