Will of Sir John Fastolf

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WILL OF SIR JOHN FASTOLF²

     Anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quinquagesimo nono, mensis
Novembris, videlicet, die Sabbati proximo post Festum Omnium Sanctorum,
Johannes Fastolff, miles, de comitatu Northfolch, Norwicen Dioc’, in manerio
suo de Castre, dictæ Diocesis, quoad bona sua immobilia suam ultimam
declaravit voluntatem prout sequitur:

     John Fastolff, Knyght, the secunde and the thirde day of the moneth
of Novembre, the yere of the reigne of King Henry the Sexte after the
Conquest, xxxviij. yers, being of longe tyme, as he said, in purpos and wille to
founde and stablissh withynne the gret mansion at Castre, by hym late edified, a
college of vij. religious men, monkes or seculer prestes, and vij. pore folke,
to pray for his soule and the soulys of his wife, his fader and modir, and other
that he was beholde to, imperpetuite. And forasmuch as he had, as he
rehercid, a very truste and love to his cosyn, John Paston, and desired
the performyng of the purpoos and wille forsad to be accomplisshed, and that
the said Sir John shulde not be mevid ne sterid in his owne persone for
the said accomplisshing of the said purpoos and wille, ne with noon other
wordly maters, but at his oune request and plesire, wolde, graunted, and
ordeyned that the said John Paston shalle, withynne resonable tyme aftir the
dissese of the said Sir John, doo founde and stablisshe in the said mansion a
college of vij. monkes or prestes and vij. pore folke, for to pray for the soulys
above said imperpetuite; so that one of the said monkes or prestes be maister,
and have xli. yerely, and ich othir monke or preste x. marc yerely, and ich of
the pore folke xls. yerely; and that the said John Paston shalle make sure to
the said collegions a sufficient roume and a competent and an esy duelling place
in the said mansion, the said collegions nor her successours bering no charge of
reparacion therof. For which, and for othir charges and labours that the said

John Paston hath doon and take uppon hym, to the eas and profite of the said
John Fastolf, and for othir consideracions by hym rehercid, the said Sir
John Fastolff wolde, graunted, and ordeyned that the said John Paston shalle
have alle the maners, landes, and tenementes in North[folk], Southfolk, and
Norwich, in which the said John Paston or any other are or were enfeffed or
have title to the use of the said Sir John Fastolf; and at [that] alle the feffees
infeffed in the said maners, londes, and tenementes shalle make and deliver
astate of the said maners, landes, and tenementes to such persones, at such
tymes, and in such forme as the said John Paston, his heirs, and his assignes
shalle requere thaym or any of thayme. And that the said John Paston shall
pay to othir of the said Sir Johns executours iiij^ml. [4000] marc of laufulle
money of England in the forme that folweth, that is to say: Where the said
Sir John hadde apointed and assigned that his executours shalle, the first yere
aftir his disses, dispoos for his soule and performyng his wille a m^l. marks or a
m^lli. [£ 1000] of money, and yerely aftir, viij^c. [800] marc, tille the goodes be
disposed, the said John Paston shalle pay iche othir yere the said summe of
viij^c. marc till the summe of iiij^m. [4000] be paid; so that the said mevabill
goodes shall the lenger endure to be disposed, by th’avise of his executours, for
the said soulys: And also the said Sir John said, forasmuch as it was the very
wille and entent of the said Sir John that the said John Paston shulde be thus
be avauntaged and in no wise hurte of his propir goodes, therfore the said Sir
John wolde graunted that if the said John Paston, aftir the dissese of the said
Sir John, by occasion and unlaufulle trouble in this reame, or by mayntenaunce
or myght of Lordes, or for defaute of justice, or by unresonable exaccions axid
of hym for the licence of the said fundacion, withoute coveyne or fraude of
hym selve, be lettid or taried of the making or stablesshing of the making
of the said fundacion, that thanne he fynde or doo finde yerely aftir the first
yere of thus dissese of the said Sir John, vij. prestes to pray for the said soulys
in the said mansion, if he can purvey so many, or els for as many prestes
as faile, yeve yerely aftir the said first yere, by th’avise of his executours, to
bedred men and othir nedy true pepille, as much money in almose for the said
sowlys as the salary or findyng of the prestes so faillyng is worthe or amounteth
to, unto the tyme he may laufully and peasably founde the said college and doo
his true devir for the said fundacion in the meane tyme. And the said Sir
John Fastolf wolde, graunted, and desired faithfully alle the residewe of his
executours and feffees to shewe the said John Paston favore in the said pay-
mentes and daies, and help hym for the Kinges interesse and the eschetours,
and furthir hym in that they may in alle othir thinges as they wolde doo to
hym selve, and not vex ne inquiete hym for the said fundacion in the meane
tyme. Ande where the said Sir John Fastolf made his wille and testament
the xiiij. day of June in somer last passed, he wolde, graunted, and ordeyned
that this his wille touching thes premissez, as welle as the said wille made the
said xiiij. day, except and voided out of his said wille, made the said xiiij. day,
alle that concerneth or perteyneth to the fundacion of a college, priory, or
chauntery, or of any religious persones, and all that concerneth the sale or
disposing of the said maners, landes, and tenementes, wherof this is the very
declaracion of his full wille, stand and be joyntly his very enteir and last wille,
and annexed and proved togedir. Also the said Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, the
Tuysday next before the fest of Alle Saintes, and in the moneth of Septembre
the said yere, and the iij. day of Novembre, and diverse other tymes, at Castre
aforesaid, wolde, ordeynyd, and declared his wille touching the making of the
said college, as welle as the graunte of the said maners, landes, and tenementes
in Norffolk, Suffolk, and Norwich, in fourme, manere, and substance aforeseid.
Also the said Sir John wolde and ordeyned that if the said John Paston, by
force or myght of any othir desiring to have the said mansion, were letted
to founde the seid college in the said mansion, that thanne the said John Paston
shulde doo poule down the said mansion and every stone and stikke therof, and
do founde iij. of the said vij. prestes or monkes at Saincte Benettes, and one at
Yermuth, one at Attilbrugh, and one at Sainte Oloves Church in Southwerke.
Also the said Sir John Fastolf, the iij. and iiij. daies of the moneth of
Novembir abovesaid, desired his said wille or writyng, touching the fundacion
of the said college and the graunte of the said maners, landes, and tenementes
to the said John Paston, to be redde unto the said Sir John; and that same
wille redde and declared unto hym articulerly, the said Sir John Fastolffe
wolde, ordeyned, and graunted that the said John Paston shulde be discharged
of the payment of the said iiij^ml. markes, and noght pay therof in case he did
execute the remenaunte of the said wille.

     Also the said Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, aboute the tyme of hervest the
yere of the reigne of King Henry the Sexte, xxxv^th yere at Castre faste by
Mikel Yermuth, in the shire of Norffolk, in presence of divers persones that
tyme called to by the said Sir John, did make astate and feffement and liverey
of the seasin of the maner of Castre aforesaid, and othir maners, landes, and
tenementes in Norffolk, to John Paston, Squier, and othir; and at that lyverey
of season therof delivered, as welle by the handes of the said Sir John as
by other, the said Sir John Fastolfe by his owne mouth declared his wille and
entente of that feffement and liverey of season made to the use of the said Sir
John asfor during his live onely, and aftir his decese, to the use of the said John
Paston and his heirs. And also the said Sir John said and declared that the
said John Paston was the best frende and helper and supporter to the said Sir
John, and that was his wille that the said John Paston shulde have and enherite
the same maners, landes, and tenementes and othir aftir his decese, and there to
duelle and abide and kepe householde; and desired Daun William Bokenham,
Priour of Yermouth, and Raufe Lampet, Squier, Bailly of Yermuth, that tyme
present, to recorde the same. Also the said Sir John Fastolf, the vj. day of
July next aftir the tyme of the sealing of his wille made the xiiij. day of June,
the xxxv. of King Henry the Sexte, and aftir in the presence of Daun
William Bokenham, that tyme Prioure of Yermouth, and other, wolde,
ordeyned, and declared by wille that the said John Paston shulde have alle
thynges as the said Sir John had graunted and declared to the said prioure and
othir at the tyme of the said [asta]te and feffement made to the [said] John
Paston, the said xxxv. yere of King Henry the vj^th. the said John seyng
[saying] that he was of the same wille and purpoos as he was and declared at
the tyme [of the] said astate takyng. Also the said Sir John wolde that John
Paston and Thomas Howes, and noon othir of his executours, shulde selle
alle maners, landes, and tenementes in whiche any persones were enfeffed
to the use of the said Sir John, excepte the said maners, landes, and tene-
mentes in Norffolk, Suffolk, and Norwich; and the same John Paston and
Thomas Howes shalle take and receyve the profites, ysshueys, and emolumentes
commyng of the said maners, landes, and tenementes, excepte before except,
tille they may resonably be solde; and that the said John Paston and Thomas,
the money comyng of the same sale, as welle of the said proufites, ysshuys, and
emolumentes, shulde dispoos in dedys of almose for the soule of the said Sir
John and the soulys aforesaid, and in executyng of his wille and testament:
And also the said Sir John wolde that alle the feffees enfeffed in the said
maners, landes, and tenementes assigned to be sold, whanne thay be required by
the said John Paston and Thomas Howes, shall make astate to persone or
persons as the said John Paston and Thomas shalle selle to, the said maners,
landes, and tenementes, or any parte therof, and that noon othir feffe [feoffee]
nor the executours of the said Sir John shall make any feffement, relece, ne
quitance of any londes befor assigned to be solde that wer at any tyme longing
to the said Sir John, withoute the assente of the said John Paston and Thomas
Howes. Datum anno Domini, mense, die et loco supradictis.

     ² [From Add. MS. 22,927, B.M.]

1459
NOV. 3

1459
NOV. 3

1459
NOV. 3