The Paston Letters
Chapter 14 : This letter appears to have been used as a wrapper for others. It is endorsed, 'Li

This letter appears to have been used as a wrapper for others. It is endorsed, 'Literae diversorum directae J. Paston receptae apud London per diversos annos ante festum Michaelis anno x.x.xiiij Hen. VI.

Literae Fastolff pro Costid (?). Literae W. Wayt pro tempore suae tribulationis. Literae Windham.'

[Footnote 64.3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is without a signature or address, and who the writer was does not appear.

It was evidently written soon after the taking of the inquisition on the death of William Paston, the Judge, the date of which is given in the extract as 2nd November 23 Henry VI., _i.e._ 1444.]

[Footnote 64.4: _See_ p. 16, Note 1.]

[Footnote 66.1: Mutilated.]

[Footnote 66.2: _I.e._, that which is to the pleasure of you both (?).]

[Footnote 66.3: A little mutilated at bottom.]

[[quarto decimo die mensis Augusti _printed "dccimo"_]]

[[In the following letter, interlineations (Footnotes 67-2, 68-1) are shown in brackets [ ] immediately after the original word.]]

57

WILL OF EDMUND NORMAN[67.1]

[Sidenote: 1444 / DEC. 6]

In Dei nomine, amen. Ego Edmundus Norman de Fylby, compos mentis, die Dominica in festo sancti Nicholai Episcopi, anno domini M^lmo iiij^c xl.

iiij.^to, condo testamentum meum in hunc mundum (_sic_). In primis do et lego animam meam Deo Patri, &c., corpusque meum sepeliendum in ecclesia sancti Petri de Crowmere. Item, summo altari ecclesiae praedictae xl_d._ [vjs. viijd.[67.2]] Item, emendacioni ejusdem ecclesiae xl_d._ [vjs.

viijd.[67.2]] Item, summo altari ecclesiae de Fylby xl_d._ Item, emendationi ecclesiae de Fylby praedictae vel fenestrae de novo faciendae et intrando in parte boriali ecclesiae praedictae in fine occidentali, x.

marcas. Item, Edmondo, capellano sancti Johannis Baptistae in eadem ecclesia, xl_d._ Item, volo quod omnes feoffati in terris et tenementis remittant jus suum Edmundo Clere armigero, magistro meo, ut ipse vendat et disponat c.u.m aliis executoribus meis pro salute animae meae, et patris, matris, et omnium quibusc.u.mque teneor. Item, cuilibet ordini fratrum de Jernemoth, vj_s._ viii_d._ Item, fratribus ordinis Minorum de Walsyngham vj_s._ viii_d._ Item, lego Willelmo Bondis omnia bona mea existentia in hospicio meo London', [de Clifforde] videlicet lectum et indumenta mea.

Item, lego Roberto Baketon et uxori ejus, firmario meo in Fylby, omnia utencilia mea infra mansionem meam ibidem praeter lectum plumale postea legatum. Item, Edmundo filio dicti Roberti, filiolo meo, xl_s._ Item, filiabus ejusdem Roberti, Elizabethae et Margaretae, cuilibet xx_s._ Item, Edmundo filio Roberti Norman de Ormesby, vj_s._ viii_d._ Item, Ricardo Kemp, xxvj_s._ viij_d._ Item, Johanni Grave, sonam meam deargent'.[67.3]

Item, Nicholao Pekeryng de Fylby, meum optimum lectum plumale infra mansionem meam apud Fylby. Item, Johanni Spencer de Crowmere, xx_s._ Item, uxori Johannis Couche, pro labore et diligentia suis circa me dum infirmabar, vj_s._ viij_d._ Item, Edmundo Bataly capellano vj_s._ viii_d._ [xxs. [68.1]] Item, lego Thomae Stalham et uxori ejus meum lectum plumale apud Norwic.u.m. Item, die obitus mei ad exequias, cuilibet capellano iiij_d._ et clerico, j_d._ Item, ad distribuendum inter pauperes die sepulturae, xl_d._ Residuum vero bonorum meorum non legatorum do et lego executoribus meis, quos ordino et const.i.tuto Edmundum Clere, armigerum, Magistrum meum Robertum Clere, Willelmum Bondes, Nicholaum Pekeryng, Magistrum Johannem Semecrofte et Ricardum Kemp, ut ipsi disponant pro salute animae meae.

[68.2]Et lego dicto Edmundo Clere pro labore suo x_li._ si vult. Et Roberto Clere C_s._, et similiter cuilibet aliorum executorum xl_s._

Item, lego Pers. de Crowmere iij_s._ iiij_d._

Item, volo quod in fenestra ecclesiae de Fylby tres[68.3] ymagines, videlicet, una ymago sancti Edmundi, alter[a] Sancti Johannis Baptistae, alia Sanctae Mariae, et ibidem fiat scriptio:--_Orate pro animabus Johannis Norman seniori, Margaretae uxoris ejus, et Edmundi filii praedicti_ et tale armo (_sic_). [_Here follows a sketch of a s.h.i.+eld, the upper part marked as silver and the lower black, with the word _'Katerwole'_ (?) upon it._]

[Footnote 67.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 10.]]

[Footnote 67.2: Interlineations by another hand.]

[Footnote 67.3: Here occurs an illegible interlineation, in which only 'xs.' is visible.]

[Footnote 68.1: Interlineations by another hand.]

[Footnote 68.2: What follows is in a different hand, apparently the same as that of the interlineations noticed above.]

[Footnote 68.3: Corrected from 'quatuor.']

58

THE DUKE OF NORFOLK TO JOHN PASTON[68.4]

_To our right trusti and welbelovid John Paston, Squier. The Duc of Norff._

[Sidenote: Before 1444 (?)]

Trusti and right welbelovid, we grete you weel, lating you witte that for the trust that as weel we, as the heires of Edmund Swathyng, have unto you, we have appointed you to be one of the makeres up indifferently of the evydences betwix us and the seide heires. Wherfor we pray you hertily, that ye wil yeve attendaunce at such day and place as ye and our right trusti and welbelovid frende William Yelverton, with oure welbelovid servaunt Jenney, shal mow attende to the making up of the seide evidencez; and we shal send summe of our servauntz to awayte upon you for your reward and costis, that ye shal be pleasid with by the grace of G.o.d, who have you ever in his keping.

Wreten undir our signet in oure Castel of Framlyngham,

the xviij. day of ----.

{ JOHN[69.1] } NORFF.

{ MOWBRAY. }

[Footnote 68.4: [From Fenn, i. 10.] Fenn thinks this letter must have been written before 1444, when Yelverton was made a judge.

This is, doubtless, most probable. There is, however, an Edmund Swathing, Esq., mentioned by Blomefield (_Hist. of Norfolk_, viii. 42) as alive in 1446, and if it be his executors who are referred to, the date would appear to be later.]

[Footnote 69.1: The name 'John Mowbray' is represented by a curious monogram, in which every letter both of the Christian and the surname can be traced.]

59

JOHN PASTON'S PEt.i.tION[69.2]

_To the Kyng our Soverayn Lord._

[Sidenote: After 1444]

Ples your Hyghnes of your abundante grace, an consyderacion of the servys and plesure that your Hyghnes knowyth to yow don by William Paston, late one of your judgys, and old servaunt to that n.o.byll Prinse your fadyr, to graunte onto John Paston, Esquyer, sonn and heyir of the seyd Wylliam, your lettrys patents under the seel of yowr d.u.c.h.e of Lancastre, being in the keping of Thomas Chesham, aftyr affecte of note folowyng; and he schall pray to G.o.d for yow.

Rex, etc. Sciatis, quod de gracia nostra speciali et ex mero motu nostro, ac pro bono et laudabyli servicio quod dilectus et fidelis n.o.bis Willelmus Paston, nuper unus Justiciariorum nostrorum, defunctus, n.o.bis in vita sua inpendydit, consessimus et hac presenti carta nostra confirmavimus, in quantum in n.o.bis est, Johanni Paston armigero, filio et heredi dicti Willelmi, viginti tria mesuagia, quingintas triginta et iiij. acras pasture, bruere et marissy in villis de Paston, Edythorp, et Bakton, in comitatu nostro Norff. quas diversi tenentes nostri ibidem de n.o.bis separatim native tenent ad voluntatem nostram per virgam sive copiam et per serta redditus et servissia, nativa annualia inde n.o.bis reddend., que ad valorem novem librarum annuatim exeunt vel infra.

Concessimus eciam eidem Johanni curiam lete, seu visus franciplegii nostri, in villis de Paston et Edithorp predictis, que est annui valoris viij. solidorum per estimacionem; ad quatuor libratas, quatuor solidatas et octo denariatas redditus. Redditum octo bosch.e.l.lorum avenarum et trium caponum c.u.m pertinentiis in villis predictis, ac in villis Wytton et Easewyk in comitatu predicto, percipiendum anuatim de omnibus et singulis liberys tenentibus nostris ibidem pro tenementis suis qui de n.o.bis separatim tenent in eisdem villis, una c.u.m fidelitatibus et aliis serviciis eorundem tenentium et eorum cujuslibet, de, seu pro, tenementis illis et eorum qualibet parcella n.o.bis debitis sive pertinentibus. Concessimus etiam eidem Johanni et heredibus suis officium parcarie ac costidie[70.1] parci nostri de Grymygham in com.

nostro predicto, una c.u.m proficuo agistamenti bestiarum ejusdem parci pro vadiis suis pro officio predicto annuatim percipiend: salvis no . .

et hodierna sufficienti pastura ferarum nostrarum ibidem ut tempore nostro prius usitatum fuit; quod quidem proficuum agistamenti ad valorem x. marcarum extendit per annum. Habenda, tenenda et percipienda predicta messuagia, terram, pasturam, brueram, marisc.u.m, curiam lete, et visus franciplegii, redditus, et servissia, officium et agistament' proficu'

c.u.m pertinentiis, prefato Johanni et heredibus suis de n.o.bis et heredibus nostris, per fidelitatem et redditum unius rose rubie ad Festum Nativitatis Sancti Johannis Baptiste annuatim n.o.bis solvendum, si petatur, pro omnibus serviciis, exaccionibus et demandis. Eo quod messuagia, terra, pastura, bruera, mariscus, curia lete, redditus, servicia predicta, officium et agistament' profic', valorem supra specificatum excedant, vel valorem illum non attingant, aut aliquo actu, restriccione seu mandato facto, edito aut proviso non obstante. Volumus etiam et a.s.signavimus quod omnes illi qui per nos seu ad usum nostrum, jus, t.i.tulum, seu statum in premissis, seu aliquo premissorum habuerunt seu habent, n.o.bis antehac non relaxatum, jus, t.i.tulum et statum illa prefato Johanni et heredibus suis dimittent et relaxent. In cujus ...

[Footnote 69.2: [From Tanner MS. 95, f. 82.] This is a draft in the handwriting of William Worcester, very illegible from the number of the corrections, and also from the ink being very much faded. Of its date I cannot tell except that it was clearly written in the reign of Henry VI. and after the death of Judge Paston in 1444.]

[Footnote 70.1: _Sic_, _pro_ custodiae.]

60