The Duke of Norfolk to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
The Duke of Norfolk to John Paston
Reference
Add. 43488, f. 6
Date
before 1444
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol II, item 58; Fenn, Vol I, Henry VI item 3
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume I' (1st transcript)

LETTER III.

 

To oure right trusti and welbelovid John Paston squier

The Duc of Norff’

 

       TRusti and right welbelovid we grete you weel, lating you
            witte that for the trust that as weel we as the heires of
Edmund Swathyng have unto you we have appointid you to
be one of the makeres up indifferently of the evydences betwix
us and the seide heires, wherfor we pray you hertily yt ye wil yeve
attendaunce at such day and place as ye and our right trusti and
welbelovid frende William 1Yelv.rton with oure welbelovid
srvaunt 2Jenney shal mow attende to the making up of the seide
evidencez, and we shal sende sūme of our srvauntz to awayte
upon you for yor reward and costis yt ye shal be pleasid wt
by the grace of God who have you ever in his keping.

     Wreten undir our signet in oure Castel of fframlyngham the
xviij. day of——

 

         11 by 5.                                                              John
                                                                             mowbray,     Norff.

Framlingham
              18 - -                          

          Before 1444
              23 H. VI.

 

This short Letter at first sight seems to convey nothing worthy notice, though, upon
consideration, we are struck with the care and attention paid by the Duke to the Title Deeds
of those Estates which he purchased.

     Three Gentlemen, two of them afterwards eminent Lawyers, were employed to settle-
the title and draw up the conveyance of an estate bought by the Duke of the Heirs of
Swathing, who, we here see, were properly attended upon, and handsomely rewarded
for their time and trouble.

     The Title Deeds of the age were concise and clear, unincumbered with that seeming
tautology, which the practice of modern times has perhaps made necessary.

     1 William Yelverton was created a Serjeant at Law in 1440, appointed a Justice of the
King’s Bench in 1444, and in 1460 made a Knight of the Bath.

     2 William Jenney was made a Serjeant at Law in 1464, and in 1478 a Justice of the
King’s Bench.

  3 John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk, succeeded his Father in 1435, and died in 1461.
He married Ellenor, only Daughter of William Bourchier Earl of Ewe in Normandy.

     The Signature of his name is singular and curious, the monogram before the word Norff’,
containing all the Letters of his Christian and Surname. JOHN MOWBRAY.
Pl. 1. No 3.

     The name of the month, being written near the edge of the paper on the original
Letter, is torn off

     This Letter was most probably written before Yelverton was made a Judge, as the
Duke would, in case he had then been so, have called him Justice, according to the
custom of the time

     The Date of it will therefore be before 1444. 23 H. VI.

     The signatnre only is of the Duke’s hand writing.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume I' (2nd transcript)

LETTER III.

 

To our right trusty and wellbeloved John Paston, Esquire.

The Duke of Norfolk.

 

        TRUSTY and wellbeloved, we greet you well; Letting you
              weet, that for the trust, that as well we, as the Heirs of
Edmund Swathing have unto you, we have appointed you to
be one of the makers up indifferently of the Evidences betwixt
us, and the said Heirs; wherefore we pray you heartily, that
ye will give attendance at such day and place, as ye and our
right trusty and wellbeloved William 1Yelverton, with our
wellbeloved Servant 2 Jenney shall mow (be able to) attend to
the making up of the said Evidences, and we shall send some
of our Servants to await upon you, for your reward and costs,
that ye shall be pleased by the grace of God, who have you
ever in his keeping.

     Written under our Signet in our Castle of Framlingham the
18th day of ——

         

11 by 5.

 Framlingham
              18 - -                           3JOHN MOWBRAY, NORFOLK.

          Before 1444
              23 H. VI.

 

This short Letter at first sight seems to convey nothing worthy notice, though, upon
consideration, we are struck with the care and attention paid by the Duke to the Title Deeds
of those Estates which he purchased.

     Three Gentlemen, two of them afterwards eminent Lawyers, were employed to settle-
the title and draw up the conveyance of an estate bought by the Duke of the Heirs of
Swathing, who, we here see, were properly attended upon, and handsomely rewarded
for their time and trouble.

     The Title Deeds of the age were concise and clear, unincumbered with that seeming
tautology, which the practice of modern times has perhaps made necessary.

     1 William Yelverton was created a Serjeant at Law in 1440, appointed a Justice of the
King’s Bench in 1444, and in 1460 made a Knight of the Bath.

     2 William Jenney was made a Serjeant at Law in 1464, and in 1478 a Justice of the
King’s Bench.

  3 John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk, succeeded his Father in 1435, and died in 1461.
He married Ellenor, only Daughter of William Bourchier Earl of Ewe in Normandy.

     The Signature of his name is singular and curious, the monogram before the word Norff’,
containing all the Letters of his Christian and Surname. JOHN MOWBRAY.
Pl. 1. No 3.

     The name of the month, being written near the edge of the paper on the original
Letter, is torn off

     This Letter was most probably written before Yelverton was made a Judge, as the
Duke would, in case he had then been so, have called him Justice, according to the
custom of the time

     The Date of it will therefore be before 1444. 23 H. VI.

     The signatnre only is of the Duke’s hand writing.
Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume II'

58

 

THE DUKE OF NORFOLK TO JOHN PASTON4

 

To our right trusti and welbelovid John Paston, Squier.

The Duc of Norff.

TRUSTI and right welbelovid, we grete you weel, lating
     you witte that for the trust that as weel we, as the
     heires of Edmund Swathyng, have unto you, we have
appointed you to be one of the makeres up indifferently of the
evydences betwix us and the seide heires. Wherfor we pray
you hertily, that ye wil yeve attendaunce at such day and place
as ye and our right trusti and welbelovid frende William
Yelverton, with oure welbelovid servaunt Jenney, shal mow
attende to the making up of the seide evidencez; and we shal
send summe of our servauntz to awayte upon you for your
reward and costis, that ye shal be pleasid with by the grace of
God, who have you ever in his keping.

     Wreten undir our signet in oure Castel of Framlyngham,
          the xviij. day of——.

                                                                         JOHN1
                                                                      MOWBRAY.   NORFF.

 

     4 [From Fenn, i. 10.] Fenn thinks this letter must have been written before 1444,
when Yelverton was made a judge. This is, doubtless, most probable. There is,
however, an Edmund Swathing, Esq., mentioned by Blomefield (Hist. of Norfolk, viii.
42) as alive in 1446, and if it be his executors who are referred to, the date would
appear to be later.

    1 The name ‘John Mowbray’ is represented by a curious monogram, in which
every letter both of the Christian and the surname can be traced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before
1444(?)

 

 

Before
1444(?)