Paston Letters Volume 3 430. 23 Jan 1461. 3.430. Clement Paston To John Paston

To hys rythe worchypfwll broder, John Paston.

Rythe reverent and worchypfwl broder, I recomawnde to yow, certyfyyng yow that yowr letter was delyveryd to me the xxiii. day of Januar abowthe none seasson, and Rychard Calle rode in the mornyng, and therfor I brak [opened] yowr letter, if ther wer any aftr mater; and I dede Christofer Hauswan goo to my Lord of Cawnterbure² to tell him, as yowr letter rehersyd, and my Lord seyd he hadde spokyn with yowr man ther of the day be fore, and if the Byshop of Norwyche wod not doo so mwche for him, he hys the les behold to him. Notwithstandyng, he sayd, he wold save yow harmles agens John Yowng; but and ye do well remember thys Lord have many maters to thynge on, and if it be forgeten, the harm is yowrs, and also if the word [world] torn, John Yong will not doo at hys prayer.

And my Lord Fitzwater (age 35)³ is ryden northewards, and it is sayd in my Lord of Cawnterberys howse that he hethe takyn ijc. [200] of Andrew Troloppys⁴ men. And as for Colt,⁵ and Sir Jamys Strangwysse, and Sir Thomas Pykeryng, they be takyn or ellys dede. The comyn voysse is that they be de dede. Hopton⁶ and Hastyngs⁷ be with the Erle of Marche, and wer no at the fewlde.⁸ Wat word that ever he have fro my Lords that be here, it is well doo, and best for yow, to see that the contre be allweys redy to come bothe fote 250men and hors men, qwen they be sent for; for I have herd seyde the ferthere Lords will be here soner that men wen, I have arde sayde, er iij. weks to an ende; and also that ye xwld come with more men, and clenlier arayed than anoder man of yowr cwntre xwld, for it ly the more up on yowr worchyp, and towcheythe yow more nere than odermen of that cwntre, and also ye be mor had in favor with my Lords here. In this cwntre every man is well wyllyng to goo with my Lords here, and I hope God xall helpe hem, for the pepill in the northe robbe and styll, and ben apoyntyd to pill all thys cwntre, and gyffe a way menys goods and lufflods in all the sowthe cwntre, and that wyll ask a myscheffe. My Lords that ben here have as moche as they may do to kep down all thys cwntre more than iiij. or v. schers, for they wold be up on the men in northe, for it ys for the welle of all the sowthe.

I pray yow recomawnde me to my moder, and that I prayed her of her blyssyng. I pray yow exscwse me to her that I wryte her no letter, for thys was y now a doo. I dare not pray yow to recomawnde me to my swster yowr wyff, and the masenger I trow be so wysse he can not doyt. Ye mwst pay him for hys labor, for he taryd all nyt in thys town for thys letter.

Wrytyn the xxiij. day of Janware in haste, wan I was not well at hesse. God have [you] in Hys keping.

By Clement Paston, Yowr broder.

Note 1. [From Fenn, i. 202.] This letter appears to have been written after the battle of Wakefield, when the victorious army, led on by Margaret of Anjou, was marching southwards.

Note 2, Archbishop Bourchier.

Note 3, Sir John Radcliff of Attleborough, styled Lord Fitzwalter in right of his wife [[his wife] Elizabeth Fitzwalter Baroness Dinham 8th Baroness Fitzwalter (age 30)], only daughter and heiress of Walter Fitzwalter, seventh lord. This John was at the battle of Ferrybridge on the 29th March 1461, and died, probably of his wounds, on the 6th April following.—See G. E. C.’s Complete Peerage.

Note 4. Andrew Trollope, whose desertion of the Duke of York at Ludlow in 1459 caused the dispersion of the Yorkist leaders. He was killed at the battle of Towton in March 1461, fighting on the Lancastrian side.

Note 5. Thomas Colt.—See Rolls of Parliament, v. 348.

Note 6. Walter Hopton.—See Rolls of Parliament, v. 368.

Note 7. William, son of Sir Leonard Hastings.—See Rolls of Parliament, ib.

Note 8. The battle of Wakefield.

Paston Letters Volume 3 450. 04 Apr 1461. 3.450. 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.

Note 1. ‘On a piece of paper pinned to the above letter,’ says Fenn, ‘is a list of the 268names of the noblemen and knights, and the number of soldiers slain at the above battle of Towton, as follow:—’

Comes Northumbriæ (deceased).

Comes Devon (deceased).

Dominus de Beamunde.

Dominus de Clifford.

Dominus de Nevyll.

Dominus de Dacre (deceased).

Dominus Henricus de Bokyngham.

Dominus de Well[es].

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.