_To my Maister Paston, in haaste._
[Sidenote: 1456 / JUNE 1]
Please your good maistirship to wete that my Lord of Norffolk yaf in
comaundement to Cristofre and to the balif of Colneise to laboure with
us acording to your mocion. And as to Skilly, fermour of Cowhaugh, we
enteryd there, and seyd we wold have payment for the half yeer past, and
sewrete for the half yeer comynge, or ellys we wold distreyne and put
hym out of pocession, and put in a newe fermoure; and so oure demenyng
was suche that we toke no distresse, and yit we have hym bounde in an
obligacion of xviij_li._ payabil at Michelmesse without condecion, and
vj_s._ viij_d._ we receyvid of hym for opocession, for the ferme as yit
remayneth on gatherid in the fermourez handes. But I seyd hym I wold be
ther ageyn for the recedu of the half yeer ferme past withinne this
xiiij. dayes; and he seyd he wold do hise delygence to gather it up. But
he spak with Wentworth sethyn, whiche yef hym an uttyr rebuke, as he
swor to me, and seyd he wold have hys payment of Skylly, and sewe hise
oblygacion this next terme whiche he is bounden in to Wentworth for the
yeerly payment of the same ferme; and the seyd Wentworth seyd he wyll
takyn an accyon of trespas this next terme ageyn us that were there; and
Devyle seyd ye were hender the londes at the begynning of your sute
thanne ye be now, and that shalbe knowe be Lammesse next comyng, for he
hathe thynges to shewe ye saw nevyr yit. Skilly offerid me xl_s._ to
have delyvered hym ageyn hise obligacion, and he wold have put me in
pocession of a distresse, and [_i.e._ if] I wold have delyvered it hym;
he seithe he dede nevyr so mad a dede, for Wentworth wold no bettyr mean
thane we had takyn a distresse. He shuld sone have remedyed that; but
now he seith Skylls is withoute remedy, but he will be payd, &c.
Item, Sir, as to the fermourez of the manor of Langston in Brustal, we
have also sewyrte be oblygacion withoute condecion payabil at
Michilmesse, and toke no distresse but enteryd the londes; but we had
gret peyne to brynge hem ther to, for ther is one John Cook of Braunford
hath it in ferme of Wentworth all, and he leteth it out ageyn be
parcelles to iij. sondre persones. But he was not at home, where for we
have the same fermourez bounde for payment, and they had no mony redy,
but they have promysed to delyvere Herry Deye at Yepiswiche this day
xx_s._ in party of payment.
Item, Sir, as to the fermour of the maner of Bentley, clepid Bentley
Houses, we have hym bonde in lyke wyse for the ferme of the seyd maner
from Michilmesse last past tyl Mychelmesse next comyng, in an obligacion
of x. marks payabil at Michilmesse next comyng, without ony condecyon;
and in party of payment I have receyvid of hym xiij_s._ iiij_d._, and he
promyseth me iiij. markes at Lammesse next comyng. And as for Bradwell,
my maistir[91.1] hathe sewyrte; and as for Kyrley Hawe, I was with the
fermour yistirday, but he wyll paye no peny, nor be bounde neithir.
Wherfor my maistir shal sende us to take a distresse tomorwyn, and I
truste we shal fynde sum meanys to have hym bounde, &c.
Item, John Andrewe hathe in fee yerly of the maner of Coughaugh xx_s._,
and Thomas Denys xiij_s._ iiij_d._ of the maner of Foxhole, but as ferre
as I can enquere, there is payd no more feez out of non of the maneris
to none othir men but to these tweyne.
Item, as for the endenturis, I sende here with a copy of Skyllyez
endenture and a copy of Deynis endenture, fermour of the maner of
Bentley, clepid Bentley Houses; and Herry Deye shal brynge a copy of
John Cooks endenture of the ferme of the maner of Langston in Brustall;
and as for Wareyn Bonde, he mad nevyr endenture for the ferme of Kyrkley
Hawe, for he hathe ocupyed it but sethin Michilmesse last past; and so
he holdith it but be promyse upon compnaunt [_covenant ?_]. And we shal
gete a copy of Sewalys endenture, fermour of Bradwelle, and me semyth,
savyng your bettyr avyse, it war right expedient that ye shuld for the
sped of this mater be at London in al haste.