The Paston Letters
Chapter 80 : MARGARET PASTON.[Footnote 52.1: [From Fenn, iii. 252.] St. Andrew's day fell on Su

MARGARET PASTON.

[Footnote 52.1: [From Fenn, iii. 252.] St. Andrew's day fell on Sunday in 1455 and 1460. This letter must be written in one of these two years, and the probabilities are greatly in favour of the former, as John Paston and William Worcester were not on good terms after the death of Sir John Fastolf.]

[Footnote 52.2: Osbert Moundford, Esq. of Hockwold, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Berney, Esq., and by her had Mary, their daughter and sole heir, who married Sir William Tindale, Knight of the Bath.]

307

ABSTRACT[53.1]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON.

[Sidenote: [1455] / DEC. 11]

Thanks him for his pains in the advancement of his 'chargeable matters.'

Was never so much bound to any kinsman as to Paston, who tenders so much his wors.h.i.+p and profit. Sends Worcestre with important letters to my Lord Privy Seal and the Abbot of Bermundsey, and would like Paston to common with them. Thanks him for informing him of the answer made to the bill of Wentworth, 'which I know had stand in great jeopardy had not ye be.' Sends his evidences concerning Bradwell, that the Judges and Parliament may have better consideration of his right, and of the patents granted to Paston and Howys in that behalf. Desires credence for William Worcestre.

Castre, 11 Dec.

[The date of this letter must be between the year 1454, when Sir John Fastolf settled at Caister, and 1458, as he was not alive in December 1459. The reference to Parliament fixes it more precisely, as 1455 was the only year during this period in which Parliament sat in December.]

[Footnote 53.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 262.]]

308

RICHARD BINGHAM TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF[54.1]

_Copie of my fader Bynghames lettre to my fadre F._

[Sidenote: About 1455]

Right honorable and reverend maistre, after due and hertely recomendacion, I thank yow als hertily as I can that it likith your G.o.de maisterschip, of your G.o.dnesse, to let to ferme to my son Scrope the pouer enheritance that he schal enherit after your decesse, if G.o.d will that he life therto. And I hafe for my saide son comonde with my maistres of your counsell, that is to sey, Paston and other, and I fynde them not straunge, bot right streyte to dele with in the mater; and therfore my saide sone, and I for hym, must sue to the well of mercy, that is to say, to your honurable person, where is special refuge for my saide son in this cas. My saide son is and hath be, and will be to hys lifes ende, your true lad and servaunt, and glad and well willed to do that myght be to your pleaser, wirschip, and profit, and als loth to offend yow as any person in erth, gentill and well disposid to every person. Wherfore I besech your G.o.de grace that ye will vouchesafe remember the premissez, my saide sons age, his wirschipfull birth, and grete misere for verrey povert, for he hath had no liflode to life opon sithen my lady his moder deed, safe x. marc of liflode that ye vouched safe to gife hym this last yer, and therfore to be his good maister and fader. And thof he be not worthy to be your son, make hym your almesman, that he may now in his age life of your almesse, and be your bedeman, and pray for the prosperite of your n.o.ble person. And if I durst, for your displesance, I wolde besech yow that ye wolde vouchesafe lat my saide son hafe the saide lifelode to ferme for terme of your life, payng to yow therfore yerely CC. marc at ij. festes of the yere, that is to say, Cristema.s.se and Middesomer, and ye schall be paied hit truly at London, in Hillary terme for the feste of Cristema.s.se, and Trinite terme for the feste of Midsomer; and I will be bounden for hym and [_i.e._ if]

your maisterschip will vouchesafe to take me, and he and I schall ever pray for yow. And thof the saide lifelode be better to yow in availl yerely then I offer yow therefore, this summe of CC. marc schal be truly paid to yow yerely; and G.o.d, that rewardeth every G.o.de dede, schal pey for hym the remenant to yow, for every peny an C., in relesyng of yow in Purgatory, or ellys encresyng of your merite in Heven. And how your maisterschip will that my saide son schall do in this mater, I besech yow that he may be certified be your writing.

[Footnote 54.1: [From Castlecombe MSS., Add. 28,212, f. 26, B.M.] This letter has been printed by Mr. Poulett Scrope in his privately printed _History of Castle Combe_. From evidences contained in other of the family muniments, Mr. Scrope supposes it to have been written about the year 1455, which is probably not far from the true date. Compare Letter 349 following.]

309

FASTOLF'S CLAIMS AGAINST THE CROWN.--I.[55.1]

_Billa de debitis Regis in partibus Franciae Johanni Fastolf militi debitis._

[Sidenote: 1455]

These ben the injuries, losses, and damages that the seyd Fastolf hath had, as well withynne this royaume of England as in othir parties in maner and fourme as it ensewith.

First, it is to consider how that the seyd Fastolf hath ben vexed and troubled seth he came last into this lande by the myght and power of the Duc of Suffolk, and by the labour of his counseill and servaunts in divers wyses, as in grete oppressions, grevous and outrageous amerciemants and manye grete horrible extorcions, as it may appere more pleynly by a rolle of articles thereuppon made, the damages of which entenden to the somme of

V. m^{l}. marc.

Item, the seyd Fastolf hath be gretely damaged and hurt by the myght and power of the seyd Duc of Suffolk and his counseill, in disseising and taking awey a maner of the seyd Fastolf, called Dedham, in the counte of Ess.e.x, to the value of C. marks of yerly rent which was halden from the seyd Fastolf by the terme of iij. yere day and more, to his grete hurt, with CC. marks in costs exspended in recouvere of the same, the some in all,

V^{c}. marc.

Item, there ys cast in to the Kyngs hands by untrew forged offices and inquisicions, supposed to be founde by dyvers eschetours in the countees of Norffolk and Suffolk, iij. certeyn maners of the seyd Fastolf, to the value of C. marks yeerly, which seyd offices and inquisicions were never dewly founde, but forged by untrue imaginacions and meenys of certeyn persones hys eville willers, as it hath be confessed by thos that were appoynted and named to be uppon the enquestys; and by the maliciouse labour of his seyd evylle willers, the seyd maners have ben troubled and put in plee this iiij. yere day and more, to the damage and costs of the seyd Fastolf, the somme

V^{c}. marc.

Item, the seyd Fastolf hauying the yeft of the Baronyes and Lords.h.i.+pp of Sillie Guillem[57.1] and Lasuze, in the countee of Mayn, to hym and to his a.s.signes for ever, the which weren goten by the seyd Fastolf, and no charge to the King, for the value and denombrement [_number_] of iiij.

m^{l}. saluz[57.2] of yerly rent, he was commaunded by the Kinges lettres to deliver upp the sayd baronyes and lords.h.i.+pps to the Kyngs commissioners, promyssyng hym, by the Kyngs commaundement to have be recompensed therefor, as the seyd Fastolf hath to shewe, and he not recompensed nor rewarded no thing for the levyng of his seyd baronyes and lords.h.i.+p, to the damages of the seyd Fastolf of the somme of

m^{l}. m^{l}. v.^c [2,500] marc.

Item, wher as the seyd Fastolf had a prisonner of his owen taking, called Guill'm Remond,[58.1] which was raunsonned, and agreed to pay hym for his raunson with the marks the somme of x.x.xij. m^{l}. saluz, the prisonner, withoute knowelege or licence of the seyd Fastolf, was take awey from hym by the Duc of Bedford, then beyng the Kyngs Regent of Fraunce; and with the seyd prisonner he caused the towne of Compyn, than leyng in the Frensh partye ys gouvernaunce, for to be yeldyn to the Kyng, and to his seyd Regent in his name; and the seyd Fastolf, after long pursewts made to the Kyng and his conseill, was recompensed but to the value of m^{l}. vj^{c}. saluz in lands in Normandye, when they fortuned to falle into the Kyngs hands, which lands he hath also lost.

And also the seyd Fastolf hath lost the residue of the seyd raunson, besyde the seyd lands, to the somme of

m^{l}. m^{l}. m^{l}. m^{l}. marc.

Item, the seyd Fastolf ys yhyt owyng for his porcion and part for the recompens and reward that shuld grow and be dewe to hym for the takyng of John, callyng hym Duc of Alauncon, at the batayle of Vernell,[59.1]

which that payd for hys raunson xl. m^{l}. marks, which rewarde, besyde the Lord Wyllughbye ys part, shuld extend to the somme of

m^{l}. m^{l}. m^{l}. m^{l}. marc.

Item, ys dewe to the seyd Fastolf, by the execucion of the last wylle and testament of John, Duc of Bedford, whos soule G.o.d a.s.soyle, for prestys and othir charges for saufgarde and keping of certeyn forteresses, castellys, and townes, and for othir costs, prests, and charges by hym born in his service, as it may appiere in certeyn articles writen in a rolle partic'lerly of the same, the somme of

iiij^{ml}. D^{c}. iiij^{xx}. xix. [4,599] marc, v_s._ 6_d._

Summa totalis xxj^{ml}. iiij^{xx}xix. [21,099] marc, v_s._ 6_d._

Item, seth the last comyng over of the seyd Fastolf into this royaume, as by the s.p.a.ce of xv. yere and more, he hath born grete costs, charges, and expenss, at alle tymes intending uppon the Kyngs highnesse and the Lordes of his counseille, as he hath had in commaundement, and was his part to doo; for the which and for all the service that he hath doo to the right n.o.ble Prince Kyng Herry the iiij^the, ayle [_grandfather_] to our Souvragn Lord that now ys, and to the most victorious Prince and Kyng, his fader, whos soulys G.o.d a.s.soyle, and also to our seyd Souvereyn Lord, he hath had, nouther fee, wagys, reward, ne recompense in this his royaume of England, but hath born it of hys own propre G.o.dys, at all tymys to the Kyngs honour and prouffit as to his power, which ys to hym right grevouse and chargeable, trusting to have be considered and rewarded as othir men of suche deservyng have be in the tymes of the right n.o.ble progenitours of our seyd Souvreyn Lords, late Kyngs of this seyd reaume.

There is a corrected draft of the above paper, in William Worcester's handwriting, among the Paston MSS. in the British Museum, on the back of which are the following additional memoranda:--

Thees been the prestys and sommes of money that the [_sic_] Sir John Fastolf, knyght, hath lent to oure seid Soverayn Lorde that now is, at his commaundement in his grete necesitees, at divers tymes with in this his reaume of England:--

Item, the seid Fastolf lent to oure seid Soverayn Lorde, in the moneth of September, the xv. yer of his seid regne, as it appereth at the seid recept of Westminster, the somme of

m^l _li._

It is also to be remembred that the seid Fastolf hath lent to oure seid Soverayn Lord, in the moneth of Feverer, the seid xv. yer of his n.o.ble regne, as it appereth at the Kynges receyt of Westminster, the somme of

m^l marc.

Item, the seid Fastolf lent to our seid Soverayn Lorde, for the viage of Sir Thomas Kiriel, and of his retinue in to the Duchie of Normandye, in the xxviij. yer of his n.o.ble regne the somme of CC. marc. Also afore that tyme in the Kynges grete necessite ageyn the coronacion of the Quene, at his forseid commaundement, the somme of C_li._ Somme of bothe

iij^{c}. x.x.xiij_li._ vj_s._ viij_d._[60.1]