William Naunton to John Paston, Senior

LETTER CIV.

        To my Mast^r. Paston
        the elder be thys lett^r.
        delyv’yd in hast.

RYGHT w’chypful S^r. I recommend me to zo^r. good
     mast^rchyp the cause qwy I wryth I let zo^r have knowlech
of y^r mene that be in Cotton Halle how they be strangely dys-
posyd a gey’s zow for as I her say they make revell y^e they
melt led And brek down zo^r bregg and make yat no ma’ go in
to place but on a ledd^r. and make them as strong as they kan a
geyns zow be the Supportac’on of Jeney and Debe’h’m and hys
Sone for they seye y^r that Jeney hath sold the lyflod on to De-
bynh’m and y^t hys Sone the knyth shall dwelle ther and ther
forr they have warnyd a Coort ageyns Munday and now y^ey ar
a vysed to kepyt on Sat’day be forr Mu’day Qwat they mene
y’by I wot nev^r. but as for the felechyp in the place y^t ys ther
now and have be her al y’ys wyke ther ys no ma’ of Substans
as we her And ther have be but vij or viij al thys wyke but y^r
wyll be a gret felechyp thys nyth or to mor’we up on Sat’day
for than they wyl kepe ye Cort And as for Edward Dale he dar
not a byde wyl at hem they thret hym so be Cause he wyl send
them no vytaly And as for me self Edward Dale dar not let me
wyll be ther for takyng in suspecyon And jas for the Tenaunts
they be wel dysposyd except j or ij so that ze wyl support them
in hast for they may nowt kepe of ther katel of the Ground
long and specyally they desyr to have zo^r. owne p’sens and they
wold be of gret Cownfort No mor I wryth to zo^r. but the
holy gost have zo^r. in kepyng wretyn on the Fryday aft^r. my
departyng.

                                      Be yo^r s^rvaunt,

                                                                       William Naunton.

          11 ? by 6 ?.

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

       Friday,
             . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.
             Date uncertain.

On the back of this Letter, but in a later hand is the following Memorandum,
“Robtus Debenham ar’ hūit exit. Gilbt’m Debenham mil. fil. fuū, ipso pat. viven.”

     We have here a curious, and at that time a common instance of forceable entry, and
keeping possession by force, from which, and many other similar accounts contained
in these Letters, we see the propriety of buildings of that age being strengthened by
Towers, Moats, and Draw-bridges, as defences against those forceable invaders of pri-
vate property.

     William Naunton the Writer of this Letter was of the very ancient and worshipful
Family of Naunton, at this time situated at Alderton in Suffolk. His descendants after-
wards removed to Letheringham in the same County, where they possessed a consider-
able property, and resided in a venerable mansion, formerly the Abbey. The last male
possessor of this Estate left it by will to his heir at law, the consequence of which has
been that pretended heirs have been continually starting up, and disputing the right of
 

the person in possession to the detriment of the Estate, and to the utter destruction of
the Church and Chancel, now become a ruinous mass from neglect, and in which were
many curious, expensive, and valuable Monuments, of this, the Wingfields and other
allied Families; the windows were also adorned with exceedingly elegant Paintings on
the Glass, of Scripture History, Effigies, and armorial Bearings, all of which have been
within these very few years entirely demolished! The Monuments however are most of
them preserved by the accurate pencil of Mr. Johnson, of Woodbridge, at the expence
of my Friend Craven Ord, Esq. This Writer little thought, whilst he was lamenting
the proceedings at Cotton-Hall to J. Paston, that in after-ages his descendants would
be despoiling a litigated property in somewhat a similar manner.

     Autograph. Pl. XX. N^o 36.

LETTER CIV.

To my Master Paston the elder, be this Letter delivered in haste.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me to your good
     mastership the cause why I write, I let you have know-
ledge of the men that be in Cotton-Hall, (in Suffolk,) how they
be strangely disposed against you, for as I hear say, they make
revel there, they melt lead, and break down your bridge, and
make that no man may go into (the) place but on a ladder, and
make them as strong as they can against you, by the suppor-
tation of Jenney, and Debenham and his Son, for they say there
that Jenney hath sold the livelihood unto Debenham, and that
his Son the Knight shall dwell there, and therefore they have
warned a Court against Monday, and now they have advised to
keep it on Saturday before Monday; what they mean thereby I
wot never; but as for the fellowship in the place that is there
now, and have been there all this week, there is no man of sub-
stance as we hear, and there have been but seven or eight all this
week, but there will be a great fellowship this night or to-mor-
row upon Saturday, for then they will keep the Court; and as
for Edward Dale he dare not abide well at home, they threaten,
him so, because he will send them no vytaly (victuals,) and as
for myself Edward Dale dare not let me well be there for taking
in suspicion. And as for the Tenants, they be well disposed,
except one or two, so that ye will support them in haste, for
they may not keep of their Cattle off the ground longer, and
specially they desire to have your own presence, and they would
be of great comfort.

     No more I write to you, but the Holy Ghost have you in
keeping. Written on the Friday after my departing.

                    By your Servant,

                                                         WILLIAM NAUNTON.

           11 ½ by 6 ¼.

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

       Friday,
             . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.
             Date uncertain.

On the back of this Letter, but in a later hand is the following Memorandum,
“Robtus Debenham ar’ hūit exit. Gilbt’m Debenham mil. fil. fuū, ipso pat. viven.”

     We have here a curious, and at that time a common instance of forceable entry, and
keeping possession by force, from which, and many other similar accounts contained
in these Letters, we see the propriety of buildings of that age being strengthened by
Towers, Moats, and Draw-bridges, as defences against those forceable invaders of pri-
vate property.

     William Naunton the Writer of this Letter was of the very ancient and worshipful
Family of Naunton, at this time situated at Alderton in Suffolk. His descendants after-
wards removed to Letheringham in the same County, where they possessed a consider-
able property, and resided in a venerable mansion, formerly the Abbey. The last male
possessor of this Estate left it by will to his heir at law, the consequence of which has
been that pretended heirs have been continually starting up, and disputing the right of
 

the person in possession to the detriment of the Estate, and to the utter destruction of
the Church and Chancel, now become a ruinous mass from neglect, and in which were
many curious, expensive, and valuable Monuments, of this, the Wingfields and other
allied Families; the windows were also adorned with exceedingly elegant Paintings on
the Glass, of Scripture History, Effigies, and armorial Bearings, all of which have been
within these very few years entirely demolished! The Monuments however are most of
them preserved by the accurate pencil of Mr. Johnson, of Woodbridge, at the expence
of my Friend Craven Ord, Esq. This Writer little thought, whilst he was lamenting
the proceedings at Cotton-Hall to J. Paston, that in after-ages his descendants would
be despoiling a litigated property in somewhat a similar manner.

     Autograph. Pl. XX. N^o 36.

486

WILLIAM NAUNTON TO JOHN PASTON, SENIOR¹

To my Master Paston, the elder, be thys letter
delyveryd in hast.

RYGHT wurchypful sir, I recommend me to zour good
     masterchyp. The cause qwy I wryth I let zour have
     knowlech of the mene that be in Cotton Halle, how
they be strangely dysposyd ageyns zow; for, as I here say,
they make revell there. They melt led and brek down zour
bregg, and make that no man go in to [the] place but on a
ledder, and make them as strong as they kan a geyns zow be
the supportacion of Jeney and Debenham, and hys sone; for
they seye ther that Jeney hath sold the lyflod on to Debynham,
and that hys son the knyth shall dwell ther, and ther forr they
have warnyd a cort ageyns Munday, and now they ar a vysed
to kepyt on Saturday be forr Munday. Qwat they mene
therby I wot never, but as for the felechyp in the place that
ys there now, and have be here al thys weke, there ys no man
of substans, as we here, and there have be but vij. or viij. al
thys wyke; but there wyll be a gret felechyp thys nyth or to
morwe up on Saturday, for than they wyl kepe the cort. And
as for Edward Dale, he dar not abyde wyl at hom, they thret
hym so, be cause he wyl send them no vytaly. And as for
me self, Edward Dale dar not let me wyll [well] be there for
takyng in suspecyon. And jas for the tenaunts, they be wel
dysposyd except j. or ij., so that ze wyl support them in hast,
for they may nowt kepe of ther katel of the ground long; and
specyally they desyr to have zowr owne presens, and they wold
be of gret cownfort. No mor I wryth to zour, but the Holy
Gost have zour in kepyng. Wretyn on the Fryday after my
departyng.                    Be your Servaunt,

                                                                           WYLLYAM NANTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 414.] This letter corresponds so closely with the next in what
is said about the occupants of Cotton Hall, that it is clear they were both written about
the same time.

1461
OCT.