Thomas Andrew to William Paston

Add. 27446, f. 74

16 December 1488

Gairdner, Vol VI, item 1028; Fenn, Vol V, Henry VII item 4

LETTER IV.

To the Ryght Worchypfull Mayst^r
      Will’m Paston Squyer w^t my lord
      of Oxynford be his bill delyuer’d
      in hast.

RYGHT worchipfull S^r J Recomend me un to you in my
best man^r acordyng to my deute S^r Jsent you a lett^r by
Henr Fox wyff And I had non answer from you of it on of
the gretest thyngs y^t I wrot to you of was y^t y^e fryer shuld
be aposed howe was p’uy w^t him Whan he Robbed M’m^rtyn
the prest at Hornyngtoft in Norff Also that Fox and the
prson of testerton Shuld be aposed if eny of Hempton
Albay whar out p’uy to the mony makyng S^r now J beseche
you to send me a copy of thes mony makers cofeschon and
ther namys for J ame bothe sworne on the quest of the oyer
determiner and also on the quest at large and of y^t we most
make o^r v^rdyte at y^e sessyons aftr crystmes for y^e quest at
large for we toke day ou^r at y^e last sessyons tyll y^e sessyons aftr
crestmes for the quest at large lytefot of yo^r hous is sworne
on y^e oyer determiner J beseche you to speke w^t my lord
to know of his good lordchepe how we shall demene o^rself
in y^t be half And J beseche you send me word as sone as
ye can J thynk y^t Yelurtons s^ruant y^t is w^t you in prson
shall com a gayne hether And he may bryng yo^r lettr tome
he bryngythe you this lettr and if it may be nat a fendyng
I p’y you be good M’ to Yelu^rton for my sake I have
fownd hym a good p^rsone S^r I shall not be w^t my lady is
g’ce y^is crystmes for her g’ce shalbe w^t ye Kyngs g’ce aftr
crystmes and thane I shall awayt on her g’ce wher ye shall
haue my s^ruyce be the g’ce of Jhu he p^rs˜ue you at Ryburgh
xvj day of Decemb’ and ye hepe nat J am leke to losse
moche mony of my costs for thes mony makers I p’y helpe
&c.

Yo^r s^rvant

THOMAS ANDREW.

11½ by 7½.

This letter relates two curious circumstances; the first, a robbery committed
by a Friar on a Priest; and the other, an account of persons in custody for
coining, in which offence some of Hempton Abbey were suspected to be con-
cerned.

I suppose her “Lady is Grace,” was the Countess of Richmond, the King’s
mother, under whom this Thomas Andrew, who was of a gentleman’s family
in Norfolk, had some appointment.

Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 3.

William Paston was a younger brother of J. Paston, and at this time in the
retinue of the Earl of Oxford.

Autograph, Pl. xxx.

LETTER IV.

To the Right Worshipful Master, William Paston, Squire, with
my Lord of Oxford, this Bill be delivered in haste.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me unto you in my
best manner, according to my duty; Sir, I sent you a letter
by Henry Fox’s wife, and I had none answer from you of it;
one of the greatest things that I wrote to you of, was that
the Friar should be aposed [drawn to confess] who was privy
with him, when he robbed Master Martyn, the priest, at
Horningtoft in Norfolk. Also that Fox, and the parson of
Testerton, should be aposed, if any of Hempton Abbey
were ought privy to the money making. Sir, now I beseech
you to send me a copy of these money makers confession,
and their names, for I am both sworn on the quest [inquest]
of the oyer determiner, and also on the quest at large, and
of that we must make our verdict at the sessions after
Christmas for the quest at large; for we took day over at
the last sessions till the sessions after Christmas for the
quest at large. Lightfoot, of your house, is sworn on the
oyer determiner.

I beseech you to speak with my Lord, to know of his
good Lordship how we shall demean ourselves in that be-
half; and I beseech you send me word as soon as ye can.

I think that Yelverton’s servant, that is with you in per-
son, shall come again hither, and he may bring your letter
to me. He bringeth you this letter, and if it may be not
offending, I pray you be good master to Yelverton for my
sake; I have found him a good person.

Sir, I shall not be with my Lady’s Grace this Christmas,
for her grace shall be with the King’s Grace after Christ-
mas, and then I shall await on her grace, where ye shall
have my service by the grace of Jesu, who preserve you.
At Ryburg, the 16^th day of December. And [if] ye help
not, I am like to lose much money of my costs for these
money makers. I pray help, &c.

Your servant,

THOMAS ANDREW.

Riburgh,
16th Dec. between 1486 and 1490.
2 and 7 H. vii.

This letter relates two curious circumstances; the first, a robbery committed
by a Friar on a Priest; and the other, an account of persons in custody for
coining, in which offence some of Hempton Abbey were suspected to be con-
cerned.

I suppose her “Lady is Grace,” was the Countess of Richmond, the King’s
mother, under whom this Thomas Andrew, who was of a gentleman’s family
in Norfolk, had some appointment.

Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 3.

William Paston was a younger brother of J. Paston, and at this time in the
retinue of the Earl of Oxford.

Autograph, Pl. xxx.

1028

THOMAS ANDREW TO WILLIAM PASTON¹

To the ryght worchipfull mayster, William Paston, Squyer,
with my Lord of Oxynford, [be t]his bill delyverd in hast.

     RYGHT worchipfull sir, I recomaund me un to you in
         my best maner, acordyng to my deute. Sir, I sent
        you a letter by Henre Fox wyff, and I had non answer
from you of it. On of the gretest thynges that I wrot to
you of, was that the fryer shuld be aposed, howo was prevy
with hym, whan he robbed Master Martyn, the prest, at
Hornyngtoft in Norffolk; also that Fox and the parson of
Testerton,² shuld be aposed if eny of Hempton Abbay whar
out [were aught] prevy to the mony makyng.

Sir, now I beseche you to send me a copy of thes mony
makers confeschon, and ther namys, for I ame bothe sworne
on the quest of the oyer determiner, and also on the quest at
large, and of that we most make our verdyte at the sessyons
after Crystmes for the quest at large; for we toke day over
at the last sessyons tyll the sessyons after Crestmes for the
quest at large. Lytefot, of your hows, is sworne on the oyer
determiner.

I beseche you to speke with my lord, to know of his good
lordchepe how we shall demene ourselff in that be half; and I
beseche you send me word as sone as ye can.

I thynk that Yelvertons servant, that is with you in preson,
shall com a gayne hether, and he may bryng your letter to me.
He¹ bryngythe you this letter, and if it may be nat a fendyng,
I pray you be good master to Yelverton for my sake. I have
fownd hym a good persone.

Sir, I shall not be with my lady is grace² this Crystmes, far
her grace shalbe with the Kynges Grace after Crystmes; and
thane I shall awayt on her grace, wher ye shall have my
servyce be the grace of Jesu, He preserve you.

At Ryburgh, the xvj. day of December.

And ye hepe [help] nat, I am leke to losse moche mony of
my costes for thes mony makers. I pray helpe, &c.

Your servant,

THOMAS ANDREW.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Thomas Andrew, the writer of this letter, was a
servant of William Paston, the uncle of Sir John, but the William Paston to whom
this letter is addressed seems to have been Sir John’s brother, whom we find to have
been in service with the Earl of Oxford during the years 1488-90.

² Richard Fenwyk was rector of Testerton from 1482-1504.

¹ Apparently this ‘he’ means Yelverton himself, his servant being at the time a
prisoner in the Earl of Oxford’s custody. Fenn erroneously reads ‘in person’ instead
of ‘in preson’ in the previous sentence.

² Fenn supposes ‘my lady’s grace’ to be the Countess of Richmond, the King’s
mother. I should think, however, it was more probably the Lady Anne Beaufort,
wife of William Paston the uncle, the writer being in their service.

DEC. 16

1488(?)

DEC. 16