THE PASTON LETTERS Henry V
Reading edition
1 HENRY V.’S CONQUESTS IN FRANCE5.1
1417–9
These be the names of Townes, Castell, Citees, and Abbeys that the [King did]5.2 gete in his secund viage:—
The Town of Cane and the Castell.
The Town of Valeis [Falaise] and the Castell.
The Town of Argenton and the Castell.
The Town of Bayeux and the Castell.
The Town of Alawnsom and the Castell.
The Town of Frezsne le Vicont and the Castell.
The Town of Seint Savers de Vive and the Castell.
The Town of Seint Jakes de Beueron and the Castell.
The Town of Seint Jakes de Burvam and the Castell.
The Town of Seint Low and the Castell.
The Town of Valence and the Castell.
The Cytee of Averense and the Castell.
The Cytee of Sees.
The Cytee of Leseaux.
The Cytee of Everose.
The Town of Louerse.
The Town of Counsheux.
The Town of Vire.
The Town of Karentine.
The Town of Chyrbourgh and the Castell.
The Town of Vernoile and ij. Castell.
The Town of Morteyn and the Castell.
The Town of Powntlarche and the Castell.
The Town of Esey and the Castell.
The Town of Dounfrount and the Castell.
The Town of Pountedomer and the Castell.
The Town of Turve and the Castell.
The Town of Costaunce and the Castell.
The Cytee of Roon and the Castell.
The Town of Galion and the Castell.
The Town of Galdebek [Caudebec].
The Town of Mustirvilers.
The Town of Depe.
The Town of Ve and the Castell.
The Town of Vernoile suz Seyne and the Castell.
The Town of Mawnt and the Castell.
The Castell of Towk.
The Castell of Morvile.
The Castell of Overs in Awge.
The Abbey of Seint Savers suz Deve.
The Abbey of Seint Peers suz Dive.
The Abbey of Seint Stevenis of Cane.
The Bole Abbey of Cane.
The Castell of Cursy.
The Castell of Gundy.
The Castell of Nevylebeke.
The Castell of Vermus.
The Castell of Garcy.
The Castell of Oo [Eu].
The Castell of Vileine.
The Castell of Egyll.
The Castell of Regyll.
The Castell of Curton.
The Castell of Fagernon.
The Castell of Chamberexs.
The Castell of Ryveers.
The Castell of Bewmanill.
The Castell of Bewmalyn.
The Castell of Harecourt.
The Abbey of Behelwyn.
The Castell of Parlevesque.
The Castell of Semper.
The Castell of Tracy.
The Castell of Tylly.
The Castell of Groby.
The Castell of Carsell.
The Castell of Hommbe.
The Castell of Seynt Denise.
The Castell of Bonvile.
The Castell of Grennevile.
The Castell of Perers.
The Castell of Seint Gilerinz.
The Castell of Bewmound.
The Castell of Asse la Rebole.
The Castell of Tanny.
The Castell of Antony.
The Castell of Balon.
The Castell of Mountfort.
The Castell of Tovey.
The Castell of Lowdon.
The Castell of Noaus.
The Castell of Seynt Romains in Plaine.
The Castell of Daungell.
The Castell of Peschere.
The Castell of Bolore.
The Castell of Keshank.
The Castell of Turre.
The Castell of Seint Imains.
The Castell of Seint Germains.
The Castell of Bomstapyll.
The Castell of Croile.
The Castell of Bakuile.
The Castell of Bellacombyr.
The Castell of Douyle.
The Castell of Likone.
The Castell of Ankyrvile.
The Abbey of Seint Katerinz.
These er the gates names of Roon, and how the lordys lay in sege, and to fore what gate, and also the derth of vitailes withyn the forseyd Cytee of Roon.
Le Port Causches. To fore thys gate, lay my Lord of Clarense8.1 vnto riversyde of Seyne with mykyl of hys howsold and a grete market; and then fro that gate upward lay my Lord of Urmound,8.2 my maistre Corwayle8.3 with the Lord Talbotts meyne. Le Port de Castell. At thys gate my Lord Marchall,8.4 the Lord of Haryngton. Le Port de Bewvoisyn. At thys gate lay my Lord of Excester. Le Port de Vowdelagate. To fore thys gate lay the Lord Roos, the Lord Wylleby, the Lord Fyhew,8.5 Sir John Gray, and Sir William Porter. Le Port Seint Yllare. To fore thys gate lay the kyng and my Lord of Glowcestyr. Le Port de Martynvile. To fore thys lay my Lord of Warwyk and Sir Phelip Leche. Le Port debut de Pount. To fore thys gate lay my Lord of Huntyngdon, my Lord of Sawlisbyry, my maistre Nevile, and my mayster Umphirvile. Le Port de Vicount. Thys ys the chefe Watergate of the town, and at thys gate cometh in al maner marchawndys and vitailes.
Furthyrmore as towchyng to the derth of vytayles withyn this forseyd Cytee, j. [one] Buschell of Whete was worth v. scutys, j. lofe j. frank, j. dog j. frank, j. kat ijs. sterlinges, j. rat vjd. sterlinges. And as towchyng all other vitailes, it was spendit or that we com in to the Cytee.
Urbis Rotomagi Wulstano captio claret, Quam Rex Henricus Quintus sexto capit anno.
2 AMYE BOWET TO ——9.1
1417–9
Trescher et mon tresfiable amy je vous salue tressouvent de tout mon cuer, desirant pur savoir et oier bons noveles de vous, et que vous soiez en prosperitee. Et, mon tresfiable amy, vous face assavoir que monsieur mon baron covient sey apparailler et ordenyier envers le Roy ore en y ceste proschein viage en la presence oue le Duc de Excestre, pur la quelle luy covient faire graundes expenses entour son arraie en salvacion de son honour, lequel je vorreie faire ma diligence pur saluer et encrescer a mon poair, come je suy graundement tenuz; et vous estez la persone en la quelle je plus graundement maffie devaunt aucune altre ore vivant. Pur quey je vous emprie tresespecialment de trestout mon cuer que vous please pur faire a tant pur moy quant a ore pur moy faire chevyceance de xl. marcz come pur voie dapprompt ore en y ceste nostre graunde busoigne, promittant de certeyne que sereez bien et loialment repaiez a aucune jour reisoignable que vous veuilliez assigner; et si vous ne osez pleignement affier en y ceste ma promys pur peril quent purra avenir en temps avenir, vous auerez tiel seuretee come vous veuillez deviser. Trescher et mon tresfiable amy, pluisours a vous nay escrier au present, mays que vous veuillez doner foie et credence a une gentile feme portour dycestes. Et pri al Saint Espirit qil vous ait touz jours en sa tressaintisme garde. Escript en haste a Wrentham, le xxviiime jour de Mars. Amye Bowet.
On the back is written in a different hand:—
‘Thomas Lente et Matillda uxor mea petunt de Galfrido Somerton xiijs. iiijd. quos Willelmus Lyster et dicta Matillda, circa xxiiij. annos elapsos quum ipsi levaverunt finem de tenementis in Castre inter ipsos et Walterum Gase; et dicit quod dicta Matillda quando ipsa examinata fuit per Justiciarios apud Jernemuth qui sedebant super Rayes (?) in ecclesia Fratrum Carmelitarum, dictus Justiciarius dedit dictos xiiis. iiiid. quos ipse habere debuisset pro labore suo dictæ Matilldæ, et dictus Galfridus dictos xiiis. iiiid. posuit in loculo suo proprio et nullatenus illos dictæ Matilldæ solvit: et ad festyngong per iiii. annos elapsos le boteler apud Somerton audivit quod dictus Galfridus promisit dictæ Matilldæ et dicto Thomæ tunc viro suo dictos xiiis. iiiid.’
lequel je vorreie faire ma diligence text unchanged: error for “vorroie”?
3 [THE PARSON OF EDINGTHORPE] TO WILLIAM SEWARDBY10.1
A mon trescher et honure sieur, William Sewardby.
1417–9?
Trescher et honure sieur, jeo me recomaund a vous si tresentierement de t . . . . . . . . . . . doyere et de savore bonez novells de vous et de vostre entiere estat et souereyn . . . . . . . tres bonz de vous auore et savore com vous mesmes lez sauera meltz devisere ou . . . . . . et si de moy le vostre. Vous plese savore, a la fesaunce de cestez j’estoy en bon saunte. [Et quant a] vostre boys de denz le boys de Baketon vous plese savore que le Prieur de Bromholm est (?) [nostre] parochen, et nous ade prie pur avore vostre dit boys dissevere et departie a son boys issint . . . . boys que est parcel a vostre boys pur lour profit et saunz damage de vostre dit boys, mes Richa[rd] . . . . . . . disseveryng fere saunz vostre volunte ou autre maundement de vous, come le portour de . . . . . . . ment que jeo ne puis ore escrire. Et touchant vostre manere illuques si longuement com . . . . . . . maynez de dit priour, vous, ne null de voz bien voliauncez y aueroyent nulle conyschaun[ce] . . . de vostre manere as autrez de lours seigneuries, et ensi vous et vostrez serrount en temps avenir . . . . . . . que vous les tenez en voz maynez proprez et sure tiele colour si vous plese Richard Causton . . . . . . . et payr omez a vous si taunt come le priour avaundit fet a termes et jours par vous assign[ez] . . . . . . pur avore par voz tenauntz lez ditz terez, rentz et tenementz, boys et autres comoditez . . . . . . . disseverez et departez. Et vous covyent avore i. seneschal pur tenire vostres courtez iluque[s] . . . . . . . de dit priour ne en son daungere, mes tiel homme que nad null dom de eux et tiele . . . . . . vous luy voliez bien rewardere pur son travail. Trescher et honoure sieur, de ceste matere et de . . . . . . . par le portour de cestz, et nous ferrouns nostre powere et diligence de lez accomplere a vostre . . . . . . . Sieur, jeo prie a Dieux quil vous doyne tresbon vie et long honour et souereyn joye de . . . . . . . A Edythorp juxta Bromholm, le primer jour de Jul’.
4 ABSTRACT11.1
1420 24 MARCH
Marriage Settlement of William Paston, dated the Eve of the Annunciation of the Virgin, 8 Henry V.—It is agreed between Sir Edmund Berre, Kt., on the one part, and William Paston of Paston on the other, that the latter shall marry Agnes, daughter of the said Sir Edmund, and that his trustees of the manor of Oxenede, Norf., shall demise the same to the said William and Agnes, and the heirs of their bodies, &c. Also Sir Edmund’s trustees, either of the manor of Estodenham, co. Norf., or of the manor of Hollewellebury, Herts, at the option of William Paston, shall deliver one or other manor to the said William and Agnes, and the heirs of their bodies, &c. If Estodenham be chosen, Paston is to make to Sir Edm. and his wife Alice an estate for life, either in the manors of Marlingford, Norf., and Stanstede, Suff., or in the manors of Elghe and Willyngham, Suff., &c.
5 ABSTRACT11.2
1422
Inspeximus of a Deed of Thos. Pecke, clk., dated 10 Hen. V., granting the reversion of the manors of Breydeston, Caston, &c., then held by Sir John Carbonell and Margery, his wife, to Sir Rob. Brewys, John Fitz-Rauff, and others.—(See Blomefield’s Norfolk, ii. 285.)