1

3. PROBABLY TO MASTER JOHN URRY: DRAFT 1425, NOVEMBER

2    Right worthy and worshepefull ser, I recomaunde me to yow, preyeng
3yow to wite þat I haue resceyued yowr goodly lettres makyng mencion
4þat Ser John Paston vt asseritvt asserit hath optyned me condempnyd to hym
5in ccc marcz and c s. and þat þe same John, atte reuerence of yowr
6right worthy persone, hath cesed of his sute of certeins processes ageyns
7me vp-on þe seyd condempnacion, takyng continuance of þe same matier
8vn-to Cristemasse next comyng; by whiche lettres ye conseille me to
9make ende with þe seyd John ne deterius inde contingat .

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10    I send yow closed with this bille copie of vn frendly lettre þat þe
11seyd John hath sent to me late touchant þe same matier. Þe seyd
12Priour hath sent also to yow and to Mayster Will Swan, which longe
13tyme hath be his procuratour, a procuracie for my persone and v marcz
14of moneye onward. Wher-vp in þe seyd Prioures name and in myn
15owyn also I prey yow hertily to sette al these matieres in continuaunce
16vn-to yowr comyng in-to Ingeland, and be-cause ye arn here beneficed,
17owr cuntreman, and of worshepe and cunnyng worthyly endowed, þe
18seyd Priour, his brether, and I also willen gladdely in these matieres
19be treted by yow; and if þis mesure be accepted and we may haue knowyng
20here ther-of, it shal cause þe attemptacion of diuerses matieres a-geyn
21summe frendes of þe seyd John to cese. And if þis continuance be refused
22I prey yow with al my power þat of yowr wysdom and good discrecion ye
23wille in þe seyd Prioures name and myn defenden þe seyd sutes, and
24alle other þat þe seyd John sueth a-geyn þe seyd Priour and me, in
25yowr best maner, and to be of owr counseill in þese matieres; and as
26ye lyke resonablely to write to vs so we wil be gouerned in yowr rewarde
27and al other circumstaunces of þe same matieres.
28    I conceyve by yowr seyd lettres þat þe grete of þe matier conteigned
29in þe same ye haue of þe informacion and assercion of þe seyd John,
30and as he hath enformed yow I wot weel ye trewely writen; but I hope
31and trust verrayly þe matier of his informacion is vntrewe. Þe Priour
32of Bromholm sued a-geyn þe seyd John and other in Ingeland a wryt of
33premunire facias , and I was ther-in of þe same Prioures conseill, as þe lawe
34of Ingelond and myn office willen, and more I haue nought hadde to do
35with þe seyd John; and I can nought beleue þat in þis cas þe same John
36myght by yowr lawe any swich sute haue ageyn me as yowr lettre specifieth.
37Also Will, þe prest specified in yowr lettre , told me þat he, after
38þat ye told hym of þis matier lyke as ye write, he comuned with
39Maister Will Swan, and he told þe seyd prest þer was no processe in þe
40courte ageyn me in no maner.
41
42

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43

5. MEMORANDUM TO ARBITRATORS 1426-7

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44    Be it remembred þat where, on þe nyght next biforn þe feste of þe Circumcision
45of owre Lord Jesu þe secunde yeer of þe regne of Kyng Henry
46þe Sexte, certeyns maffaisours, felons, and brekeres of þe Kynges peas
47vnknowyn, to þe noumbre of iiij^xx and more by estimacion, of malice and
48jmaginacion forn-thowght felonowsly þe dwellyng place of John Grys of
49Wyghton in Wyghton in þe shyre of Norffolk brokyn, and wyth carpenteres
50axes þe yates and þe dores of þe seyd place hewen, and þe seyd John
51Grys and hys sone and a seruaunt man of hese by here bodyes tokyn and
52fro þe seyd dwellyng place by þe space of a myle to a peyre galwes ledden,
53þere hem for to have hangyd; and by-cause hem fayled ropes convenient
54to here felonowse purpos þe seyd John Grys, hese sone, and hys man þere
55felonowsely slowen and mordered in þe most orrible wyse þat euer was
56herd spoken of in þat cuntre. Wher-vp-on Walter Aslak, purposyng and
57jmaginyng to putte William Paston in drede and intollerable fere to be
58slayn and mordered in þe seyd forme wyth force and ageyn þe Kynges
59peas, on þe shyre day of Norffolk halden at Norwiche þe xxviij day of
60August in þe seyd secunde yeer, beyng þere þanne a grete congregacion of
61poeple by-cause of þe seyd shyre, in hese owne persone and by Richard
62Kyllyngworth, þat tyme hese seruaunt, to þe seyd William Paston swiche and
63so many manaces of deth and dismembryng maden and puttyn by certeyns
64Englishe billes rymed in partye, and vp-on þe yates of þe priorie of þe
65Trinite chirche of Norwiche and on þe yates of þe chyrche of þe Freres
66Menures of Norwiche and þe yates of þe same cite called Nedeham yates
67and Westewyk yates, and in othre places wyth-inne þe seyd cite, by þe
68seyd Walter and Richard sette, makyng mension and beryng þis vndyrstondyng
69þat þe seyd William and hese clerkes and seruauntes schuld
70be slayn and mordered in lyke fourme as þe seyd John Grys in þe seyd
71fourme was slayn and mordered; conteynyng also þese too wordes in
72Latyn, 'et cetera' , by whiche wordes commvnely it was vndyrstandyn þat

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73þe forgeers and makers of þe seyd billes jmagyned to þe seyd William,
74hese clerkes, and seruauntz more malice and harm þan in þe seyd billes
75was expressed; wherfore þe seyd William, hese seyd clerkes, and seruauntz
76by longe tyme aftyr were in gret and intollerable drede and fere by þe
77seyd maffaisours and felons to be slayn and mordered, wherfore þe seyd
78William, hese clerkes, and seruauntz ne durst not at here fredom nothyr
79goon ne ryde. Wher-vp-on þe seyd William for hese owyn persone
80affermyd a pleynt of trespas ageyn þe seyd Walter and Richard. Processe
81contynued þer-vp-on til þe seyd Walter and Richard were founden gilty
82of þe seyd trespas by an jnquisicion þer-of takyn in dwe and lawefull
83fourme, by whiche jnquisicion þe damages of þe seyd William for þe
84seyd trespas were taxed to cxx li.; aftyr whiche pleynte affermyd, and tofore
85ony plee vp-on þe seyd pleynt pleded, þe seyd Walter and William by
86Thomas Erpyngham, knyght, a myghty and a gret supportour of þe seyd
87Walter in alle þese matiers and circumstaunces þer-of ageyn þe seyd
88William, were induced to trete in þe same matier in þe fourme þat folwith;
89þat is to seyne þat þe seyd William schuld sue forth þe seyd pleynt and þe
90execucion þer-of at hese owne will, and þe seyd Walter schuld defende hymself
91in þe seyd pleynt at hese owne will, except þat he schuld no benefice
92take by noon proteccion ne wrytte of corpus cum causa ne of no lordes
93lettres vp-on þe seyd sute. And what-so-euer fortunyd in þe seyd pleynt,
94þe proces, execucion, or þe sute þer-of, þe seyd Walter and William
95schuld stonde and obeye to þe ordinaunce of certeyns persones by þe seyd
96William and Walter arbitratores þat tyme named, if þei myghten accordyn;
97and ellys of a noounpier also þat same tyme named of all þe seyd trespas,
98pleynt, and sute and all þe circumstaunces þer-of, so þat þe seyd arbitrement
99and ordinaunce of þe seyd arbitratores, or ellys of þe seyd nounpier, were
100made wythinne xl dayes next folwyng aftyr þe jugement yeven in
101þe seyd pleynt.
102    And aftyrward, þe Thursday next biforn Pentecost þe thrydde yeer of
103þe regne of þe seyd Kyng, at London in þe presence of þe right excellent
104high and myghty prynce þe Duc of Gloucestre, and by hese commaundement,
105atte sute and instaunce of þe seyd Thomas Erpyngham it was
106accordyd bytwen þe seyd William and Walter þat þei schuld stande and
107obeye to þe ordinaunce and award of all þe seyd matiers of tweyne of þese
108iiij persones: William Phelip, knyght, Henry Inglose, knyght, Oliuer
109Groos, and Thomas Derham chosen on þe partye of þe seyd William
110Paston; and tweyne of þese iiij persones: Symond Felbrygge, knyght,
111Bryan Stapilton, knyght, Roberd Clyfton, knyght, and John of Berneye of

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112Redeham chosen on þe partie of þe seyd Water; and elles þe decree
113and iugement of a nounpier to be chosen by þe same arbitrores. Þe whiche
114William Phelip, Bryan Stapilton, Roberd Clyfton, Oliuer Groos, John of
115Berneye, and Thomas Derham takyng vp-on hem þe charge of þe makyng
116of þe seyd award and ordinaunce by þe assent of þe seyd Thomas Erpyngham,
117þe Fryday next aftyr þe feste of þe Assumpcion of Owre Lady in
118þe seyd thrydde yeer, at Norwiche tokyn ensurauns of þe seyd William
119and Walter by here feyth and here trowthez to stonde and obeye to here
120ordinaunce of alle þe seyd matiers; and þe same day biforn noon maden
121here full ordinaunce and arbitrement of alle þe same matiers in þe chyrche
122of þe Greye Frerys at Norwich, and aftyrward, vp-on þe same award and
123ordinaunce mad, hadden a commvnicacion þer-of wyth þe seyd Thomas
124Erpyngham, and aftyr þe same commvnicacion þe same day aftyr noon
125þe same ordinaunce and award wretyn was red byforn þe seyd arbitrores
126and þe seyd Walter and William, and examyned, agreed, and assented,
127and by þe seales of þe same vj arbitrores and þe seyd Walter and William
128was affermed and ensealed and left in þe handes of þe seyd Ser Bryan,
129saueliche to be kept in pleyn remembraunce of þe seyd award and
130ordinaunce, þe whiche award and ordinaunce þe seyd William was at all
131tymes redy to obeye and parfourme on-to þe seyd feste of Michelmesse
132þat þe seyd Walter to holde or parfourme þe seyd award pleynly refused.
133    And where þe seyd Walter, by iugement of þe Chaunceller of Inglond
134þe xvj day of Jull þe seyd thrydde yeer, was remytted to þe Kynges prison
135at Norwich by-cause of þe seyd sute, the seyd Walter yede at large owt
136of warde fro þe seyd xvj day of Jull to þe seyd day of þe makyng of þe
137seyd arbitrement and award, and fro þat day in-to Michelmesse þanne
138next aftyr, þe seyd William þat meene tyme euermore supposyng þat þe
139seyd Walter wold have holde and parfourmyd þe seyd ordinaunce, arbitrement,
140and award. And at þe comyng of þe right high and myghty prynce
141þe Duc of Norffolk fro hys castell of Framyngham to þe cetie of Norwyche
142aftyr þe seyd day of þe makyng of þis arbitrement and ordinaunce, and
143tofore þe feste of Michelmesse þan next folwyng, þe seyd Walter by hese
144sotill and vngoodly enformacion caused þe seyd Duke to be hevy lord to
145þe seyd William, where þe seyd William þe tyme of þe seyd enformacion
146was, wyth Ser John Jermy, knyght, and othre of þe counseill of þe seyd
147Duk of Norffolk in hys lordshipes in Norffolk and Suffolk þanne to hym
148falle by þe deth of þe right worthy and noble lady hys modyr, occupied
149abowte þe dwe seruice of wryttes of diem clausit extremum aftyr þe deth of
150þe seyd lady; and where as þe seyd William Paston, by assignement and
151commaundement of þe seyd Duk of Norffolk at hese fyrst passage ouer þe
152see in-to Normandye in þe Kynges tyme Henry þe Fyfte, was þe styward

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153of þe seyd Duc of Norffolk of all hese lordshipes in Norffolk and
154Suffolk fro hys seyd passage vn-to þe seyd feste of Michelmesse. HERE BEGINS A PASSAGE CANCELLED BY W. PASTON And
155ouer þat as sergeaunt of lawe, thow he be vnworthy, withholdyn wyth
156þe seyd Duc of Norffolk all þe tyme þat he was sergeaunt bifore þe same
157feste of Michelmesse. And all be it þat þe fees and þe wages of þe seyd
158William for hys seyd seruice vnpayed draweth a gret somme to his pouere
159degree, jf þe seyd Duk of Norffolk lyked of hys noble and plentifous
160grace to graunte to þe seyd William in right ony part of þe fauour of hese
161good lordship, þe seyd William wold euere be hys pouere and trewe bedeman
162and euere in hys herte thenke all hys seyd seruice and all þe seruice
163þat euere he dede to þe seyd Duke of Norffolk plentefousely weell
164rewardyd. HERE ENDS A PASSAGE CANCELLED BY W. PASTON And where þe seyd Walter þe tyme of þe seyd trespas and of
165þe seyd bylles makyng ne longe tofore, ne neuer aftyr biforn þe seyd
166comyng of þe seyd Duc of Norffolk to Norwich, ne no tyme hangyng þe
167seyd sute, ne þe tyme of makyng of þe seyd arbitrement and ordinaunce,
168neuer was seruaunt to þe seyd Duc of Norffolk at fees ne at wages, ne
169wythhaldyn in hese seruice, ne to hym sued to be supported by hese high
170lordship in þis seyd matier, to þe knowleche of þe seyd William ne to no
171commvne knowleche in þe shyres of Norffolk, Suffolk, ne Norwiche; the
172sute þat þe seyd Walter made for supportacion in þis seyd matier was be
173þe meene of þe seyd Thomas Erpyngham to þe seyd Duk of Gloucestre
174by whose reule and commaundement þe seyd arbitrement and award
175was mad in þe fourme aforn seyd.
176    And not with-stondyng þe seyd trespas and greuaunce by þe seyd
177Walter doon to þe seyd William, ne þat þe seyd William ne is not satisfied
178of þe seyd cxx li. ne no peny þer-of, and hath absteyned hym of al
179maner of execucion, sewyng of godes or catelles þat by force of þe seyd
180processe or ony othyr he myght have had ageyn þe seyd Walter or hese
181borwes, ne þat þe seyd William hath suffred þe seyd Walter to gon at
182large by long tyme whan he myght haue had hys body in warde in lawefull
183fourme, the seyd Walter be billes in þe too last parlementz holden at
184Westminster and at Leycestre, and at diuers tymes in diuers other maneres
185hath noysed and skaundered þe seyd William vngoodly and othyr wyse
186þan othyr gentilnesse or trowthe wolde, and ouermore caused þe seyd
187William orribly to be manassed of hys deth, betyng, and dismembryng of
188hys persone by certeyns seruauntz of þe Lordes Fitz-wauter and othre
189persones and by ferefull and ouere felle lettres and sondes, wherfore þe
190seyd William nothyr hese frendes ne hese seruauntz in hys companye at

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191here fredam sithen þe seyd parlement at Leycestre durst not, ne yet ne
192dar not, rydyn ne goo abowte swyche occupacion as he arn vsed and
193disposed, to here grete and importable drede and vexacion in here
194spirites and gret harme and damage and losse of here pouere goodes.
195Ouermore þe seyd Walter hath sued, and yet rigerously sueth, a wrytte
196of decies tantum ageyns x persones of þe seyd jnquisicion and ij of þe
197seruauntz of þe seyd William and iiij othre persones, supposyng by hese
198seyd sute hem to have taken of þe seyd William in hys seyd sute lxij li. and
199more of moneye; the whiche sute of decies tantum þe seyd Walter betwyx
200God and hym knowith verraly is vntrewe. And also þe seyd Walter hath
201sued and yet pursuyth Adam Aubre, on of þe seyd jnquisicion, in þe court
202of þe seyd Duc of Norffolk of hys manoir of Fornsete by cause and
203occasion of þe seyd matiers, in whiche sute in þe seyd court it is proceded
204ageyn þe seyd Adam in other maner þanne othyr lawe, conscience, or good
205feyth wolde.
206    Ouermore þe seyd William, atte commaundement of þe seyd Duc of
207Norffolk, hath submytted hym to stonde to þe ordinaunce of diuers
208persones of alle þe seyd matiers: ones at Leycestre þe Wednesday next
209biforn Palme Soneday þe iiij yeer of þe regne of þe seyd Kyng, a-nothyr
210tyme atte Reed Clyf in Aprill þe same iiij yeer, aftyr þe fourme of certeyns
211billes endented þer-of made; the whiche submission wyth alle þe circumstaunces
212þer-of þe seyd William hath be at alle tymes redy to obeye.
213    The cause why þe seyd Walter by þe seyd Englyshe bylles and in othyr
214fourme putte and sette þe seyd William and hese seyd clerkes and seruauntz
215in drede and fere intollerable to be slayn and mordered, and to hem trespaced
216in þe fourme aforn seyd, was onely for as moche as þe seyd William
217was wyth þe Priour of Norwich of counseill in hese trewe defence ageyn
218þe entent of þe seyd Walter in a sute þat he made ageyn þe seyd Priour
219of a voweson of þe chyrche of Sprouston in þe counte of Norffolk, wher-to
220þe seyd Walter hath nothyr title suffisaunt ne right in no maner wyse by
221ony matier by hym declared byforn thys tyme.
222     
223Thys scrowe is mad only for þe jnformacion of þe worthy and worshepfull
224lordes þe arbitrores, sauyng euere to þe maker þe benefice resonably to
225adde and amenuse, &c., his ignoraunce in swiche occupacion and defaute
226of leyser also tendrely considered.
227
228
229

230

6. TO THE VICAR OF THE ABBOT OF CLUNY: DRAFT
231PROBABLY 1430, APRIL

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232    My ryghte worthy and worshepeful lord, I recomaunde me to yow.
233And for as meche as I conseyue verrayly þat ye arn vicar general in Inggelond
234of þe worthy prelate þe Abbot of Clunie, and have hys powre in
235many grete articles, and a-mong other in profession of monkes
236in Inggelond of þe seyd ordere. And in my cuntre, but a myle fro þe place
237where I was born, is þe povre hous of Bromholm of þe same ordre, in
238wheche are diuers vertuous yongge men, monkes clad and vn-professyd,
239þat have abedyn þere wythowt abbyte ix or x yeere, and be lenger
240delaye of here profession many inconuenientez arn lyke to falle. And also
241þe Priour of þe seyd hous hath resigned in-to yowre worthy handes by
242certeins notables and resonables causes, as it apperyth by an instrument
243and a symple lettre vnder þe comune seal of þe seyd hous of Bromholm,
244which þe berare of this hath redy to shewe yow. Wher-vp-on I prey yow
245wyt al my herte, and as I euere may do yow seruice, þat it lyke to yowr
246grace to graunte of yowr charite by yowre worthy lettres to þe Priour of
247Thetford in Norffolk, of þe seyde ordre of Clunye, autorite and powere as
248yowr ministre and depute, to professe in dwe forme þe seyd monkes of
249Bromholm vn-professed; and þat it lyke yow ouermore to accepte and
250admitte þe seyd resygnacion by yowr seyd autorite and powere wyth þe

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251fauour of yowr good lordshepe, in confort and consolacion of yowr pouere
252prestes þe monkes of þe seyd hous of Bromholm; and ther-vp to graunte
253yowr worthy lettres wittenessyng þe same acceptacion and admyssion of
254þe seyd resignacion, and al yowr seid lettres to delyuere to my clerk, to
255wham I prey yow to gyve feith and credence touchant þis matier, and to
256delyuere hym in alle þe hast resonable.