Anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quinquagesimo nono, mensis
Novembris, videlicet, die Sabbati proximo post Festum Omnium Sanctorum,
Johannes Fastolff, miles, de comitatu Northfolch, Norwicen Dioc’, in
manerio suo de Castre, dictæ Diocesis, quoad bona sua immobilia suam
ultimam declaravit voluntatem prout sequitur:
John Fastolff, Knyght, the secunde and the thirde day of the moneth of
Novembre, the yere of the reigne of King Henry the Sexte after the
Conquest, xxxviij. yers, being of longe tyme, as he said, in purpos and
wille to founde and stablissh withynne the gret mansion at Castre, by
hym late edified, a college of vij. religious men, monkes or seculer
prestes, and vij. pore folke, to pray for his soule and the soulys of
his wife, his fader and modir, and other that he was beholde to,
imperpetuite. And forasmuch as he had, as he rehercid, a very truste and
love to his cosyn, John Paston, and desired the performyng of the
purpoos and wille forsad to be accomplisshed, and that the said Sir John
shulde not be mevid ne sterid in his owne persone for the said
accomplisshing of the said purpoos and wille, ne with noon other wordly
maters, but at his oune request and plesire, wolde, graunted, and
ordeyned that the said John Paston shalle, withynne resonable tyme aftir
the dissese of the said Sir John, doo founde and stablisshe in the said
mansion a college of vij. monkes or prestes and vij. pore folke, for to
pray for the soulys above said imperpetuite; so that one of the said
monkes or prestes be maister, and have x_li._ yerely, and ich othir
monke or preste x. marc yerely, and ich of the pore folke xl_s._ yerely;
and that the said John Paston shalle make sure to the said collegions a
sufficient roume and a competent and an esy duelling place in the said
mansion, the said collegions nor her successours bering no charge of
reparacion therof. For which, and for othir charges and labours that the
said John Paston hath doon and take uppon hym, to the eas and profite of
the said John Fastolf, and for othir consideracions by hym rehercid, the
said Sir John Fastolff wolde, graunted, and ordeyned that the said John
Paston shalle have alle the maners, landes, and tenementes in
North[folk], Southfolk, and Norwich, in which the said John Paston or
any other are or were enfeffed or have title to the use of the said Sir
John Fastolf; and at [_that_] alle the feffees infeffed in the said
maners, londes, and tenementes shalle make and deliver astate of the
said maners, landes, and tenementes to such persones, at such tymes, and
in such forme as the said John Paston, his heirs, and his assignes
shalle requere thaym or any of thayme. And that the said John Paston
shall pay to othir of the said Sir Johns executours iiij^ml. [4000] marc
of laufulle money of England in the forme that folweth, that is to say:
Where the said Sir John hadde apointed and assigned that his executours
shalle, the first yere aftir his disses, dispoos for his soule and
performyng his wille a m^l. marks or a m^{l}_li._ [£1000] of money, and
yerely aftir, viij^c. [800] marc, tille the goodes be disposed, the said
John Paston shalle pay iche othir yere the said summe of viij^c. marc
till the summe of iiij^m. [4000] be paid; so that the said mevabill
goodes shall the lenger endure to be disposed, by th’avise of his
executours, for the said soulys: And also the said Sir John said,
forasmuch as it was the very wille and entent of the said Sir John that
the said John Paston shulde be thus be avauntaged and in no wise hurte
of his propir goodes, therfore the said Sir John wolde graunted that if
the said John Paston, aftir the dissese of the said Sir John, by
occasion and unlaufulle trouble in this reame, or by mayntenaunce or
myght of Lordes, or for defaute of justice, or by unresonable exaccions
axid of hym for the licence of the said fundacion, withoute coveyne or
fraude of hym selve, be lettid or taried of the making or stablesshing
of the making of the said fundacion, that thanne he fynde or doo finde
yerely aftir the first yere of thus dissese of the said Sir John, vij.
prestes to pray for the said soulys in the said mansion, if he can
purvey so many, or els for as many prestes as faile, yeve yerely aftir
the said first yere, by th’avise of his executours, to bedred men and
othir nedy true pepille, as much money in almose for the said sowlys as
the salary or findyng of the prestes so faillyng is worthe or amounteth
to, unto the tyme he may laufully and peasably founde the said college
and doo his true devir for the said fundacion in the meane tyme. And the
said Sir John Fastolf wolde, graunted, and desired faithfully alle the
residewe of his executours and feffees to shewe the said John Paston
favore in the said paymentes and daies, and help hym for the Kinges
interesse and the eschetours, and furthir hym in that they may in alle
othir thinges as they wolde doo to hym selve, and not vex ne inquiete
hym for the said fundacion in the meane tyme. Ande where the said Sir
John Fastolf made his wille and testament the xiiij. day of June in
somer last passed, he wolde, graunted, and ordeyned that this his wille
touching thes premissez, as welle as the said wille made the said xiiij.
day, except and voided out of his said wille, made the said xiiij. day,
alle that concerneth or perteyneth to the fundacion of a college,
priory, or chauntery, or of any religious persones, and all that
concerneth the sale or disposing of the said maners, landes, and
tenementes, wherof this is the very declaracion of his full wille, stand
and be joyntly his very enteir and last wille, and annexed and proved
togedir. Also the said Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, the Tuysday next before
the fest of Alle Saintes, and in the moneth of Septembre the said yere,
and the iij. day of Novembre, and diverse other tymes, at Castre
aforesaid, wolde, ordeynyd, and declared his wille touching the making
of the said college, as welle as the graunte of the said maners, landes,
and tenementes in Norffolk, Suffolk, and Norwich, in fourme, manere, and
substance aforeseid. Also the said Sir John wolde and ordeyned that if
the said John Paston, by force or myght of any othir desiring to have
the said mansion, were letted to founde the seid college in the said
mansion, that thanne the said John Paston shulde doo poule down the said
mansion and every stone and stikke therof, and do founde iij. of the
said vij. prestes or monkes at Saincte Benettes, and one at Yermuth, one
at Attilbrugh, and one at Sainte Oloves Church in Southwerke. Also the
said Sir John Fastolf, the iij. and iiij. daies of the moneth of
Novembir abovesaid, desired his said wille or writyng, touching the
fundacion of the said college and the graunte of the said maners,
landes, and tenementes to the said John Paston, to be redde unto the
said Sir John; and that same wille redde and declared unto hym
articulerly, the said Sir John Fastolffe wolde, ordeyned, and graunted
that the said John Paston shulde be discharged of the payment of the
said iiij^ml. markes, and noght pay therof in case he did execute the
remenaunte of the said wille.
Also the said Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, aboute the tyme of hervest the
yere of the reigne of King Henry the Sexte, xxxv^th yere at Castre faste
by Mikel Yermuth, in the shire of Norffolk, in presence of divers
persones that tyme called to by the said Sir John, did make astate and
feffement and liverey of the seasin of the maner of Castre aforesaid,
and othir maners, landes, and tenementes in Norffolk, to John Paston,
Squier, and othir; and at that lyverey of season therof delivered, as
welle by the handes of the said Sir John as by other, the said Sir John
Fastolfe by his owne mouth declared his wille and entente of that
feffement and liverey of season made to the use of the said Sir John
asfor during his live onely, and aftir his decese, to the use of the
said John Paston and his heirs. And also the said Sir John said and
declared that the said John Paston was the best frende and helper and
supporter to the said Sir John, and that was his wille that the said
John Paston shulde have and enherite the same maners, landes, and
tenementes and othir aftir his decese, and there to duelle and abide and
kepe householde; and desired Daun William Bokenham, Priour of Yermouth,
and Raufe Lampet, Squier, Bailly of Yermuth, that tyme present, to
recorde the same. Also the said Sir John Fastolf, the vj. day of July
next aftir the tyme of the sealing of his wille made the xiiij. day of
June, the xxxv. of King Henry the Sexte, and aftir in the presence of
Daun William Bokenham, that tyme Prioure of Yermouth, and other, wolde,
ordeyned, and declared by wille that the said John Paston shulde have
alle thynges as the said Sir John had graunted and declared to the said
prioure and othir at the tyme of the said [asta]te and feffement made to
the [said] John Paston, the said xxxv. yere of King Henry the vj^th, the
said John seyng [_saying_] that he was of the same wille and purpoos as
he was and declared at the tyme [of the] said astate takyng. Also the
said Sir John wolde that John Paston and Thomas Howes, and noon othir of
his executours, shulde selle alle maners, landes, and tenementes in
whiche any persones were enfeffed to the use of the said Sir John,
excepte the said maners, landes, and tenementes in Norffolk, Suffolk,
and Norwich; and the same John Paston and Thomas Howes shalle take and
receyve the profites, ysshueys, and emolumentes commyng of the said
maners, landes, and tenementes, excepte before except, tille they may
resonably be solde; and that the said John Paston and Thomas, the money
comyng of the same sale, as welle of the said proufites, ysshuys, and
emolumentes, shulde dispoos in dedys of almose for the soule of the said
Sir John and the soulys aforesaid, and in executyng of his wille and
testament: And also the said Sir John wolde that alle the feffees
enfeffed in the said maners, landes, and tenementes assigned to be sold,
whanne thay be required by the said John Paston and Thomas Howes, shall
make astate to persone or persons as the said John Paston and Thomas
shalle selle to, the said maners, landes, and tenementes, or any parte
therof, and that noon othir feffe [_feoffee_] nor the executours of the
said Sir John shall make any feffement, relece, ne quitance of any
londes befor assigned to be solde that wer at any tyme longing to the
said Sir John, withoute the assente of the said John Paston and Thomas
Howes. Datum anno Domini, mense, die et loco supradictis.
[Footnote 160.2: [From Add. MS. 22,927, B.M.]]
[[the said John Paston shulde be thus be avauntaged
_text unchanged: superfluous “be” or error for “shulde he”?_]]
387