The Paston Letters. 1422-1509 A.D., Volume 1, compiled by Edward Arber and James Gairdner, 1872
https://archive.org/details/pastonletters01arbeiala/page/38/mode/2up
http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_43488
(photo courtesy of The British Library)
Agnes Paston (born circa 1405, died 1479), a wealthy English woman of the gentry class, was the daughter of Sir Edmund Berry, Lord of Hertfordshire. In 1420 she married William Paston, a highly respected justice of the local court systems. Though his family belonged to the upper peasantry, William had managed to acquire substantial properties and bring himself up into the landed gentry.
Financial considerations also led William to marry Agnes. She was her father's only heir, and in 1433 the couple were greatly enriched by Agnes' inheritance of lands in Norfolk and Hertfordshire. The two Pastons found themselves to be of like mind in terms of maintaining a high social and financial status. Like most landowners, they were concerned mostly with preserving their properties. Their eldest son, John, became a lawyer and married the woman his parents had carefully chosen for him, a wealthy, though not noble, heiress named Margaret Mauteby. When William died in 1444, Agnes gained control of over half of his estates, since he willed her a considerable amount of property, and her own dower lands were returned to her control. Most of the remaining portion of William's lands went to John, with provisions made for their other sons as well.
Agnes moved in with John and Margaret, and she and her daughter-in-law had a strained relationship because they both had strong-willed and domineering personalities. Agnes was a skilled administrator of her own property, but she often clashed with Margaret over the marriages of her grandchildren. She felt that Margaret was too sentimental for letting her children marry for love, excepting one of the daughters, Margery Paston Calle. Eventually, Agnes moved to London to live with her third son, William, Jr. She remained an active participant in her family's affairs until her death in 1479. Details of her life are preserved in the voluminous collection of the Paston family's letters, one of the few known surviving examples of private correspondence from medieval England to be written in the English language.
http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_43488
(photo courtesy of The British Library)
Agnes Paston (born circa 1405, died 1479), a wealthy English woman of the gentry class, was the daughter of Sir Edmund Berry, Lord of Hertfordshire. In 1420 she married William Paston, a highly respected justice of the local court systems. Though his family belonged to the upper peasantry, William had managed to acquire substantial properties and bring himself up into the landed gentry.
Financial considerations also led William to marry Agnes. She was her father's only heir, and in 1433 the couple were greatly enriched by Agnes' inheritance of lands in Norfolk and Hertfordshire. The two Pastons found themselves to be of like mind in terms of maintaining a high social and financial status. Like most landowners, they were concerned mostly with preserving their properties. Their eldest son, John, became a lawyer and married the woman his parents had carefully chosen for him, a wealthy, though not noble, heiress named Margaret Mauteby. When William died in 1444, Agnes gained control of over half of his estates, since he willed her a considerable amount of property, and her own dower lands were returned to her control. Most of the remaining portion of William's lands went to John, with provisions made for their other sons as well.
Agnes moved in with John and Margaret, and she and her daughter-in-law had a strained relationship because they both had strong-willed and domineering personalities. Agnes was a skilled administrator of her own property, but she often clashed with Margaret over the marriages of her grandchildren. She felt that Margaret was too sentimental for letting her children marry for love, excepting one of the daughters, Margery Paston Calle. Eventually, Agnes moved to London to live with her third son, William, Jr. She remained an active participant in her family's affairs until her death in 1479. Details of her life are preserved in the voluminous collection of the Paston family's letters, one of the few known surviving examples of private correspondence from medieval England to be written in the English language.
The letter:
To my worshepefull housbond, W. Paston, be this letter takyn.
Dere housbond, I recomaunde me to yow, &c. Blessyd be God I sende yow gode tydynggs of the comyng, and the brynggyn hoom, of the gentylwomman that ye wetyn of fro Redham, this same nyght, acordyng to poyntmen that ye made ther for yowr self.
And as for the furste aqweyntaunce be twhen John Paston and the seyde gentylwomman, she made hym gentil cher in gyntyl wise, and seyde, he was verrayly your son. And so I hope ther shall nede no gret trete be twyxe hym.
The parson of Stocton toold me, yif ye wolde byin her a goune, here moder wolde yeve ther to a godely furre. The goune nedyth for to be had; and of colour it wolde be a godely blew, or erlys a bryghte sangueyn.
I prey yow do byen for me ij. pypys of gold. Your stewes do weel.
The Holy Trinite have you in governaunce.
Wretyn at Paston, in hast, the Wednesday next after Deus qui errantibus, for defaute of a good secretarye.
Yowres, AGN. PASTON.
Yowres, AGN. PASTON.
With modernised spelling:
To my worshipful husband, W. Paston, be this letter taken.
Dear husband, I recommend me to you, etc. Blessed be God I send you good tidings of the coming, and the bringing home, of the gentlewoman that ye witen of fro Redham, this same night, according to pointment that ye made there for yourself.
And as for the first acquaintance be it when John Paston and the said gentlewoman, she made him gentil cher in gentle wise, and said he was verily your son. And so I hope there shall need no great treat betwixt him.
The Parson of Stockton told me, if ye would buying her a gown, her mother would give there to a goodly fur. The gown needeth for to be had; and of colour it would be a goodly blue, or else a bright sanguine.
I pray you do buying for me two pipes of gold. Your stews do well.
The Holy Trinity have you in governance.
Written at Paston, in haste, the Wednesday next after Deus qui errantibus, for default of a good secretary.
Yours, AGN. PASTON.
Yours, AGN. PASTON.
Notes: pointment = appointment
to wit of = to know of
fro = from
pipes of gold = gold thread on pipes or rolls, for needlework or embroidery.
stews = ponds to keep fish alive for present use; this is a word found in the Sussex English dialect.
Deus qui errantibus = the Collect for the third Sunday after Easter.
for default of = for lack of
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