Thomas Howes to John Paston

LETTER LVI.

           To the w^rshepfull S^r and
           my good Maystyr Iohn
           Paston at london in haste.

WURSHEPFULL and Reuerent S^r and my good maistyr
        I Recomavnd me to zow in as delygent wyse as on my
part ap^rteineth and please yow to wete that my maistyr was right
well pleasyd w^t yo^rre feithefull labo^r in fulfellyng the patent for
the Warrd of A.B.C and he wyll feithefully labour as ye have
avysed hym be wrytyng of John Bokyng And putte my maistyr
in more corage I meovyd to hym upon myn hed That encas be
the Child wer wyse that thaune it wer agood maryage be twen
my wyff yo’re doutir and hym And S^r my maistyr was glad
whan he herd that moyen Cosetheryng that yo’re doutyr is de-
sendyd of hym be the modyr syde And S^r I have enqwerid aftyr
the seyd Child and no dout of but he is lykly and of gret wyt
as I her be report of sondr p^rsonez And it is so as I am credebly
enformyd that ¹ Jeffrey Boleyn maketh gret labo’r for maryage
of the seyd Child to on of hese Douterez I wold well to hym but
bettyr to yow wherfor that ye delygently labo’r for expedecyon
of this mater That encas ye can fynde ony moyan ther to have
the seyd Child and we shal do feithefully o’re delygens in lyke
wyse her as ye avyse vs &c And S^r as ye thynke w^t auyse of my
maistyr yelverton Jenney and otherez my maisterez counsell
therī that the Shereff may be Rewardyd And yif my seyd
maisterez counsell thynke it be to don that thaune ye lyke to take
an ² actyoun vpon Anenteynt wheche ye most w^t them take vpon
yow at this tyme in my maisterez absence for as ye do Jn that
mater he woll hold h[SYM] Content for Wyllyam Barker hathe an
Instruccyon of my maisterez Jntent vpon the same And I send
Iohn Bokyng a copy of the panell wheche J shewed yow at
Castr &c. Almyghty lhu have yow et^rnally in hese mercyfull go-
vernaunce Wretyn at Castr the Wednysday next aftyr seynt
Martyn A^o xxxiij.

                                                                        ³ Th. Howys.

          11 ? by 7 ?.

             Paper Mark
      Bull’s Head and Star
            Pl. XXII. N^o 13.

            Caister,
      Wednesday, 13 Nov.
          1454. 33 H. VI.

  On the back of the Letter is written in an ancient hand, ?The said Jo. Paston al-
lyed to S^r Jo. Fastolf by his wife, vid. M^rgarett Mauteby, p’ut pat^t. infra.”

     We have in this Letter an instance of the desire of acquiring the wardship of rich
minors, in order to make advantageous marriages for the families of those who were so
fortunate as to obtain the care of them. Who the Ward was, is not here mentioned,
but the young lady alluded to, and whom T. Howys, in pleasantry I suppose, used to
call his wise, must have been either Anne or Margery, daughters of J. Paston, the el-
der of whom could not have been at this time more than ten years old.

     ¹ Sir Jeffrey Boleyn was Lord Mayor of London in 1457, and at this time had two
daughters, Isabel, afterwards married to William Cheyney, Esq. and Anne, afterwards
the wife of Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, Knt.

     This Jeffrey was great grand-father to Queen Anne Boleyn, the Queen of Henry VIII.

  ² An Action of Attaint lies, after judgment, against a jury that hath given a false
Verdict in any Court of Record, if the debt or damages are above 40s.

  ³ Autograph. Pl. XIX. N^o 16.

LETTER LVI.

To the worshipful Sir, and
my good Master John
 Paston, at London, in haste.

WORSHIPFUL and reverend Sir, and my good master,
         I recommend me to you in as diligent wise as on my
part appertaineth, and please you to weet that my master was
right well pleased with your faithful labour in fulfilling the
Patent for the Ward of A. B. C. and he will faithfully labour
as ye have advised him by writing of John Bocking; And (to)
put my master in more courage, I moved to him upon mine
head, that in case be the Child were wise, that then it were a
good marriage between my wife your daughter and him; and,
Sir, my master was glad when he heard that mean, considering
that your daughter is descended of him by the mother’s side;
And, Sir, I have enquired after the said child, and no doubt of,
but he is likely and of great wit, as I hear by report of sundry
persons; and it is so, as I am credibly informed, that ¹ Jeffrey
Boleyn maketh great labour for marriage of the said child to one
of his daughters; I would well to him, but better to you;
wherefore that ye diligently labour for expedition of this matter,
that in case ye can find any mean there to have the said child, and
we shall do faithfully our diligence in like wise here, as ye ad-
vise us, &c.

     And, Sir, as ye think with advice of my master Yelverton, Jen-
ney, and others my master’s counsel therein, that the Sheriff
may be rewarded, and if my said master’s counsel think it be to
(be) done, that then ye like to take an ² Action upon an Atteint,
which ye must with them take upon you at this time in my
master’s absence, for as ye do in that matter he will hold him
content, for William Barker hath an instruction of my master’s
intent upon the same. And I send John Barker a copy of the
panel, which I shewed you at Caister, &c.

     Almighty Jesu have you eternally in his merciful governance.
Written at Caister the Wednesday next after Saint Martin, anno
33 (H. VI.)

                                                             ³ THOMAS HOWYS.

           11 ½ by 7 ¾.

             Paper Mark
      Bull’s Head and Star
            Pl. XXII. N^o 13.

            Caister,
      Wednesday, 13 Nov.
          1454. 33 H. VI.

  On the back of the Letter is written in an ancient hand, ?The said Jo. Paston al-
lyed to S^r Jo. Fastolf by his wife, vid. M^rgarett Mauteby, p’ut pat^t. infra.”

     We have in this Letter an instance of the desire of acquiring the wardship of rich
minors, in order to make advantageous marriages for the families of those who were so
fortunate as to obtain the care of them. Who the Ward was, is not here mentioned,
but the young lady alluded to, and whom T. Howys, in pleasantry I suppose, used to
call his wise, must have been either Anne or Margery, daughters of J. Paston, the el-
der of whom could not have been at this time more than ten years old.

     ¹ Sir Jeffrey Boleyn was Lord Mayor of London in 1457, and at this time had two
daughters, Isabel, afterwards married to William Cheyney, Esq. and Anne, afterwards
the wife of Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, Knt.

     This Jeffrey was great grand-father to Queen Anne Boleyn, the Queen of Henry VIII.

  ² An Action of Attaint lies, after judgment, against a jury that hath given a false
Verdict in any Court of Record, if the debt or damages are above 40s.

  ³ Autograph. Pl. XIX. N^o 16.

267

THOMAS HOWES TO JOHN PASTON³

To the wurshepfull Sir, and my good Maystyr John Paston,
at London, in haste.

   WURSHEPFULL and reverent Sir, and my good
     maistyr, I recomaund me to zow in as delygent
     wyse as on my part apperteineth, and p[le]a[s]e
yow to wete that my maistyr⁴ was right well pleasyd with
youre feithefull labour in fulfellyng the patent for the warrd of
A. B. C., and he wyll feithefully labour as ye have avysed hym
be wrytyng of John Bokyng. And putte my maistyr in more
corage, I meovyd to hym upon myn hed that encas be the
child wer wyse, that thanne it wer a good maryage be twen my
wyff youre doutir and hym; and, Sir, my maistyr was glad
whan he herd that moyen, cosetheryng that youre doutyr is
desendyd of hym be the modyr syde. And, Sir, I have
enqwerid aftyr the seyd child, and no dout of but he is lykly
and of gret wyt, as I her be report of sondr personez. And it
is so, as I am credebly enformyd, that Jeffrey Boleyn maketh
gret labour for maryage of the seyd child to on of hese douterez.
I wold well to hym, but bettyr to yow. Wherfor that ye

delygently labour for expedecyon of this mater, that encas ye
can fynde ony moyan ther to have the seyd child, and we shal
do feithefully owre delygens in lyke wyse her, as ye avyse
us, &c.

     And, Sir, as ye thynke with avyse of my Maistyr Yelverton,
Jenney, and otherez my maisterez counsell therin, that the
Shereff may be rewardyd, and yif my seyd maisterez counsell
thynke it be to do’n, that thanne ye lyke to take an actyoun
upon anenteynt [an attaint],¹ wheche ye most with them take
upon yow at this tyme in my maisterez absence; for as ye do
in that mater, he woll hold hym content, for Wyllyam Barker
hathe an instruccyon of my maisterez intent upon the same.
And I send John Bokyng a copy of the panell, wheche I shewed
yow at Castr, &c. Almyghty Jesu have yow eternally in hese
mercyfull governaunce.

     Wretyn at Castr, the Wednysday next aftyr Seynt Martyn,
anno xxxiij.

                                                                                 TH. HOWYS.

                   ³ [From Fenn, iii. 230.]            ⁴ Sir John Fastolf.

   ¹ This is an action against a jury that has given a false verdict.

NOV. 13

1454
NOV. 13