Thomas Howes to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
Thomas Howes to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 106
Date
?2 September 1454
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol II, item 259; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 79
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER LXXIX.

         To my maist’ John Paston
         Squier be yis delyv’ed.

RYGHT worshypfull S’ I recōmaund me to yow. And
     my maister hertly thankyth yow for the venyson that ye
sent hym from my lord of Oxford And pr’yth yow that he may
be recōmaunded to hys noble lordshyp And god thank yow for
your speciall remēbr’unce of my mater that ye hafe it so tendyrly
to hert for ye may know weel the gode spede of that ys my well-
fare and the cont’rye ys my utter undoyngs. I hafe sent to John
Porter to wete verrayly how it standyth wt. hym as ye shall
wete the certeynte thys weke. As for the mater wryt to Bok-
kyng he hath rad ys l’re and wille remēbr your desyre and also
of Williā Geney Comyng yn case he know of it rathyr then ye
and my maistr herd the subst’unce of your l’re red and lyked it
ritz well and as for the mater of Worcestr remēbr’unce he shall
geve hys attend’unce therto yn that he can. And where ye
calle hym maist’ he ys displesed wyth that name for he may
spend v s. yerly more by the name of Worcestr or Botoner And
by hys maister not a ferthyng yn certeynte he prayth yow for-
yete it. I pray god kepe yow Wryt at Castr hastly ijd day of
Septēbr.

                                                    Your oune,

                                                                                  T. Howes.

It’m yn case Jankyn be hole my lord
of Norff’ hath gra’nted by moyen of
Rob’t Wyngfeld to be yn my seyd
lord ys housold as my maist’ hath it
by l’re from Wyngfeld.

 

         11 ¾ by 3 [ILL].

        Caister,
             2d of September,
             Before 1459. 38 H. VI.

     We see that in the age here mentioned, venison was a present worthy acceptance from
a nobleman to a great commoner, and a knight of the garter.—It might have been sup-
posed that from the large possessions of Sir. John Fastolf in Norfolk and Suffolk, that a
park had been a part of them, but from the circumstance here mentioned it certainly
was not.

     John de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, from whom this present of venison came, married.
Elizabeth, the daughter and heir of Sir John Howard, knight, of Wigenhall, St. Ger-
man’s, in Norfolk, by her he became possessed of a considerable property in that
County.

 

 

     “Master” appears from this Letter to be a title of distinction which William Wor-
cester wishes to dispense with, as it does not contribute to affording him larger wages
from his Master Sir J. Fastolf.—That seems to be the meaning of what occurs in this
Letter.

     Autograph. Pl. XIX. No 16.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

LETTER LXXIX.

To my Master John Paston, Esquire, be this delivered.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me to you, and my
     Master heartily thanketh you for the Venison that ye sent
him from my Lord of Oxford, and prayeth you that he may be
recommended to his noble Lordship. And God thank you for
your special remembrance of my matter that ye have it so tenderly
to heart, for ye may know well the good speed of that is my wel-
fare, and the contrary is my utter undoing.

     I have sent to John Porter to weet verily how it standeth with
him, as ye shall weet the certainty this week; as for the matter
written to John Bokking he hath rad (read) his Letter, and
will remember your desire, and also of William Geney?s coming,
in case he know of it rather than ye.

     And my Master heard the substance of your Letter read, and
liked it right well; and as for the matter of Worcester?s remem-
brance, he shall give his attendance thereto in that he can.

     And where ye call him Master, he is displeased with that
name, for he may spend 5s. yearly more by the name of Wor-
cester or Botoner, and by his Master not a farthing in certainty,
he prayeth you (to) forget it.

     I pray God keep you. Written at Caister, hastily, the 2d day
of September.

                                                  Your own,

                                                                             T. HOWES.

     Item, in case Jankyn be whole, my Lord of Norfolk hath
granted (him) by mean of Robert Wingfield, to be in my said
Lord’s household, as my Master hath it by Letter from Wing-
field.

 

        11 ? by 3 [ILL].

        Caister,
             2d of September,
             Before 1459. 38 H. VI.

 

 

     We see that in the age here mentioned, venison was a present worthy acceptance from
a nobleman to a great commoner, and a knight of the garter.—It might have been sup-
posed that from the large possessions of Sir. John Fastolf in Norfolk and Suffolk, that a
park had been a part of them, but from the circumstance here mentioned it certainly
was not.

     John de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, from whom this present of venison came, married.
Elizabeth, the daughter and heir of Sir John Howard, knight, of Wigenhall, St. Ger-
man’s, in Norfolk, by her he became possessed of a considerable property in that
County.

      “Master” appears from this Letter to be a title of distinction which William Wor-
cester wishes to dispense with, as it does not contribute to affording him larger wages
from his Master Sir J. Fastolf.—That seems to be the meaning of what occurs in this
Letter.

     Autograph. Pl. XIX. No 16.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume II'

259

 

THOMAS HOWES TO JOHN PASTON1

 

     To my maister, John Paston, Squier, be this delyvered.

 

   RYGHT worshypfull Sir, I recommaund me to yow.
     And my maister hertly thankyth yow for the venyson
     that ye sent hym from my Lord of Oxford, and
prayeth yow that he may be recommaunded to hys noble
Lordshyp. And God thank yow for your speciall remem-
braunce of my mater that ye hafe it so tendyrly to hert, for
ye may know weel the gode spede of that ys my wellfare and
the contrarye ys my utter undoyngs. I hafe sent to John
Porter to wete verrayly how it standyth with hym, as ye shall
wete the certeynte thys weke. As for the mater wryt to
Bokkyng he hath rad ys lettre, and wille remember your
desyre, and also of William Geney comyng, yn case he know
of it rathyr then ye.

     And my maistre herd the substaunce of your lettre red,
and lyked it ritz well. And as for the mater of Worcester
remembraunce, he shall geve hys attendaunce therto yn that
he can. And where ye calle hym maister, he ys displesed
wyth that name, for he may spend vs. yerly more by the
name of Worcestr or Botoner, and by hys maister not a
ferthyng yn certeynte. He prayth yow foryete it.

     I pray God kepe yow. Wryt at Castr hastly ijd day of
September.                    Your oune,

                                                                                         T. HOWES.

 

     Item, yn case Jankyn1 be hole, my Lord of Norffolk hath
graunted [him] by moyen of Robert Wyngfeld, to be yn my
seyd Lord ys houshold, as my maister hath it by lettre from
Wyngfeld.

     1 [From Fenn, iii. 320.] With regard to the date of this letter, see the pre-
liminary note to the last (p. 333, Note 1).

 

     1 This appears to be the John or Jankyn Porter above named, who will be found
mentioned hereafter.

 

 

 

 

 

END OF VOLUME II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1454(?)
SEPT. 2