The Earl of Surrey to Sir John Paston

LETTER XXI.

To my Right Worshipfull
     Cousine S^r John Paston
     Knyght

RIGHT worshipfull Cousine in right harty wyse I comaunde
me unto you And wher J understand by Thomas Hartforde
Bower of Norwiche berer herof hath been putt to grete
vexacion and trouble by oon Thomas Hogan scomaker of
Norwiche and yet I p^rceyue ye haue hard the matier de-
pending in trav’s bitwix the saide p^rties I therfore desire
you yat in the right of the forsayd Thomas Hartford ye
wolbe unto hym gode maistir and the bettir for this myn
Jnstaunce as my singler trust is in you And where J con-
ceyue also yat the same Thomas is Noysed in Norffolk for
a scothman borne ye shall understande that I p^rceyue wele
by suche honest Folks as I haue hard speke w^t in the Citie
of York that the saide Thomas was bo^rne their and his Fa-
thir y’e Jnhabityng and his god Fathirs and Mothers ye
which bee right honest p^rsones And for that this is true and
not feyned ye shall understand the Maio^r of the Citie of
York and his brethern hath made grete Instaunce unto
me to writ for the saide Thomas For whom I must neds do
because yaye arr my nye Neighbours As our Lord knoweth
who haue you in his blissid saufegard Written in the Cas-
tell of Sairesheton the xxiiij^th Day of Aprill.

                                                   Your louyng Cousin

                                                                    THOMAS SURREY.

   11½ by 7¼.

           Paper Mark,
       Hand and Caterfoil.
          Pl. xxxiii. No. 3.

       I have given this letter as containing a curious anecdote, showing the jealousy
between the English and Scots; a single man of that nation being harassed at
Norwich upon a supposition that he was born in Scotland, a suggestion which,
from this letter, appears not to be true.

     Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, was so created by Richard III. at the
same time that his father was raised to the dignity of Duke of Norfolk. He
was taken prisoner at the battle of Bosworth, and confined in the Tower for
some years. He was however taken into favour by Henry VII., and in 1488
restored to his title of Earl of Surrey, when he was sent to quell the northern
insurrections. In 1513 he was advanced to his father’s title of Duke of Nor-
folk, and having served all his sovereigns faithfully in many great and impor-
tant offices both in peace and war, he died in 1524, 16 H. VIII., when above
eighty years of age, at his castle of Framlingham, in Suffolk, and was buried
in the abbey church of Thetford.

     The castle of Sheriff-Hutton is situated about ten miles north of the city of
York.

     His Autograph is a curious one. Pl. xxxi. No. 15.

LETTER XXI.

To our Right Worshipful Cousin, Sir John Paston, Knight.

RIGHT Worshipful Cousin, in right hearty wise I commend
me unto you, and where[as] I understand by Thomas Hart-
ford, a bowyer of Norwich, bearer hereof, [that he] hath
been put to great vexation and trouble by one Thomas
Hogan, shoemaker, of Norwich, and that I perceive ye have
heard the matter depending in traverse betwixt the said
parties; I therefore desire you that, in the right of the fore-
said Thomas Hartford, ye will be unto him good master,
and the better for this mine instance, as my singular trust
is in you. And where[as] I conceive also that the same
Thomas is noised in Norfolk for a Scotsman born; ye shall
understand that I perceive well, by such honest folks as I
have heard speak within the city of York, that the said
Thomas was born there, and his father there inhabiting,
and his godfathers and mothers, the which be right honest
persons; and for that this is true, and not feigned, ye shall
understand the mayor of the city of York and his brethren
have made great instance unto me to write for the said
Thomas; for whom I must needs do, because they are my
nigh neighbours, as our Lord knoweth, who have you in his
blessed safeguard.

     Written in the castle of Sheriff Hutton, the 24th day of
April.

                                                         Your loving Cousin,

                                                                        THOMAS SURREY.

       Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire,
                   24th April;
    probably between 1490 and 1500.
                 5 and 15 H. vii.

     I have given this letter as containing a curious anecdote, showing the jealousy
between the English and Scots; a single man of that nation being harassed at
Norwich upon a supposition that he was born in Scotland, a suggestion which,
from this letter, appears not to be true.

     Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, was so created by Richard III. at the
same time that his father was raised to the dignity of Duke of Norfolk. He
was taken prisoner at the battle of Bosworth, and confined in the Tower for
some years. He was however taken into favour by Henry VII., and in 1488
restored to his title of Earl of Surrey, when he was sent to quell the northern
insurrections. In 1513 he was advanced to his father’s title of Duke of Nor-
folk, and having served all his sovereigns faithfully in many great and impor-
tant offices both in peace and war, he died in 1524, 16 H. VIII., when above
eighty years of age, at his castle of Framlingham, in Suffolk, and was buried
in the abbey church of Thetford.

     The castle of Sheriff-Hutton is situated about ten miles north of the city of
York.

     His Autograph is a curious one. Pl. xxxi. No. 15.

1043

THE EARL OF SURREY TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worshipfull cousine, Sir John Paston, Knyght.

         RIGHT worshipfull cousine, in right harty wyse I com-
               maunde me unto you. And where I understand by
               Thomas Hartforde, a bower of Norwiche, berer herof,
hath been putt to grete vexacion and trouble by oon Thomas
Hogan, scomaker, of Norwiche, and that I perceyve ye have
harde the matier depending in travers bitwixt the saide parties;
I therfore desire you that, in the right of the forsayd Thomas
Hartford, ye wolbe unto hym gode maistir, and the bettir for
this myn instaunce, as my singler trust is in you.

     And where I conceyve also that the same Thomas is noysed
in Norffolk for a Scotesman borne, ye shall understande that I
perceyve wele, by suche honest folkes as I have hard speke
within the citie of York, that the saide Thomas was borne
their, and his fathir there inhabityng, and his god fathirs and
mothers, the which bee right honest persones; and for that
this is true, and not feyned, ye shall understand the Maiour
of the citie of York and his brethern hath made grete instaunce
unto me to writ for the saide Thomas, for whom I must nedes
do, because thaye arre my nye neighbours, as our Lord
knoweth, Who have you in His blissid saufegard.

     Written in the castell of Shirethoton, the xxiiij^th day of
Aprill.

                         Your lovyng cousin,                               THOMAS SURREY.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, the writer of this
letter, fought for Richard III. at the battle of Bosworth, and was taken prisoner. He
was, however, after some years’ confinement, liberated from the Tower, and taken into
favour. In 1489 the King sent him into the North to put down the rebellion in
which the Earl of Northumberland was slain, and afterwards made him his lieutenant-
general north of Trent; and for ten years he resided continually in those parts. The
date of this letter, therefore, cannot be earlier than 1490, though it may be several
years later.

1490,
or later