1

169.ELIZABETH STONOR TO WILLIAM STONOR

2

12 SEPTEMBER, 1476.

3
4    Right Reverent and Worshipfull and enteirly best belovyd Cosyn, I
5recommende me unto you in the most lowlyest wyse that I best can or
6may. And syr, as this day by your servaunt Thomas Mathew I receyvyd
7a letter from you, by the which letter I understonde that ȝe be
8sumwhat amended and shall every day better and better þen other by
9þe grace of God. Also, gentyll Cosyn, I understonde that my brother
10and yowris is sore seke of the poxes: wherfore I am right hevy and
11sory of your beyng there, ffor the eyre of poxe is ffull contagious and
12namely to them than ben nye of blode. Wherfore I wolde praye you,

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13gentyll Cosyn, that ȝe wolde come hedyr, and yif hit wolde plese you
14so to doo, &c. And yif that hit lyke you not so to doo, Gentill Cosyn,
15lettith me have hedyr some horsis I pray you, and that I may come to
16you, ffor in good faith I can fynde hit in my herte to put my self in
17jubardy there as ye be, and shall do whilst my lyffe endureth to the
18plesure of God and yours. For in good faith I thought never so longe
19sith I see yow, ffor in trowth I hadde will hopid that your horsis shulde
20a ben here as þis night; and that I thoȝt verely, and so poyntid my self
21for to a be with you as þe morue at night with Godes mercy, which
22shulde have ben to me right a grete comfort; ffor in good faith I have not
23ben mery at myn hert þis sevynnight day ffor dyverse maters the whiche
24hath ben brokyn to me. Wherfore I wyst full hertly dyverse tymes þat ȝe
25hadde ben here: ffor I wot will that ye coulde an answeryd in certayne
26maters better þen I: ffor truly I had not so besy a weke sith I cam
27hedyr, exepte oone day, which sir William, and John Mathewe both
28can enfourme you parte þerof. And Syr, as towchyng my childeryn I
29hertly thanke you that hit lyke you so for to tend them: but ȝit, Gentyll
30Cosyn, yif hit plese you to sende hem up with such horsis as hit lykith
31you to send for me, I wolde hertly pray you, ffor the poxe ben past out
32of this Countre and Cyte as fer as I understonde, blessyd be God.
33Gentyll Cosyn, I pray you hertly that I may have a redy worde from
34you on Saterday at nyght at þe ferthest; for in trowth I can not be
35mery unto þe tyme that I know verely how that ȝe will I be demenyd
36hereyn. No more to you at this tyme, but almyghty Jhesu preserve
37you, and kepe you longe in good hele of body and longe to lyve in
38vertu to Godes plesure, and so to your moste hertes desire, amen. At
39London þe xij day of Septembr. A^o xvj.
40    And myn sonne Betson recommende hym unto you as hertely as he
41can or may, and bysowght to vouchsaffe to pray for hym &c. : and ye
42shall Rec. ij letters of hym by John Mathewe. And as this day viij of
43the Cloke in þe morning he toke his barge. I pray God sende hym
44good spede, amen.
48

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49

ELIZABETH STONOR TO WILLIAM STONOR

50

22, OCTOBER 1476

51

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52    Right interly and best belovyd husbond, I recomaund me unto you
53in my most herty wyse, evermore thankyng you right hertely off all
54kyndeness to me schewed at all tymes, and nowe ffor your good Venysone
55and Coneys, the wheche you sent me be Heri Blakhall, the whech
56is gret deyntis to have here in London: wherfor I sent the halffe
57hawnche to my ffadyr and a cowpyll off coneys: and they recomaund
58them unto you and thanke you ryght hertely. And sur, you schall
59undyrstond that I have be with my Lady of Southfolke as on Thursday
60last was, and wayted uppon hyr to my lady the Kynges Modyr and
61hyrse, be hyr commaundment. And also on Satyrday last was I wayted
62uppon hyr thedyr ageyne, and allso ffro thens she wayted uppon my
63lady hyr Modyr, and browght hyr to Grenwyche to the Kyngis good
64grace and the quenyse: and ther I sawe the metyng betwyne the Kynge
65and my ladye his Modyr. And trewly me thowght it was a very good
66syght. And sire, I was with my lady of Southfolke at this day hopyng
67that I myght have hade hyre at sume leysyre that I myght a spokyn to
68hyr ffor the money, but trwly sche was very besy to make hyre redy, ffor
69sche is redyne to Cauntyrbery as this same day, and sche wyll be here
70ageyne as on Satyrday next comyng, ffor so sche told me hyr selff. Also
71Sire, I spake with my cosyn Fowler at my lady the Kyngis Modyr; and
72I thankyde hyme as hertely as I cowde for his gret kyndnese that he
73schewid to you and to me at all tymys, prayeng hyme of his good contynuans:
74and he askyde me when you wyld cum hydyr. And I tellyd
75hym that I supposyd that you wyld be her as this weke. And also I spake
76with my cosyne Rokysse: and he askyd me in leke wyse, and he seyth
77itt is not hys ffortune to mete with you here in London: and I spake to
78hyme ffor John Mathews mater, and prayed hym to be good master unto
79hym: and he awnswerd me ageyne, and seyde that he had lytyll cause,
80for he seyth that he have ben the most importune manne that myght
81be to hymewardes. And I awnswerd and seyde to hyme, that I coude
82never undyrstond hyt but that he owght hyme his servyse to his powre.
83And Sire, my lady of Southfolke is halfindell dysplesyd because that
84my Cystere Barantyne is no better arayed, and leke wyse my Cyster
85Elysabeth. And sche seyth with owght they be otherwyse arayed, sche
86seyth, sche may not kep them: and sche seyth that my Moder and
87yours schuld saye that you have I-nowe to ffynd my Cyster Elysabeth
88with all. Also I undyrstond þat Sure John Buttelyr hath spokyn to my
89lady to have my Cyster Barantyne with hyme: what he menyth therin

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90we wot nere, with oute that he wold have the rewle of hyr husbandys
91lyvelode be that meane. Wherffore my Cyster wold speke with you
92ffore that mater to have your cownsell in what is best to do. And Sire,
93as ffor my sone Betsonne I herde no worde ffrome hyme sith you departyd:
94for ther commyth no passage this viij dayese. And Sire, I
95wold pray you whenne Davy Wrixame commyth to you owght off Cottyswold,
96that ye wold send hyme hydder that he myght wryght to my sonne
97howe he have done in the contre. And good Sire, I pray you that my
98blewe gowne of damaske may be sent to me ageyne alhalowne day, and
99my cofferse and my dowter Caterynes, that I spake to you ffore: And
100sire, suche kercherse and smokkys and small japys that be in the chest
101that Cateryne my womanne had role of, whech chest stondyth in my
102sonne Betsonys Chaumbre. And Sire, I wold pray you that ȝee wold
103send this gere to me that I myght take rekenyg of hyre: ffor she skevisith
104hyr and sey that suche gere as I aske her is there. Sir, I pray you send
105me no more ryngis with stonys: ffore the ryng that you sent me be Hery
106Blakhall, the stone is ffallyn owght be the way and loste: wherffore I
107ame sory. Good sire, let it not be long or I may se you: for truly me
108thynke ryght long syth I se you. Your chylderne and myne ffare well,
109blessyd be God, and they be to me a gret cowmfort in your absens.
110No more to you at this tyme, but almyghti Jhesu preserve and kepe you
111in long helth and vertue to hys plesure. At London the xxij day of
112Octobre.
113    My owne Cosyne, I sende you a bladyr with powdyr to drynke when
114ȝe go to bede, ffor hit is holsome ffor you.
116
119

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120

176.ELIZABETH STONOR TO WILLIAM STONOR

121

11 DECEMBER, 1476

122
123    Ryght entirely and beste belovyd husbonde I recommende me unto
124you in the most lovyng wyse that I best can or may. Moreover, pleseth
125hit yow to understonde that I have receyvyd your letter, a byll closid in
126the said letter, which I have redd and ryght well understondyd: and as

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127for all such stuff as the said byll specefyth of, as yet I have not receyvyd.
128How be hit the barge is comyn with þe said stuff as þis nyght at vij of
129clocke: and Syr, soo hit will be the morne or I can receyvyd hit.
130Ferþermore, syr, plesith hit yow to wit that as on ffryday last past I
131dyende with my ffadir and my modir. And þer was at dyner with hym
132þe frendys of ȝe childe which was movid for oone of my doȝters at your
133last beyng heere. And so at after dyner þey hadde þere comunycation
134for þe said mateer, wherby I understode þer dispocitions how þat þey
135were disposid in the said mateer. And truly hit was nothyng as hit
136was spokyn of at þe begynnyng: wherfore I answeryd and said in þis
137wyse: that þoo shee were my childe, as she is, I coulde not answere that
138mateer without yow nor noght wolde doo. How be hit, I answeryd in
139your byhalf: that I wyst ryght well þat ȝe wolde be ryȝt kynd and
140lovyng ffadir, yif God ffortunyd that ye and they shulde dele. And Sir,
141there as ye wryte that þat þe bargemen ben loth to take and Rec. any
142stuff of ours I marveyle gretely: ffor truly to my knowlege I hadde
143never þing caryed by any of them but þat I paid them truly þerfore.
144And Sir, as for þe vj cowpull of haberndens, the which ye wryte ffore,
145they shall be bought and sente yow ryght shortly. And as ffor your
146gownys of chamlet and dublettes of sylke, I have bought hem: the which
147shall plese yow ryght well, I trust to God, at your comyng, &c. And
148Sir, my sonne Betson recommende hym unto yow, and he come home
149as on Monday last past, and he hath brought with hym, blessid be God,
150good tythynges, the which he and I shall enfourme yow at your comyng.
151And ther as ye wryte that ye will sende me of a wylde bore and other
152venson ayenst Sonday, truly I thanke yow as hertly as I can. But truly
153yet I wolde pray yow that ye wolde spede yow hedyr als sone as ye can:
154ffor I wolde trust to Godes mercy hit shoulde be to your profetes and
155avayle in tyme comyng by the grace of our Lord, who ever preserve and
156kepe yow to his plesur and your most herts comfort. Amen. At
157London the xj day of Decembre A^o xvj.
158    And Cosen, heras ye wryte to me þat I had no leysyr: truly I have ben
159crised and besy, ellys I wyld have wryte to you or thys tyme.
161
164

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165

180.ELIZABETH STONOR TO WILLIAM STONOR

166

7 MARCH, 1477

167
168    Ryght enterly and best belovyd husbond, I recomaund me unto you
169as hertely as I can. Syre, I have resseyved a letter ffrom you, and a
170nothyr letter þat my son Betson sent you and a tokyn from you be your
171servant Christoffyre, whech letter I have red and ryght well undyrstond.
172And as towchyng John Elmys, truly, syre, he is a marvelus man: I conseyve
173be my son þat he wold goo from his promesse þat he made to
174you and to hym of his woll þat hyt suchld aryse as good in pokyng thys
175ȝere as hyt ded þe last ȝere: and þat I consyve he cannot make good:
176but never þe lesse I dout not but þat you and my son Betson wyll
177handyll þe matyrs well I-nowe: ffore blessyd be God ȝe be on þe surere
178syde: ffore all þe sayde woll I have resseyved hyte and fayer howsyd
179hyt: and ȝyt ffore all that I wot well þat you and my son wylnot dele
180with hym othyrewyse than ryght and consyes wyll requere, and þat is
181best. Syre, I thank you hertely þat hyt plesyd you to wyshe me with
182you at redyng off my letter: truly I wold I had a be there with you at
183þe same seson with all my hert. And as towchyng my brothyre Stonore,
184truly syre ther was no bodye þat tellyd me precysly þat hyt was he, but
185I knowe well hyt was he, ffore hyt was sayde to me þat I kept you here
186among a meany of boyes with othyre langwage more, whech was not
187fyttyng fore to have such langwage of any servant that long to you ore
188me: fore, and he remembyre hym selff well, he hath no cause to saye
189of me otherwyse than well: fore I never sayde to dysplease hym be my
190wyll, but fore hys own worshypp, and þat knowyth God, how ever preserve
191you. At London, þe vij day of Marche. Cateryn and Hue Fenne
192recomaund them unto you, and they praye fore you as they can. And

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193Syre Wyllm. Stavelye and all your howshold ffaryth well, blessyd be
194God.