Paston Letters

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Books, Paston Letters Volume 1

Paston Letters V1 120 William Lomner to John Paston

05 May 1450.

William Lomner to John Paston (age 28)1

RIGHT worchipfull sir, I recomaunde me to yow, and am right sory of that I shalle sey, and have soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys, that on ethes ye shalle reede it.

As on Monday2 nexte after May day there come tydyngs to London, that on Thorsday3 before the Duke of Suffolk (deceased) come unto the costes of Kent full nere Dower with his ij shepes and a litel spynner; the qweche spynner he sente with certeyn letters to certeyn of his trustid men unto Caleys warde, to knowe howe he shuld be resceyvyd; and with hym mette a shippe callyd Nicolas of the Towre, with other shippis waytyng on hym, and by hem that were in the spyner, the maister of the Nicolas hadde knowlich of the dukes comyng. And whanne he espyed the dukes shepis, he sent forthe his bote to wete what they were, and the duke hym selfe spakke to hem, and seyd, he was be the Kyngs comaundement sent to Caleys ward, &c.

And they seyd he most speke with here master. And soo he, with ij or iij of his men, wente forth with hem yn here bote to the Nicolas; and whanne he come, the master badde hym, 'Welcom, Traitor,' as men sey; and forther the maister desyryd to wete yf the shepmen woldde holde with the duke, and they sent word they wold not yn noo wyse; and soo he was on the Nicolas tyl Saturday4 next folwyng.

Note 1. [From Fenn, i. 38.] The date of this letter is perfectly determined by the events to which it relates.

Note 2. 4th May.

Note 3. 30th April.

Note 4. 2nd May.

Soom sey he wrotte moche thenke [thing] to be delyverd to the Kynge, but thet is not verily knowe. He hadde hes confessor with hym, &c.

And some sey he was arreyned yn the sheppe on here maner upon the appechementes and fonde gylty, &c.

Also he asked the name of the sheppe, and whanne he knew it, he remembred Stacy that seid, if he myght eschape the daunger of the Towr, he should be saffe; and thanne his herte faylyd hym, for he thowghte he was desseyvyd, and yn the syght of all his men he was drawyn ought of the grete shippe yn to the bote; and there was an exe, and a stoke, and oon of the lewdeste of the shippe badde hym ley down his hedde, and he should be fair ferd wyth, and dye on a swerd; and toke a rusty swerd, and smotte of his hedde withyn halfe a doseyn strokes, and toke awey his gown of russet, and his dobelette of velvet mayled, and leyde his body on the sonds of Dover; and some sey his hedde was sette oon a pole by it, and hes men sette on the londe be grette circumstaunce and preye. And the shreve of Kent doth weche the body, and sent his under shreve to the juges to wete what to doo, and also to the Kenge whatte shalbe doo.

Forther I wotte nott, but this fer (?) is that yf the proces be erroneous, lete his concell reverse it, &c.

Also for alle your other maters they slepe, and the freerl also, &c.

Note 1. An allusion to Friar Hauteyn's suit or Oxnead.

Sir Thomas Keriel1 is take prisoner, and alle the legge harneyse, and abowte iij ml [3000] Englishe men slayn.

Mathew Gooth3 with xvc [1500] fledde, and savyd hym selffe and hem; and Peris Brusy was cheffe capteyn, and hadde x. m L Frenshe men and more, &c.

Note 1. Sent to France to carry succours to the Duke of Somerset, but defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of Fourmigni, 15th April 1450.

I prey yow lete my mastras your moder knowe these tydyngis, and God have yow all yn his kepyn.

I prey yow this bille may recomaunde me to my mastrases your moder and wyfe, &c.

James Gresham hath wretyn to John of Dam, and re- 5 comaundith hym, &c.

Wretyn yn gret hast at London, the v. day of May, &c.

By yowr wyfe1. W. L.

This singular subscription Fenn believes to have been owing to a momentary, forgetfulness on the part of the writer, William Lomner, who had been in the habit of acting as Margaret Paston's secretary in writing to her husband.

Books, Paston Letters Volume 2

Paston Letters Volume 2 450

04 Apr 1461. William Paston and John Playters to John Paston (age 39).

To my maister, John Paston, in hast,

Please you to knowe and wete of suche tydyngs as my Lady of York hath by a lettre of credens, under the signe manuel of oure Soverayn Lord King Edward, whiche lettre cam un to oure sayd Lady this same day, Esterne Evyn, at xj. clok, and was sene and red by me, William Paston.

Fyrst, oure Soverayn Lord (age 18) hath wonne the feld, and uppon the Munday next after Palmesunday, he was resseved in to York with gret solempnyte and processyons. And the Mair the Yorkist cause and Comons of the said cite mad ther menys to have grace be Lord Montagu (age 30) and Lord Barenars (age 45), whiche be for the Kyngs coming in to the said cite desyred hym of grace for the said cite, whiche graunted hem grace. On the Kyngs parte is slayn Lord Fitz Water (deceased), and Lord Scrop (age 23) sore hurt; John Stafford, Horne of Kent ben ded; and Umfrey Stafford, William Hastyngs (age 30) mad knyghts with other; Blont is knygth, &c.

Un the contrary part is ded Lord Clyfford (deceased), Lord Nevyle (deceased), Lord Welles (deceased), Lord Wyllouby, Antony Lord Scales, Lord Harry, and be supposyng the Erle of Northumberland, Andrew Trollop, with many other gentyll and comons to the nomber of xx.ml. (20000).

Item, Kyng Harry, the Qwen, the Prince, Duke of Somerset, Duke of Exeter, Lord Roos, be fledde in to Scotteland, and they be chased and folwed, &c. We send no er un to you be cause we had non certynges tyl now; for un to this day London was as sory cite as myght. And because Spordauns had no certeyn tydyngs, we thought ye schuld take them a worthe tyl more certayn.

Item, Thorp Waterfeld is yeldyn, as Spordauns can telle you. And Jesu spede you. We pray you that this tydyngs my moder may knowe.

Be your Broder,

W. PASTON.

T. PLAYTERS.

Comes Northumbriæ (deceased).

Comes Devon (deceased).

Dominus de Beamunde.

Dominus de Clifford (deceased).

Dominus de Nevyll (deceased).

Dominus de Dacre (deceased).

Dominus Henricus de Bokyngham.

Dominus de Well[es] (deceased).

Dominus de Scales Antony Revers.

Dominus de Wellugby.

Dominus de Malley Radulfus Bigot Miles.

Millites.

Sir Rauff Gray.

Sir Ric. Jeney.

Sir Harry Bekingham.

Sir Andrew Trollop.

With xxviij.ml. (28000) nomberd by Harralds.

Books, Paston Letters Volume 5

Paston Letters Volume 5 782

SIR JOHN PASTON (age 29) TO JOHN PASTON3

To hys well belovyd John Paston, Esquier, at Norwyche, or to Mestresse Margret, his Modre.

28 Sep 1471

I COMANDE me to yow, letyng yow weet that, &c.4

I wolde ffayne have the mesur wher my ffadre lythe at Bromholm; bothe the thyknesse and compase off the peler at hys hed, and ffrom that the space to the alter, and the thyknesse off that alter, and imagery off tymbre werk; and what hyght the arche is to the grounde off the ilde, and how hye the grounde off the qwyr is hyer than the grownde off the ilde.

Item, I praye yowe late the me sur by pekthred be taken or elt mesured by yerde, how moche is ffrom the northe gate, ther the brygge was, at Gressham to the sowthewall, and in lyke fforme ffrom the este syde to the west, also the hyght off the estewall, and the hyght of the sowthest towr ffrom the grownde, iff ye maye easely. Also what bred de every towr is within the wall, and whych towr is moor then other within.

Alsso how manye ffote, or what brede eche towr takythe within iche corner off the quadrate1 ovyrthwert the dorys, and how many taylors yards is from the moote syde, wher the brygg was, to the hyghe weye, or to the heddge all a longe the entre, and what brede the entre is be twyen the dykys. I praye yow, iff ye have a leyser in any wyse, se thys doone yowrselffe iff ye maye; or ellys iff Pampyng do it, or who that ye thynke can doo it, I wolle spende xxd. or as ye seme to have the sertayn off every thyng her in. And as for my Hiders tombe, I charge yow se it yowr selffe, and when I speke with yow I woll tell yow the cawses why that I desyr thys to be doon.

As ffor tydyngs, the Kyng, and the yen, and moche other pepell, ar ryden and goon to Canterbery, nevyr so moche peple seyn in Pylgrymage hertofor at ones, as men seye.

Alsso it is seyde that the Erle of Penbroke (age 39)2 is taken on to Brettayn; and men saye that the Kynge schall have delyvere off hym hastely, and som seye that the Kynge off France woll hym saffe, and schall sett hym at lyberte ageyn.

Item, Thomas Fauconbrydge (deceased) hys hed was yesterdaye sett uppon London Brydge, lokyng into Kent warde; and men seye that hys brother was sor hurte, and scope to seyntwarye [sanctuary] to Beverle [Map].

Sir Thomas FulfForthe escaped owt of Westminster with an C. sperys, as men seye, and is in to Devenshyr; and ther he hathe strekyn off Sir John Crokkers hed, and kylt an other knyght off the Corteneys, as men seye. I wolde ye hadd yowr verry pardon at onys; wherfor I praye yow ffayle not to be at London within iiij. daye afftr Seynt Feythe;1 ye schall do goode in many thynges, and I praye yow sende me worde heroff by the next mas senger; and if it come to Mestresse Elysabeth H yggens, at the ßlak Swan, sche schall conveye it to me, fFor I woll not fFayle to be ther at London ageyn within thys vj. dayes.

Mestresse Elysabeth hathe a son, and was delyveryd within ij. dayes afFtr Seynt Bertelmew;2 and hyr dowtr A. H. was the next daye afftr delyveryd off an other sone, as sche seythe, xj. weks er hyr tyme; it was crystened John, and is ded. God save all! No mor tyll I speke with yow.

Wretyn at London on Mychellmesse Evyn.

J. P., K.

Item, I praye yow late some wytty felaw, or ellys yowrselff, goo to the townes ther as thes ij. women dwelle, and inquire whether they be maryed syns and ageyn or not, ffor I holde the hoorys weddyd; and iff they be, than the appelys wer abbatyd ther by. I remembr not ther names; ye knowe them better then I. Alsso in the Schreffvys bookys ther maye ye ffynde off them

Note 3. [From Fenn, ii. 80.] The evidences of date in this letter are the same as in the last.

Note 4. Here follows an account that the Duchess of Suffolk and Duke of Norfolk intend again commencing appeals against Sir John Paston and his brother, etc., concerning Caister, etc.-F.

Note 2. Jasper Tudor.

Note 1. A drawing is here given in the original letter, apparently designed as a plan of the quadrangle of Gresham, of which the subjoined is a facsimile.

Note 1. 5 th of October.

Note 2. 24 th of August.

On 22 Sep 1471 Lancastrian Thomas "Bastard of Fauconberg" Neville (age 42) was beheaded at Middleham Castle [Map]. See Paston Letters Volume 5 782.