[Sidenote: 1484]
All so the seyde John Paston, now compleynaunt, seyth that John Paston,
fadyr off the same John, was seased off the maner callyd Hollwellhawe,
wyth th’appurtenaunces in Estodenham, joyntly wyth all the londis,
tenementes, rentes, and services, whyche sume tyme were John Jerham,
Ewstase Rows, John Davy,[75-2] vikere off the chyrche off Estodenham,
ande Water Danyell, or any off thers, lyeng in the townys off
Estodenham, Mateshalle, Mateshalebergh, and othir townys adjoynyng, ande
off all the londis and tenementes, rentes, services, and lybertes wyth
ther appurtenaunces callyd Toleys, lyeng in the townys off Wymondham and
Carleton and othir townys adyoynyng, whyche sume tyme were William
Thuxston; and off the scite off on mese [_messuage_] wyth a pece londe
lyenge in a croffte to the same mese adyoynyng, wyche is accomptyde
xiiij. acres off londe wyth th’appurtenaunces, callyd Colneys, othyr wys
callyd Whynnes in Carleton ----[75-3] in hys demeane as off ffee; ande
so beyng seased ther off, up on trust enffeffede William Yelverton,
Justys, John Fastolff, Knyght, Myles Stapelton, Knyght, and othir, to be
hadde to them and theyr heyrs for ever, be the fores wher off they were
ther off seased in theyr demeane as off ffee, ande afftyr the seyd
ffeffment in forme afforseyd mad, the seyd John Paston the fadyr
disseassed. The ryght off the whyche maner, londis, tenementes, and
othir the premysses, afftyr the desses of the seyd John the fadyr, owith
to come to the seyd John, now compleynaunt, as sone and heyr off the
seyd John Paston, ffor as myche as the seyd John the fadyr made no wylle
nor mencyon of the aforseyd maner, londis, tenementes, nor off othir the
premysses, whyche maner, londis, and tenementes, and othir the premysses
the seyd William Paston hath, and agenst the cours of the lawe ocupyeth.
Item, the seid John requerith an astate to be takyn in those londys
lymyted to William the sone for deffaut off issu off Clement Paston by
the will of there fadir accordyng to the seid will, as well as in those
londis that ar or shuld be purchased with the m^l. [1000] mark accordyng
to th’endentur mad by twyn th’executors of William Paston, Justice, that
is to sey, to the seid William the son, and to the eyres of his body,
and for defaute of yssue of his bodye, to remayn to th’eyers of William
Paston, Justice, which the seid John is.
All so the seyd John Paston, now compleynaunt, seyth that ther be
decayed at Marlyngfford and Oxenhed be meane off th’enterupsion off the
seyd William tweyn water melles, wher off iche was letyn ffor x. marke
be yer. And all so othir howsyng be the same ockasion at Oxenhed,
Marlyngfford, Stansted, and Orwelbury decayed to the hurt off the seyd
John Paston off v. C. [500] mark whech the seyd John Paston desyreth to
be recompensede.
Item, the seid John axith of the seid William for wast don in the maner
of Paston for lak of reparacion, xl_li._
Item, the seid William hath takyn awey owth of the maners of John
Paston, that is to sey, of hes maners of Paston, Oxened, Marlyngford,
Stansted, and Horwelburye, siche stoff and greynys, catell and
hotilementis of the seid maners as were agreyd be the executors of the
seyd William Paston, Justyse, to be left and latyn with the seid maners
to the value of xl_li._
Item, the seid John axith to be restored to all the evydence longyng to
the maners aforesaid and other the premysses which the seid William
wrongfully witholdith.
Item, the seid John axith to hys possession which he hath of [and] in
the maner of Caster and other maners adyongnyng, the relesse of all such
title and interest as the seid William hath be wey of feffement in the
foresaid maner and maners, in like forme as other his cofeffes have in
tyme past relassed to Sir John Paston, whoos eyre the seid John is.
Also, the seid John Paston desireth the performance of diverse
comenauntis and articles conteyned in diverse indentures and writynges
mad be the avise of the reverend fadir in God, William, Bisschoppe of
Lyncolne,[76-1] supervisour of the testement of the seid William Paston,
Justice, bytwix th’executors of the same William Paston for kepyng of
the trewe intent and will of the seid William Paston, Justice, as by the
same indentures and writynges redye to be schewed more pleynlye shall
appere, the entent and performance of which writyng is interupted and
brokyn by the seid William Paston and his meanys to the hurt and damage
off the seyd John Paston, now compleynaunt off ----.[76-2]
Item, the seid William hath, contray to trouuth and conscience, vexed
and trouubled and put to cost and charge the seid John nowe be the space
of v. yer saffe a quarter,[76-3] and hath distorbede the same John to
take and perceyve th’issus and profetes off the same maners, to the hurt
and damage off the seyd John in defendyng of his right off and in the
maners afforeseyd of ij. m^l. mark, besyde greffe, gret labour and
disseace that the seid John hath dayly be putt onto by th’okcasion
afforseyd.[77-1]
Item, accordyng to the will of William Paston, Justice, the seid John
axith to be restored to parth of such goodis as hath ben dispendid by
John Paston the fader, Sir John Paston, and the seid John nowe
compleynaunt, in defence, kepyng, and recoveryng of such londis as were
William Paston, Justice, which draweth above the summa of m^l_li._
Item, where on ----[77-2] Lomnor had a cofur in kepyng and and D.m^l.
mark in the same be extymasion to the use of John Paston, fadir of the
forsayed Sir John and John, the seid William Paston fraudelently
atteyned the seid cofur wyth the seyd sume of money after the dissece of
the seid John the fadir, and had it in his kepyng serteyn dayes, and did
with it his pleasur unknowyn to the seid Sir John Paston and John
Paston, his brother; and after at Herry Colettes[77-3] house the seid
William brought the seid cofur to the seid John Paston, Knyght, and
there openyd the seid cofur, where was then lefte but CC. old noblis
which wer by extymacion in value C_li._ And the seid William toke ther
the seid gold awey with hym, ageyn the will of seid Sir John, and
witholdith the same, whereof the seyd John preyeth to be restored.
Item, the seid William atteynyd and gate a payer of basons of silver and
parte or all gilt from the seid Sir John Paston and John Paston, now
compleynaunt, abouuth such season as he toke the cofur and coyne
aforerehersed, which basons were in value C. mark; and the seid William
yet witholdith the seid basons, to the whyche the seyd John preyeth also
to be restored.
Item, the seid William gate in to his possession a charger of silver in
value x. marke, and iij. bollys of silver that were in kepyng of
Bacheler Water, a Frier Carmelit of Norwich, to th’entent that a certeyn
coost shuld have ben doon upon the liberarye of the Friers Carmelites
aforesaid for the sowlis of William Paston, Justice, and Augnes, his
wiff; which charger and bollys the seid William yet withholdith and
kepith to his owne use, and therfore the seid charges ar not fulfylled.
Item, the seid John axith restitucion of suche inportable charges as the
seid William hathe put the forsaid Sir John onto by the space of many
yeres, as in plesures doyng and rewardis, which apperith by writyng of
the hande of the seid Sir John; which pleasures and charges the seid Sir
John was constreyned to doo in defence of the seid William; wher of the
seid John axeth to have amendys of C^l. mark.
Item, by the occacion and meanys of the seid William, the seid Sir John
was constreyned to lende onto the Reverende Fadere in God, George, late
Archebsschop of York[77-4] m^l. mark, which was nat payed ageyn by the
summa of C_li._ The seid John axith to be restorid ther of.
Item, the seid William hath fellyd tymbre and wodys in the maners of the
seid John, that is to sey, the maners of Oxened and Marlyngford, to the
hurth of the seid John of xx_li._
Item, the seyd John Paston, compleynaunt, axith to be restoryd to alle
syche money as hathe be takyn and dyspendyd by alle siche persones as
have ben assigned by meanes of the seyd Wylliam to distorbe and interupt
the seyd John, compleynaunt, of hys ryght, tyghtyll, possessyon,
entrest, of and in the maners, londis, and tenementes, and other the
premysses dwryng the seyd v. yer sauff a quarter, as well as to all
syche money as hathe ben dyspendyd dwryng the seyd v. yer sauff a
quarter by the servauntys of the seyd compleynaunt by hym assigned to
tery and abyd up on the seyd maners, londes, and tenementes, and other
the premysses ther, to kepe the possessyon of the seyd compleynaunt,
whyche extendith to the some of xl_li._ and above.
Item, the seyd John, compleynaunt, axith to be restoryd to all syche
money as hathe bene receyved by meanys of the seyd William, dwryng the
seyd v. yer sauff a quarter, of syche as ar or have ben fermors or
tenauntes of the maners, londis, and tenementis aforseyd duryng the seyd
season, as well as to all syche money as is not levyable of dyvers of
the seyd fermors and tenauntes fallyn in poverte sythe the trowblows
season of the v. yer sauff a quarter befor rehersed, whyche extendeth to
the some of CC_li._ or above.
[Footnote 75-1: [From Add. Charter 17,257, B.M.] It appears from
the contents that this paper must have been drawn up nearly five
years after Sir John Paston’s death. It is a corrected draft,
apparently of a Bill in Chancery, and some of the corrections are
in Sir John Paston’s hand.]
[Footnote 75-2: He was vicar of East Tuddenham from 1398 to 1434.]
[Footnote 75-3: Blank in MS.]
[Footnote 76-1: William Alnwick, Bishop of Lincoln, who died in
1449.]
[Footnote 76-2: Blank in MS.]
[Footnote 76-3: Originally written ‘a yere and more,’ and
corrected.]
[Footnote 77-1: This paragraph is very much corrected.]
[Footnote 77-2: Blank in MS.]
[Footnote 77-3: Father of the celebrated Dean Colet.]
[Footnote 77-4: George Nevill, Archbishop of York, died on the 8th
June 1476.]
[[Lomnor had a cofur in kepyng and and D.m^l. mark
_text unchanged: “and and” duplicated at mid-line_
George, late Archebsschop of York
_spelling unchanged_
Footnote 75-3
_footnote text has “4” for “3”_]]
999