_To John Paston, the older, in hast, and if he be not at London, than to
be delyvered to Clement Paston in hast._
[Sidenote: 1461 / DEC.]
Lyke your maisterchip wete that at the last cessyons Erpyngham hundred
and other hundredys ther aboute were not warned, and the schreff excused
hym be cause he cowde not knowe who was officer there. Item, Yelverton
lete the pepoll understand that the Kyng wold have his lawes kept, and
that he was dysplesed with the maner of ther gaderyng, and that he wold
have it amendyd; for he conceyveth that the hole body of the shire is
well dysposed and that the ille dysposed pepoll is but of a corner of
the hole shire; and yet that ther mysdoyng growyth not of ther owyn
dysposysyon but of the abbettement and steryng of sum ille dysposed
persones whiche is understand and knowe to the Kynges hygthnesse. Item,
he lete hem wete that the Kyng had commandyd hym to sey if ther were any
man, pore or ryche, that had cause to complayne of any person that he
schuld put up his bylle to the shref and hym, and they schuld set a
reule be twyx hem; and if he wold not abyde ther reule they schuld
delyver the sayd bylle of compleynt to the Kynges hignesse, and he
schuld set the rewle and suche dyreccion that the party compleynaunt or
defendaunt schuld be punysshed for his dysobeysauns of the said rewle if
the case requyred; and also more over, if ther were ony person that put
up ony suche bylle, and it mygth apere to them by ther examinacion or
other wyse fals or untrewe, or elles be cause of malyce, that than suche
compleynaunts schuld sharpely be punysshed. And than whan he had sayd
this and moche more, in dyscoragyng to the pepoll to put bylles, as
after my conseyt, he reported hym to the schref ther present, that the
Kyng thus comanded hem thus to sey, desyreng the said schref if ony
thyng of the Kyngs comaunded were be hynd unspoken by hym self that he
wold remembre and helpe forthe to telle it. And than the schref said,
lyke as he rehersed the Kyng comanded, and more over that the Kyng named
ij. men, by name Tudenham and Haydon, and if ony man wold put bylles a
yens them, he said in feythfull wyse he wold help hem, and ferther the
mater to the Kyng higthnesse. And for his demenyng ther every man
thougth hym rigth wel dysposed; but Yelverton had for yeten to expresse
the names of Tudham and Haydon.
Item, the schref desyred the jentylmen to go with [him] to Felbryg
Halle, and specially he requyred Mr. John P., the younger; but he cowde
no pepoll gete, and so he cam not there. Item, there was a bylle set up
on the shirehous dore, and the content ther of was but of the favour to
you ward, Barney, Knyvet and Felbrygge, and of the hatered of other; it
was but of sum lewde dysposed person it semeth. Item, sir, at the last
shire was moche pepoll and ille governed for they wold not be rewled be
no body, they had almost a slayne the underschref, for they told hym
wryttes of eleccion was sent doun and he kept it on syde to be gyle hem,
and to make hem labour ayen, and ther for he that kepyth it is to blame,
me thynketh. Item, sir, please you to telle Mr. Clement, we have goten a
reles of al maner accions and appelles of Margret Clerk, made to
Gymmyngham, on of the pryncypalles, and that he woll inquyre wheder it
be suffycyant for alle, and send me word, and weder it dyvers fro
trespas and dette, wher damages is to be recovered, for in this appell
is no damages to be recovered, but only an execucion, whiche non of them
may be contributory to other execucion as is in other cases.
Nevertheles, I hope it be sufficiant for all, for sche is in the cas to
have the lyf in stede of damages.
Your THOMAS PL.
[Footnote 19.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The mention of Tuddenham
and Heyden in this letter proves that it cannot be of later date
than the year 1461, as the former was executed in February 1462.
At the same time the reference to John Paston, Junior, could not
be much earlier, and the message from the King to the people of
Norfolk certainly could not have come from Henry VI. only a year
or two before. The date must therefore be 1461 precisely.]
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