Thomas Betson to Katherine Ryche

 166. THOMAS BETSON TO KATHERINE
RYCHE

                                                       1 JUNE, 1476

    Katherine Ryche, whom Betson married in 1478, was clearly at the time
of this letter little more than a child. Katherine was the eldest daughter of
Elizabeth Stonor by her first husband, Thomas Ryche or Riche. She was
god-daughter of her mother's grandfather, William Gregory, who left her
20s. in his will dated 6 November, 1465 (Collections of a London Citizen,
p. xlvi); Gregory does not mention any other of his great-grand-children; it
may be conjectured that Katherine was born in 1463 or 1462. "Holake,
your gentyll squyer," is probably Thomas Howlake (see Nos. 164 and 223).
From AC, xlvi, 255.

                                                Jhesus. An^o. xvj^o.

My nowne hartely belovid Cossen Kateryn, I recomande me unto
yow withe all the inwardnesse of myn hart. And now lately ye shall
understond þat I resseyvid a token ffrom you, the which was and is to
me right hartely welcom, and with glad will I resseyvid it; and over
that I had a letter ffrom Holake, youre gentyll Sqwyer, by the which I
understond right well þat ye be in good helth off body, and mery at

hart. And I pray God hartely to his plesour to contenew the same:
ffor it is to me veray grete comfforth þat ye so be, so helpe me Jhesu.
And yff ye wold be a good etter off your mete allwaye, that ye myght
waxe and grow ffast to be a woman, ye shuld make me the gladdest
man off the world, be my trouth: ffor whanne I remembre your ffavour
and your sadde loffynge delynge to me wardes, ffor south ye make me
evene veray glade and joyus in my hart: and on the toþersyde agayn
whanne I remembre your yonge youthe. And seeth well that ye
be none eteter off youre mete, the which shuld helpe you greately in
waxynge; ffor south þan ye make me veray hevy agayn. And therffore
I praye you, myn nown swete Cossen, evene as you loffe me to be mery
and to eate your mete lyke a woman. And yff ye so will do ffor my
loveff, looke what ye will desyre off me, whatsomever it be, and be my
trouth I promesse you by the helpe of our Lord to perfforme it to my
power. I can [no]¹ more say now, but at my comyng home I will tell
you mych more betwene you and me and God beffore. And where as
ye, ffull womanly and lyke a loffer, remembre me with manyffolde re-
comendacion in dyversse maners, remyttynge the same to my discresscion
to depart them þer as I loveff best, ffor south, myn nown swete Cossen,
ye shall understond þat with good hart and good will I resseyve and
take to my self the one halff off them, and them will I kepe by me;
and the toþer halff with hartely loveff and ffavour I send hem to you,
myn nown swete Cossen, agayn, ffor to kepe by you: and over that I
send you the blissynge þat our Lady gaveffe hir dere sonne, and ever
well to ffare. I pray you grete well my horsse, and praye hym to gyffe
yow iiij off his yeres to helpe you with all: and I will at my comynge
home gyff hym iiij off my yeres and iiij horsse lofes till amendes. Tell
hym þat I prayed hym so. And Cossen Kateryn I þannke you ffor
hym, and my wiff shall þanke you ffor hym hereafter; ffor ye do grete
cost apon hym as it is told me. Myn nown swete Cossen, it was told
me but late þat ye were at Cales to seeke me, but ye cowde not se me
nor ffynde me: ffor south ye myght have comen to my counter, and
þer ye shuld bothe ffynde me and see me, and not have ffawtid off me:
but ye sought me in a wronge Cales, and þat ye shuld well know yff ye
were here and saw this Cales, as wold God ye were and som off them
with you þat were with you at your gentill Cales.³ I praye you, gentill
Cossen, comaunde me to the Cloke, and pray hym to amend his
unthryffte maners: ffor he strykes ever in undew tyme, and he will be
ever affore, and that is a shrewde condiscion. Tell hym with owte he
amend his condiscion that he will cause strangers to advoide and come
no more there. I trust to you that he shall amend agaynest myn
commynge, the which shalbe shortely with all hanndes and all ffeete
with Godes grace. My veray ffeiƷtheffull Cossen, I trust to you þat
thowe all I have not remembred my right worshipfull maystres your
modyr affore in this letter þat ye will off your gentilnesse recomaunde
me to her maystresshipe as many tymes as it shall ples you: and ye
may say, yff it plese you, that in Wytson Weke¹ next I intend to þ^e
marte ward. And I trust you will praye ffor me: ffor I shall praye
ffor you, and, so it may be, none so well. And Almyghty Jhesu make
you a good woman, and send you many good yeres and longe to lyveffe
in helth and vertu to his plesour. At greate Cales on this syde on the
see, the ffyrst day off June, whanne every man was gone to his Dener,
and the Cloke smote noynne, and all oure howsold cryed after me and
badde me come down; come down to dener at ones! and what answer
I gaveffe hem ye know it off old.

                      Be your ffeiƷtheffull Cossen and loffer Thomas Betson.
    I sent you this rynge ffor a token.

    To my ffeiƷtheffull and hartely belovid Cossen Kateryn Ryche at
Stonor this letter be delyvered in hast.

                                                 ¹ "No" omitted in MS.

166. THOMAS BETSON TO KATHERINE
RYCHE

1 JUNE, 1476

     Katherine Ryche, whom Betson married in 1478, was clearly at the time
of this letter little more than a child. Katherine was the eldest daughter of
Elizabeth Stonor by her first husband, Thomas Ryche or Riche. She was
god-daughter of her mother’s grandfather, William Gregory, who left her
20s. in his will dated 6 November, 1465 (Collections of a London Citizen,
p. xlvi); Gregory does not mention any other of his great-grand-children; it
may be conjectured that Katherine was born in 1463 or 1462. “Holake,
your gentyll squyer,” is probably Thomas Howlake (see Nos. 164 and 223).
From A.C., xlvi, 255.

Jhesus. An^o. xvj^o.

     My nowne hartely belovid Cossen Kateryn, I recomande me unto
yow withe all the inwardnesse of myn hart. And now lately ye shall
understond þat I resseyvid a token ffrom you, the which was and is to
me right hartely welcom, and with glad will I resseyvid it; and over
that I had a letter ffrom Holake, youre gentyll Sqwyer, by the which I
understond right well þat ye be in good helth off body, and mery at
hart. And I pray God hartely to his plesour to contenew the same:
ffor it is to me veray grete comfforth þat ye so be, so helpe me Jhesu.
And yff ye wold be a good etter off your mete allwaye, that ye myght
waxe and grow ffast to be a woman, ye shuld make me the gladdest
man off the world, be my trouth: ffor whanne I remembre your ffavour
and your sadde loffynge delynge to me wardes, ffor south ye make me
evene veray glade and joyus in my hart: and on the toþersyde agayn
whanne I remembre your yonge youthe. And seeth well that ye
be none eteter off youre mete, the which shuld helpe you greately in
waxynge; ffor south þan ye make me veray hevy agayn. And therffore
I praye you, myn nown swete Cossen, evene as you loffe me to be mery
and to eate your mete lyke a woman. And yff ye so will do ffor my
loveff, looke what ye will desyre off me, whatsomever it be, and be my
trouth I promesse you by the helpe of our Lord to perfforme it to my
power. I can [no]¹ more say now, but at my comyng home I will tell
you mych more betwene you and me and God beffore. And where as
ye, ffull womanly and lyke a loffer, remembre me with manyffolde re-
comendacion in dyversse maners, remyttynge the same to my discresscion
to depart them þer as I loveff best, ffor south, myn nown swete Cossen,
ye shall understond þat with good hart and good will I resseyve and
take to my self the one halff off them, and them will I kepe by me;
and the toþer halff with hartely loveff and flavour I send hem to you,
myn nown swete Cossen, agayn, ffor to kepe by you: and over that I
send you the blissynge þat our Lady gaveffe hir dere sonne, and ever
well to ffare. I pray you grete well my horsse, and praye hym to gyffe
yow iiij off his yeres to helpe you with all: and I will at my comynge
home gyff hym iiij off my yeres and iiij horsse lofes till amendes. Tell
hym þat I prayed hym so. And Cossen Kateryn I þannke you ffor
hym, and my wiff shall þanke you ffor hym hereafter; ffor ye do grete
cost apon hym as it is told me. Myn nown swete Cossen, it was told
me but late þat ye were at Cales to seeke me, but ye cowde not se me
nor ffynde me: ffor south ye myght have comen to my counter, and
þer ye shuld bothe ffynde me and see me, and not have ffawtid off me:
but ye sought me in a wronge Cales, and þat ye shuld well know yff ye
were here and saw this Cales, as wold God ye were and som off them
with you þat were with you at your gentill Cales. I praye you, gentill
Cossen, comaunde me to the Cloke, and pray hym to amend his
unthryffte maners: ffor he strykes ever in undew tyme, and he will be
ever affore, and that is a shrewde condiscion. Tell hym with owte he
amend his condiscion that he will cause strangers to advoide and come
no more there. I trust to you that he shall amend agaynest myn
commynge, the which shalbe shortely with all hanndes and all ffeete
with Godes grace. My veray ffeiЗtheffull Cossen, I trust to you þat
thowe all I have not remembred my right worshipfull maystres your
modyr affore in this letter þat ye will off your gentilnesse recomaunde
me to her maystresshipe as many tymes as it shall ples you: and ye
may say, yff it plese you, that in Wytson Weke¹ next I intend to þ^e
marte ward. And I trust you will praye ffor me: ffor I shall praye
ffor you, and, so it may be, none so well. And Almyghty Jhesu make
you a good woman, and send you many good yeres and longe to lyveffe
in helth and vertu to his plesour. At greate Cales on this syde on the
see, the ffyrst day off June, whanne every man was gone to his Dener,
and the Cloke smote noynne, and all oure howsold cryed after me and
badde me come down; come down to dener at ones! and what answer
I gaveffe hem ye know it off old.

                          Be your ffeiЗtheffull Cossen and loffer Thomas Betson.

     I sent you this rynge ffor a token.

     To my ffeiЗtheffull and hartely belovid Cossen Kateryn Ryche at
Stonor this letter be delyvered in hast.

¹ “No” omitted in MS.