William Worcester to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 119

7 July 1455

Gairdner, Vol III, item 297; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 29

LETTER XXIX.

To my maist^r Paston.

PLEASE your gode maist^rship to wete that as yerstenday
came l’res from london that the p^rson most nedys up to
london to safe the next Am^rciem’t. And so ys forth to appiere
yff he nedys most xv Jōhis as ye shall see by Barker’s l’re and
shall be to morn’ at london and w^t goddes gr’ce he shall be
releved by the meene of the parlem’t by sonday yee shall hafe
weetyng as for my maist^r he departyth not to london tille the
next weke aft^r thys and he ryde As for tydyngs be none couthe
but Ponyngs ys qwyt and delyv’ed of all tr’sons and S^r W^m
Oldhale ys p^rcess yn the kyngs bynche Rev^rsed and the p’st that
acoused lordz ¹ Cromewell ² Grey and my ³ maist^r wolle Con-
fesse who caused hym to do it so that he may have hys lyve &c.
Assone as ye goodly may to see my maist^r it shall be to hym a
sing’ler pleas’ S^r a baylly of my maist^r ys yn drayton John
Eimond brought a l’re to yow and he sent me wetyng he was
shent uppon som mater as he supposyth conteyned yn the l’re y
pr’y you yn ryght be hys gode maist^r and that y may wete the
cause for y doubt he shall and most obbey yff he hath offended
at Castr the ⁴noneday vij day Jullet.

Yo^r

⁵ W. Worcestre.

This Letter relates to what passed at Blackheath when the Commons of Kent assembled
there under Jack Cade, in 1450, when Robert Poynings was his Sword-bearer and car-
ver, who afterwards married Elizabeth, the sister of John Paston.

It could not be written before 1451, as it gives an account of Poynings’ Pardon, and
of the Priest’s confession who had accused the Lords Cromwell, and Grey, and Sir John
Fastolf, of treason.

¹ Henry Lord Cromwell.

² There were several Lords Grey at this time, which of them is the Person here men-
tioned cannot now be ascertained.

³ By J. Payn’s Letter (See vol. I. Letter XIII. p. 54.) it appears that he was urged
to have accused his Master Sir J. Fastolf of Treason.

⁴ The day of the Nones.

⁵ Autograph. See the letter part of the Signature Pl. II. N^o 24. and Pl. XX. N^o 31.

⁶ This appears to have been written by some one whose advice had been asked in some
Law Proceedings.

           Paper Mark,
             A Ring.
           Pl. XXI. N^o 4.

11 ½ by 3 ¼.

On the top of this Letter in a different hand is written.

⁶ P’ve ontrouthe in the undir sherif or that he dede othir
wise thaune yo’r counsell avysid hym And Paston shall demene
hym acordyng.

LETTER XXIX.

To my Master Paston.

PLEASE your good mastership to weet, that as yesterday
came letters from London that the Parson must needs up
to London to save the next amerciament; And so (be) is forth
to appear, if he needs must, xv Johannis (Quinsieme Johannis, 8
July) as ye shall see by Barker’s letter, and shall be to morn [to-
morrow] at London, and with God’s grace he shall be relieved
by the mean of the Parliament; by Sunday ye shall have weeting.

As for my Master (Sir J. Fastolf) he departeth not to Lon-
don till the next week after this, and he ride.

As for tidings be none truth, but Ponyngs is quit and de-
livered of all treasons; and Sir William Oldhall’s process in
the King’s Bench (is) reversed; and the Priest that accused Lords
¹ Cromwell, ² Grey, and my ³ Master will confess who caused
him to do it, so that he may have his life, &c.

As soon as ye goodly may to see my master, it shall be to him
a singular pleasure. Sir, a Bailiff of my Master’s is in Drayton.
John Edmond brought a letter to you, and he sent me weeting
he was shent [blamed] upon some matter, as he supposeth, con-
tained in the letter. I pray you in right be his good master,
and that I may weet the cause, for I doubt he shall and must
obey, if he hath offended.

At Caister the ⁴noneday, 7 day (of) July.

Your

⁵ WILLIAM WORCESTER.

This Letter relates to what passed at Blackheath when the Commons of Kent assembled
there under Jack Cade, in 1450, when Robert Poynings was his Sword-bearer and car-
ver, who afterwards married Elizabeth, the sister of John Paston.

It could not be written before 1451, as it gives an account of Poynings’ Pardon, and
of the Priest’s confession who had accused the Lords Cromwell, and Grey, and Sir John
Fastolf, of treason.

¹ Henry Lord Cromwell.

² There were several Lords Grey at this time, which of them is the Person here men-
tioned cannot now be ascertained.

³ By J. Payn’s Letter (See vol. I. Letter XIII. p. 54.) it appears that he was urged
to have accused his Master Sir J. Fastolf of Treason.

⁴ The day of the Nones.

⁵ Autograph. See the letter part of the Signature Pl. II. N^o 24. and Pl. XX. N^o 31.

⁶ This appears to have been written by some one whose advice had been asked in some
Law Proceedings.

           Paper Mark,
             A Ring.
           Pl. XXI. N^o 4.

      Caister,
           Noneday, 7 July,
           about 1451. 29 H. VI.

On the top of this Letter, in a different hand, is written.

⁶ Prove untruth in the Undersheriff, or that he did other-
wise than your Counsel advised him, and Paston shall demean
him accordingly.

297

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my Maister Paston.

   PLEASE your gode maistership to wete, that as yersten-
     day came lettres from London that the Parson² most
     nedys up to London to safe the next amerciement;
and so ys forth to appiere, yff he nedys most, xv. Johannis,³
as ye shall see by Barkers lettre, and shall be to morne at
London, and with Goddes grace he shall be releved by the
meene of the Parlement; by Sonday yee shall hafe weetyng.

As for my maister,⁴ he departyth not to London tille the
next weke after thys, and [i.e. if] he ryde.

As for tydyngs be none couthe [i.e. publicly known], but
Ponyngs⁵ ys qwyt and delyvered of all tresons; and Sir
William Oldhale ys process yn the Kyngs Bynche reversed;
and the Priest that acoused Lordz Cromewell,⁶ Grey,⁷ and my

maister wolle confesse who caused hym to do it, so that he
may have hys lyve, &c.

Assone as ye goodly may to see my maister, it shall be to
hym a singuler pleasir. Sir, a baylly of my maister ys yn
Drayton. John Eimond brought a lettre to yow, and he sent
me wetyng he was shent [abashed] uppon som mater, as he
supposyth, conteyned yn the lettre. Y pray you yn ryght be
hys gode maister, and that y may wete the cause, for y doubt
he shall and most obbey, yff he hath offended.

At Castr, the noneday,¹ vij. day Juliet.

Your, W. WORCESTRE.

On the top of this letter, in a different hand, is written:—

Prove ontrouthe in the Undir-Sherif, or that he dede othir wise thanne
your counsell avysid hym, and Paston shall demene hym accordyng.

¹ [From Fenn, iii. 128.] At the date of this letter, William Worcester and his
master, Sir John Fastolf, were both at Caister, though the latter was thinking of
going up to London. This, being in July, cannot have been before 1455. Fenn
supposes the pardon to Poynings to have been on account of his participation in
Cade’s rebellion, and accordingly dates this letter ‘about 1451.’ But Poynings was
accused of raising disturbances in 1453 and 1454. The reversal of Sir William
Oldhall’s outlawry was in 1455; for we have seen in No. 287 that he was obliged to
remain in sanctuary for some little time after the battle of St. Albans. It appears by
an inspeximus on Patent Roll, 34 Hen. VI., m. 16, that he presented a petition to the
King in Parliament on the 9th July, 33 Hen. VI. (1455), setting forth how he had
served the King in France, and yet had been pronounced a traitor by the Parliament
of Reading in 31 Hen. VI., but that his outlawry had been reversed in the King’s
Bench.

² Thomas Howes.

³ Quindena Johannis, or on the quinzaine of St. John, i.e. 8th July, the 15th day
from St. John the Baptist’s day.

⁴ Sir John Fastolf.

⁵ Robert Poynings.—See vol. ii. p. 154, Note 3.

⁶ Ralph, Lord Cromwell. He was accused of treason by a priest named Robert
Colynson.—See Nicolas’s Privy Council Proceedings, vi. 198.

⁷ Probably Edmund, Lord Grey of Ruthin; but there were at this time also a
Lord Grey of Codnor and a Lord Grey of Wilton.

¹ The day of the Nones.—F.

1455
JULY 7