Writtill to the Besiegers of Caister

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Reference

Add. 34889, ff. 91-92

Date

[September] 1469

Library / Archive

Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)

Gairdner, Vol V, item 726; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 97

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)

LETTER XCVII.

    Sr.Iob Heuyngb?m Tb? Wyngf?d
    Gilbert ?Debenb?m Wil Brandon
    And to eu?ych of ye feually in
    Oyt is absence.

HIT is so that according to such direccon as was meived to
be desired of my lords being heer as for such as here bee
they m?veil gretly y? of thynkyng and remebring in themselves yt
such offer as was made by my credence to my lorde and to fore
you reported should have fownyd ore to his pleasure and honor
ya this his desire Nevirtheleffe my lords thence where as they
wrote and desired ioyntly yt such credence as ye remebre myght
be obfruyd and taken And by youy refused nowe yif they shuld
afent to the desire of this direccon hit is thought in them not fo
to doo. For it is so fortuned yt dyu?s of my lords from whome
I brought both wrytyng and credence be at the kings high
c?maunde hastley deprted unto his highneffc trusting in god to
haue heeryng in brief tyme of their fasty ayen coming atte
which tyme my lords yt here bee and they yt shall come ayen shal
common and speke to gydr of this desire and direccon and such
answere as they geve and make shall be sent unto you than with
haste possible Ovir y^is me thenkith for yo^r excuse of burden and
charge such as I hier will be leid vnto you concernyng the grete
werks y^t dailly be and ar at the Man^r of Castre yif ye thenk y^t
god shuld haue pleasir and also the kyng oure soureign lorde And
y^t my seide lords shuld thenk in you gode avise or sad and y^t ye
entendid to avoide the sheddyng of Cristyn blode and the destru-
con of the kyngs liege p'ple y^t at yo^r politik labo^r and wisedome
ye myght bryng my lord to thabstynence of Warre And a Trieux
to be had and Contynued vnto tyme of the ret'orn of my seid
lords or els knowlege of their entent Certisieng you for trouth
that y^r be messengers sent vnto my seid lords w^t lrez of such
Answere as I had of you to yo^r desire to gyd^r knowyng Certeinly
y^t y' shal be hasty relacon of y' entents in the p'misis which an-
swers ye shall haue atte ferthist by Monday cometh sevenyght
Ferthirmore lettyng you wit y^t I und^rstond for certein y^t my
lords y^t be heere eschewe for such incoueniense y^t myght fall to
Conclude any answere by ye self consideryng y^t my credence
was geven by all the lords prayng you as shal be doon to the
conti'aunce of y^is trieux aforesaid y^t I may be acerteyned or yif
at this houre ye Coude yit thenk my credence resonable and ho-
no^rable to be accepted and taken sendith me woorde in wrytyng
from you bly my s^rv'nt bryng of this al delaies leid aparte for I
acertein you as he y^t owe you sruice I was and yit am gretly
blamed for my long tarying wt you for dyu^rs of my lords tarried
here for me by thassent of al my lords leng^r ya they wold haue
don to know myn Answere and guydyng from you And ovir
this I certyfie you y^t ye cannot make my lords heere to thenk y^t
yif y' be incouenient or myshief murdre or Manslautr had or don
but and yor Wills and entents were to the Contr'ye my lord is
notid so well disposid y^t w^t oute yor grete abettet he neiy^r will
doo nor assent to non such thyng prayng you y'for as yo^r frende
to remebre wele yo^r self and so to rule you as my lords may haue
in tyme to Come knowlege of yo^r more sadd disposicon ya as yit
I feele yey thenk in you And how y^t my lords note su of you
Iames Hobert beyng of my lords Counsel can enfo'me you
Wherefor for godds sake remebr you and delyur my s^rv'nt And
yif ye thenk my first credence or this adurtisement shal be taken
to effect ya I pray you y^t my s^rv'nt brynger hereof may haue
sure condyte to speke w^t John Paston and to report to hy these
direccons and vpon y^t to delyur hym a bill cwertifyng y^e same.

11 ? by 16 ?.

Paper Mark,

A radiated star of Sixteen Points,

having [ILL] in the Centre.

PI. VIII. N^o 5.

This is the only Letter written to besiegers, which appears in this collection, and
the writer of this cannot be ascertained; he seems however to be a well-wisher to the
Pastons by what he says in his Letter of the opinion of the Lords on this business, who
likewife appear favourable to them.

He seems to hint that the extremity to which things are carried, is more the fault of
these captains to whom the Letter is addressed than that of the Duke of Norfolk, who
? is noted so well disposed:.

¹ Sir John Heveningham, knight and banneret, was a descendant of an ancient family
situated at the town of Heveningham, in Sussolk; his son Thomas become owner of the
estate at Ketteringham, inNorfolk, where this family contioued for several generations.

² Sir Thomas Wingfiled was a younger son either of Sir Robert or Sir John Wing
field of Letheringham, in Suffolk.

³ Sir Bilbert Debenham, knight, was descended of an ancient and knightly family in
the country of Sussolk.

⁴ Sir William Brandon married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Roberrt Wingfield, and was
ancelor to charles Brandon, afterwards Duke of Sussolk.

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)

LETTER XCVII.

    (To) Sir John ¹ Heveningbam, Tbomas ² Wingfield, Gilbert
    ³ Debenbam, William ⁴ Brandon, and every of them feve-
    rally in others absence.

IT is so, that according to such direction as was moved to be
desired of my Lords being here, as for such as here be they
marvel greatly thereof, thinking and remembering in themselves
that such offer as was made by my credence to my Lord, and
tofore you reported, should have sounded more to his pleasure
and honour than this his desire; nevertheless my Lords think,
whereas they wrote and desired jointly that such credence, as ye
remember, might be observed and taken, and by your refused,
now if they should assent to the desire of this direction, it is
thought in them not so to do, for it is so fortuned that divers of
my Lords, from whom I brought both writing and credence,
be at the King?s high commandment hastily departed unto his
highness; trusting in God to have hearing in brief time
of their hasty agan coming, at which time my Lords that here be, and
they that shall come again, shall commune and speak together of
this desire and direction, and such answer as they give and make
shall be send unto you then with haste possible. Over this me
thinketh for your excuse of burden and charge, such as I hear
will be laid unto you, concerning the great works that daily be
and are at the manor of Caister, if ye think that God should
have pleasure, and also the King our sovereign Lord, and that
my said Lords should think in you good advice or sad, and that
ye intended to avoid the shedding of christian blood, and the de-
struction of the King's liege people, that at your politic labour
and wisdom ye might bring my Lord to the abstinence of war,
and a truce to be had and continued unto time of the return of
my said Lords, or else knowledge of their intent ; certifying you
for truth that there be messengers sent unto my said Lords with
Letters of such answer as I had of you and your desire together,
knowing certainly that there shall be hasty relation of their intents
in the premises, which answers ye shall have at furthest by
Monday cometh sev'night ; furthermore letting you weet that I
understand for certain that my Lords that be here eschew, for
such inconvenience that might fall, to conclude any answer by
themselves, considering that my credence was given by all the
Lords, praying you, as shall be done to the continuance of this
truce aforesaid, that I may be ascertained, or if at this hour ye
could yet think my credence reasonable and honourable to be ac-
cepted and taken, send me word in writing from you by my
servant, bringer of this, all delays laid apart ; for I ascertain you
as he that owe you service, I was and yet am greatly blamed for
my long tarrying with you, for divers of my Lords tarried here
for me, by the assent of all my Lords, longer than they would
have done, to know my answer and guiding from you ; and
over this I certify you that ye cannot make my Lords here to
think that if there be inconvenience or mischief, murder or man-
slaughter had or done, but and ( if ) your wills and intents were
to the contrary, my Lord is noted so well disposed, that without
your great abetment he neither will do nor assent to none such
thing ; praying you, therefore, as your friend to remember well
yourself, and so to rule you, as my Lords may have, in time to
come, knowledge of your more sad ( grave ) disposition than as
yet I feel they think in you ; and how that my Lords note some
of you, James Hobart, being of my Lord's counsel, can inform
you, wherefore for God's sake remember you, and deliver my
servant, and if ye think my first credence, or this advertisement
shall be taken to effect, then I pray you that my servant, bringer
hereof, may have sure conduct to speak with John paston, and
to report to him these directions, and upon that to deliver him a
bill certifying the same.

London,

September, 1469.

9 E. IV.

² Sir Thomas Wingfiled was a younger son either of Sir Robert or Sir John Wing
field of Letheringham, in Suffolk.

³ Sir Bilbert Debenham, knight, was descended of an ancient and knightly family in
the country of Sussolk.

⁴ Sir William Brandon married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Roberrt Wingfield, and was
ancelor to charles Brandon, afterwards Duke of Sussolk.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume V'

726

WRITTILL TO THE BESIEGERS OF CAISTER¹

Sir John Hevyngham,² Th. Wyngfeld,³ Gilbert Debenham,⁴ Wil.
Brandon,⁵ and to everych of them severally in otheris absence.

HIT is so that accordyng to such direccion as was mevid
to be desird of my Lords beyng heer, as for such as
heere bee they marveil gretly therof, thynkyng and
remembring in themself that such offre as was made by my
credence to my Lorde,⁶ and to fore you reported, shuld have
sownyd more to his pleasure and honour than this his desire.
Nevirthelesse my Lords thenke where as they wrote and
desirid joyntly that such credence as ye remembre myght be
observyd and taken, and by you refusid, nowe yif they shuld
assent to the desire of this direccion, hit is thought in them
not so to doo; for it is so fortuned that dyvers of my Lords,
from whome I brought both wrytyng and credence, be at the
Kyngs high commaundement hastely departed unto his High-
nesse, trustyng in God to have heeryng in brief tyme of their
hasty ayen comyng, atte which tyme my Lords that heere be,
and they that shal come ayen, shal comon and speke to gyder
of this desire and direccion, and such answere as they geve and
make shall be sent unto you than with haste possible. Ovir
this, me thenkith for your excuse of burden and charge such
as I hier will be leid unto you concernyng the grete werks that
dailly be and ar at the maner of Castre, yif ye thenk that God
shuld have pleasir, and also the Kyng oure sovereign Lorde,
and that my seide Lords shuld thenk in you gode avise or sad,
and that ye entendid to avoide the sheddyng of Cristyn blode
and the destruccion of the Kyngs liege people, that at your
politik labour and wisedome ye myght bryng my Lord to
th’abstynence of warre, and a trieux to be had and contynued
unto tyme of the retourn of my seid Lords, or els knowlege
of their entent; certifieng you for trouth that ther be
messengers sent unto my seid Lords with lettrez of such
answere as I had of you to your desire to gyder, knowyng
certeinly that ther shal be hasty relacion of ther entents in the
premisis, which answers ye shall have atte ferthist by Monday
cometh sevenyght. Ferthirmore lettyng you wit that I
understond for certein that my Lords that be heere eschewe,
for such inconveniense that myght fall, to conclude any answere
by them self, consideryng that my credence was geven by all
the Lords; prayng you, as shal be doon to the continuaunce
of this trieux aforesaid, that I may be acerteyned, or yif at this
houre ye coude yit thenk my credence resonable and honour-
able to be accepted and taken, sendith me woorde in wrytyng
from you by my servant, brynger of this, al delaies leid aparte.
For I acertein you, as he that owe you service, I was and yit
am gretly blamed for my long tarying with you, for dyvers of
my Lords taried heere for me, by th’assent of al my Lords,
lenger than they wold have don, to know myn answere and
guydyng from you.

And ovir this I certyfie you that ye cannot make my Lords
heere to thenk that yif ther be inconvenient or myshief,
murdre, or manslauter had or done, but and your wills and
entents were to the contrarye, my Lord is notid so well
disposid that, with oute your grete abettement, he neither will
doo nor assent to non such thyng; prayng you therfor, as
your frende, to remembre wele your self, and so to rule you,
as my Lords may have in tyme to come knowlege of your
more sadd disposicion than as yit I feele they thenk in you.
And how that my Lords note sum of you, James Hobert,
beyng of my Lords counsel, can enforme you; wherefor for
Godds sake remembr you, and delyver my servant, and yif ye
thenk my first credence or this advertisement shal be taken to
effect, than I pray you that my servaunt, brynger hereof, may
have sure condyte to speke with John Paston, and to report to
hym these direccions, and upon that to delyver hym a bill
certifyng the same.

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 404.] This letter is anonymous, but was evidently written by
Writtill during his negotiations for a suspension of hostilities.

² Sir John Heveningham, Knight and Banneret, was a descendant of an ancient
family situated at the town of Heveningham, in Suffolk. His son Thomas became
owner of the estate at Ketteringham, in Norfolk, where this family continued for
several generations.—F.

³ Sir Thomas Wingfield was a younger son either of Sir Robert or Sir John
Wingfield of Letheringham, in Suffolk.—F.

⁴ Sir Gilbert Debenham, Knight, was descended of an ancient and knightly
family in the county of Suffolk.—F.

⁵ Sir William Brandon married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Wingfield, and
was ancestor to Charles Brandon, afterwards Duke of Suffolk.—F.

⁶ The Duke of Norfolk.

1469
[SEPT.]