The Paston Letters Volume Ii Part 39

_To owr welbeloved John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1450 / OCT. 18]

Right welbeloved, I grete yow well. And as towchyng for tydyngs, I can none, savyng that my Lord of Norffolk met with my Lord of York at Bury on Thursday, and there were to gedre til Friday, ix. of the clokke, and than they departed. And there a gentilman of my Lord of York toke unto a yeman of myn, John Deye, a tokene and a sedell of my Lords entent, whom he wold have knyghtts of the shyre, and I sende you a sedell closed of their names in this same lettre, wherfore me thynkith wel do to performe my Lords entent.

Wretyn the xviij day of Octobr, at Wynche.

OXENFORD.

_Com. Norff'_, {Sir William Chambirlayn.[185.1]} {Henry Grey. }

[Footnote 184.2: [From Fenn, i. 98.] For evidence of date, see note to preceding letter.]

[Footnote 185.1: The names actually returned by the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk for this Parliament were--for Norfolk, Sir Miles Stapleton and Henry Gray; for Suffolk, Sir _Roger_ Chamberleyn and Sir Edmund Mulso.]

150

THE DUKE OF NORFOLK TO JOHN PASTON[185.2]

_To oure right trusty and welbeloved servaunt, John Paston, Squier._

_The Duc of Norfolk_.

[Sidenote: 1450 / OCT. 22]

Right trusti and right welbelovid, we grete yo hertily well, prayng you specially that ye will make you redy to awayte upon us at Yippiswich toward the Parlement the viij. day of Novembre in youre best aray, with as many clenly people as ye may gete for oure wors.h.i.+p at this tyme; for we will be there like oure estate in oure best wise without any delay.

Yeven under oure signet in oure Castell of Framlyngham, the xxij. day of Octobre.

[Ill.u.s.tration {signature}]

[Footnote 185.2: [Douce MS. 393, f. 93.] This letter must have been written either in 1449 or in 1450, in both of which years Parliament met on the 6th of November; and as we have other letters, both of the Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Oxford, relating to the Parliament of 1450, we are inclined to think this also belongs to the later year. Framlingham, the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, is not more than thirty-two miles from Bury, from which he wrote on the 16th.]

151

JOHN DAMME AND JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON[186.1]

_To my wors.h.i.+pfull and good maister, John Paston, Escuyer._

[Sidenote: 1450 / NOV. 11]

Please it yow to wete that Sir William Oldhall is chosyn Speker of the Parlement, and admytted by the Kyng, &c. Item, the day of oier and termyner shall holde at Norwich on Moneday next comyng, and by that cause my Lord of Oxenford shall be disported of his comyng to the Parlement for to attende to the Sessions of oier, &c.

Item, the Lord Moleyns hadde langage of yow in the Kynggs presence as my Maister Yelverton can telle yow by mouthe. Your presence shuld have do meche ease here in your own matiers and other, as your weel willers thynkyn, and your absence do non ease here; netheles my Maister Yelverton shall telle you all, &c.

It is seid here that the Duke of York and the Duke of Norffolk shulln not come here this vii. nyght.

Item, it is supposed that an oier and determyner shall come hastily into Norwich. William Dynne abydeth therfore.

As touchyng s.h.i.+refs, ther arn none chosyn ne named, and as men suppose, non shall be chosyn til my Lord of Yorks comyng, &c.

Wretyn in hast at Westminster, Mercur' in Festo Sancti Martini.

Yours,

J. D. and GR.

It is apoynted that who shall sue any bille in the Parlement, thei must be put into the Commone Hous by for Seint Edmunds day[186.2] atte ferthest, &c.

[Footnote 186.1: [From Fenn, iii. 100.] The date of this letter is determined by the fact mentioned in the first sentence. Sir William Oldhall was chosen Speaker of the Parliament which met on the 6th November 1450. John Damme represented Norwich in this Parliament. Moreover, the date at the end of the letter shows that St. Martin's day fell on Wednesday in the year it was written, which was the case in 1450.]

[Footnote 186.2: 20th November.]

152

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[187.1]

_To my ryght reverent and most wurschipfull Maistre my Maister John Paston the eldre, esquyer, at London in the Inner Tempyll._

[Sidenote: 1450 / NOV. 11]

Ryght reverent and my mooste wurschipful maistre, I recommaunde me unto youre goode maisterschip. Like you to witte that I have taken astate in the londe at Gresham as your maisterschep aviced me; wherfore I besche you that ther may be taken an axion in my feffes name and myn a yenst Jamys Gatte, as you semeth beest, and as hasty processe as may be had a yenst hym, with your goode avice I wold; for what tyme as I had taken astate he labored to men of the toun to have putte it in a ward, but I wold not tyll I had spoken with your masterschip, &c. Also John Warles schal gather the rente and ferme of Basyngham this yere. Item, William Smythe schal occupie hes ferme this yere, and Croumer. And as for the yeris aftre I have founde a meane that all your landis schall be letten as weele as ever they weere in that maner, with helpe of one Robert Coole, weche Robert fereth hym sore of the affence weche he ded a yenst John Herbynger; for he is informed that your maisterschip hath taken a axion a yenst hym, and John Herbynger hath du hym lost in the hundred xl_d._, and he hath hym in the scheryffis turne. Wherfore that it like you to withdrawe if any axion ye have a yenst hym for he will a bide any ij. men award ther aboute; and more over he is the most able man to take a ferme of lond that I knowe in your lordes.h.i.+p, and he schal be a gret fermour of your the next yere. Ferthermore, ther is on Robert Wyghte, otherwise Farbusschour, aftre that your officer of Matelask had seased al Lyghtfot catell for suche dwtees as whas owynge the seid Robert Wyght, come upon your bonde grounde, and brak doun the gardeyn dike of the seid Lyghtfotes and toke a wey a bullok of ij. yere age and hath caryed it a wey out of your lordschip; wherfore the tenauntes desireth your maisterschip that ye well take an axion a yenst hym that he may be punyssched. Item, as for a dey at Mauteby we can non geete, for Wynston woll not of it in no wice. And as for tidinges here we here non but my lord of Wurcestre lithe at Blakney and kepith housold there in the Frieri. Item, Wymondham had entred in to Felbryge and he whas put out be the comens and like if had beden to have lost hes heed. My ryght wurschipful mastre, All myghty Jhesu preserve and kepe you. Wreten at Heyneford on Sein Marteyn Day. Be your pore servaunt and bedman,

RIC. CALLE.

[Footnote 187.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 160.] This letter must have been written in 1450. We know already that John Paston recovered possession of Gresham between September 1450 and March 1451 (see pp. 170, 219). Here we find that he deputed Richard Calle to take possession for him in November.]

153

ABSTRACT[188.1]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS, PARSON OF CASTLECOMBE.

[Sidenote: 1450 / NOV. 11]

'Right trusty and welbeloved friends,' I thank you for the quittance of Richard Sellyng you have sent me by Worcestre, with a quittance of Fauconere for the purchase of Davyngton, and another of Roys for the purchase of Tychewell. Ask my cousin Herry Sturmer's wife to search for an indenture and other writings between me and Sellyng or Lady Wilts.h.i.+re. As you inform me that Sir Thomas Todenham has sent to John Clerc to be at London, you must ask him and his wife to go before the bailiffs of Yarmouth, and certify how it was Bysshop's wife did not receive the 100 I was ruled to pay her. John Clerc must not come up till I send for him.--(_In margin_, 'eyer and determiner.') Special labour has been made that Justice Yelverton should not come down this Martinmas, but the King and Lords have determined that he shall keep his day; 'and the labour that ye, with my cousin Paston, made late to my Lord Norfolk was right well avised, in case that the Justice should be countermanded.' Urge my friends to do their very best for me now in the matters 'labored last at the oyer and terminer,' that they may take a wors.h.i.+pful end. Thank Nicholas Bokkyng for what he did about the certificate of the jury in the office[188.2] of Tychewell, and beg him to get it sealed in time, which will be a great evidence for the recovery of my manor. Sends home some horses 'to be occupied in the cart.' Commendations to his cousin John Berney.

_Signed._

Send for William Cole about the accounts, and thank the Parson of Haylesdon[189.1] for the three writings of Wilts.h.i.+re's will and Gorney he sent me by Worcester; but say I prayed him to search for more.

London, St. Martin's day.

[This letter is dated on Martinmas day, at which date in the year 1450 it will be seen by the preceding number that Justice Yelverton was going down into Norfolk, and an _oyer and terminer_ was going to be held at Norwich. The reference to the 'office,' or inquisition, of Tychewell also proves the year to be 1450. --_See_ Nos. 162 and 164, pp. 199-201.]

[Footnote 188.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 226.]]