Wadehill to Thomas Stonor

                  113. WADEHILL TO THOMAS STONOR

                                    17 JANUARY [1471 ?]

    This letter from a servant of John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, was clearly
 written after the birth of the Duke's eldest son, John, who was probably born
in 1464, and before the death of his mother, the Duchess Alice, in May, 1475.
The only intervening years in which 17th January fell on a Thursday were 1465
 and 1471. The former seems precluded by the mention of "the young
ladies," since Suffolk's daughters were probably younger children; though
the fact that an adjourned Parliament met in 1465 on 21st January would
make this date otherwise suitable. The date 1471 is difficult, since it
involves a reference to an otherwise unknown meeting of the Parliament of
the Lancastrian Restoration. The Chancellor in both years was George
Neville, Archbishop of York, with whom the Stonors had friendly relations.
Suffolk, who was married to a sister of Edward IV., would naturally desire
to keep away from Court in 1471. From A.C., xlvi, 85.⁴⁸

   Worshipfull and my right good maister, I recommende me to youre
good maistership: and like you wete ?at my lord, and my lady his
Moder also, have commaunded me to wryte unto you þat þey bothe
hertily desire and prey you, yef ye may in eny wyse or your
goyng to London, ye wole take þe laboure as to come hider to speke
with my seid Lord and lady for diverse grete matters and causes þat
ey wolde speke unto you of. And yef ye may not come hider, þan
þat ye wole find þe meane to my lord Chaunceler as to excuse my lord
of his comyng not to London at þis time, like as my seid lord was
wreten unto by a pryve seall whiche was delivered to him on Munday
last passed at vj of þe clokke withynne night at Ewelme, which as your
maystership knoweth well was right shorte warnyng, remembring þat
þe more parte of my lordes servauntes were sente into Suffolk to þe
houshold þere ayens Crystemasse, and þe remenaunt of his servauntes,
þat were here awayting, your maystership knoweth well been forthe
with my lady, my lordes wyf, into Suffolk to bringe her þider: ffor God
knoweth she thought full longe from þe yonge lorde and yonge ladies
here childerne, þat been þere. And so my lord might not come at
London himself at þis time to his worship, and his servauntes from him:
ffor I dare sey he hath here at þis day awayting uppon his lordship not
a dosen persones. Nethelese with Goddes grace my seid lord purposeth
and woll be and attend at þe Parlement as oþer lordes shall, ffor by þat
time his seid servauntes þat be nowe absent woll be with my seid lord
ayen here. Wreten in haste þis Thursday xvij day of Januare.

                                                                 Youre servaunt Wadehill.

       To my right worshipfull master, Thomas Stonor.

113. WADEHILL TO THOMAS STONOR

17 JANUARY [1471 ?]

     This letter from a servant of John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, was clearly
written after the birth of the Duke’s eldest son, John, who was probably born
in 1464, and before the death of his mother, the Duchess Alice, in May, 1475.
The only intervening years in which 17th January fell on a Thursday were 1465
and 1471. The former seems precluded by the mention of “the young
ladies,” since Suffolk’s daughters were probably younger children; though
the fact that an adjourned Parliament met in 1465 on 21st January would
make this date otherwise suitable. The date 1471 is difficult, since it
involves a reference to an otherwise unknown meeting of the Parliament of
the Lancastrian Restoration. The Chancellor in both years was George
Neville, Archbishop of York, with whom the Stonors had friendly relations.
Suffolk, who was married to a sister of Edward IV., would naturally desire
to keep away from Court in 1471. From A.C., xlvi, 85.

     Worshipfull and my right good maister, I recommende me to youre
good maistership: and like you wete þat my lord, and my lady his
Moder also, have commaunded me to wryte unto you þat þey bothe
hertily desire and prey you, yef ye may in eny wyse or your
goyng to London, ye wole take þe laboure as to come hider to speke
with my seid lord and lady for diverse grete matters and causes þat
þey wolde speke unto you of. And yef ye may not come hider, þan
þat ye wole find þe meane to my lord Chaunceler as to excuse my lord
of his comyng not to London at þis time, like as my seid lord was
wreten unto by a pryve seall whiche was delivered to him on Munday
last passed at vj of þe clokke withynne night at Ewelme, which as your
maystership knoweth well was right shorte warnyng, remembring þat
þe more parte of my lordes servauntes were sente into Suffolk to þe
houshold þere ayens Crystemasse, and þe remenaunt of his servauntes,
þat were here awayting, your maystership knoweth well been forthe
with my lady, my lordes wyf, into Suffolk to bringe her þider: ffor God
knoweth she thought full longe from þe yonge lorde and yonge ladies
here childerne, þat been þere. And so my lord might not come at
London himself at þis time to his worship, and his servauntes from him:
for I dare sey he hath here at þis day awayting uppon his lordship not
a dosen persones. Nethelese with Goddes grace my seid lord purposeth
and woll be and attend at þe Parlement as oþer lordes shall, ffor by þat
time his seid servauntes þat be nowe absent woll be with my seid lord
ayen here. Wreten in haste þis Thursday xvij day of Januare.

                                                                             Youre servaunt Wadehill.

     To my right worshipfull master, Thomas Stonor.