Volume Iv Part 33 (1/2)
Also the seid John Russe writyth in his lettir that rather thanne he shuld fayle this mony that I wold lend hym asmoch to pay ayen at Cristema.s.se; wherfore, if he leve his bargeyn I woll ye lend hym asmoch mony over his dewte as shall make up xx_li._, takyng of hym suerte to pay ayen at Cristema.s.se, as he writyth; in case be that he will kepe stille his bargeyn, thanne ye may answere hym it is no reason that he shuld aske me any part of that mony ayen, for he owyth that and moch more.
Item, the seyd John Rus sent me heder a man for this mater only with in thes ij. daijs. Wherfor let him know an ansue letyng (?) for I fel well (?) he hath mad agret bargen but late, wherfor he hath mor nede of mony now, and I wol do for hym that I may resonably. Nevertheles his wryting merveylith me that he askith thes mony as dewte, wheche he toke me for parte of my payment. I deme it comith not all of his owne disposicion.
Inquier ye that ye can what it menith. G.o.d kepe yow. Wret the Wednisday nex Lammes.
Yowr JOHN PASTON.
In cas ye han Drayton in any quiete take sewertie of yowr tenants for paiment as I have wret befor.
[Footnote 174.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is evidently the letter referred to in the beginning of the last.]
602
JOHN ESTGATE TO ----[177.1]
[Sidenote: 1465]
Ser, ze sent to me a letter conteynyng the substaunce of the processe off Mr. Robert Ippyswell for the mater off the codicill of Nicholas Pykeryng, &c. Me mervelyt gretly off the certificat off Mr. Robert in that be halve, for this is the truthe as forth forth as I kan remembre me. The codicill had nether day nor place lymyte, qwer or qwan it xuld a ben mad; qwerfor to a reprovyd that that nether was qualifyid with day nor place it had be gret foly, &c. Therfor I askyd off the juge hys accounts, and specyally the deposicionys and attestacionys off the wytteness that wer swor in the seyd codicill, &c.; by the qwyche it mowth appere clerly qwan and qwere this codicill xuld a be made and wrete. And this sen I mad protestacion to for the seyde Mr. Robert that I wolde impugne the mater as lawe requiryd. The qwych peticion I made diverse tyme to fore moche recorde, judicialy syttyng the seyde M. R.,[177.2] &c. The qwyche peticion he wold not her, but seyde expresse that nether Will. Pykeryng nor non other man xuld sen his accounts nor knowe qwat the deposicion wer in that parte; this mater was comownyd to for Mr. John Selet and my mayster and yours diverse tymys, and ever he seyde we xuld not sen the seyde deposicions. And so qwat sum ever he hath certyfyid, this is the truthe, G.o.d to wetenesse and all Seynts, qwo preserve zow evermore.
And I pray zow to declare this to my mayster and zours; and comende me hertly to hys good maysterchep. And G.o.d sende hym victorye off all hys elmyes, and so pray all hys well wyllers at Norwich.
JOHN ESTGATE.
[Footnote 177.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The writer of this letter is reported to be dead in No. 604, which was written on the 18th August 1465. We have little doubt, however, that this belongs to the same year, as the names of Robert Ippeswell and John Salet occur in the correspondence more than once about this time.]
[Footnote 177.2: Master of the Rolls.]
603
WILL OF NICHOLAS PICKERING[178.1]
[Sidenote: 1465]
To alle trewe Cristen pepill the wiche these present letteres schall se or here, Roberd Banyngham, confessour to Nicholas Pekeryng of Filby, Alson the wyfe of the seide Nicholas, Roger Silveryn, John Herte of Cowteshall, Robarde Yoxsale, Richarde Hawe, Robarde Manufrac (?), John Case, servaunt of the forseid Nicholas, and Henry Becham, servaunt of the seide Nicholas, and Thomas Page of Beston, sende gretyng in oure Lorde. Where it is merytory nedefull to bere wytenesse of troughthe, alle ye mot knowe us that we herde the forseide Nicholas Pekeryng seyn, lying on his dede bedde, these wordes folwyng, as we willen answere before G.o.d, that whanne William Pekeryng, sone of the seide Nicholas rekenyd with his fadir for xx. quarteres barly that the seid William cleymed of his faderys yifte to his mariage; and for vij. dayes cariage of corne in hervest, and for als a thousande waltyle that his fadir had fro ye seide Williams wyfes place, the wiche reknyng greved the seide Nicholas his fadir, and seide, 'Thou comyst in with many bak rekenyngges. Remembre the that thou hast be the costlyest childe that evere I hadde, and how that I yaf ye x. acres of fre londe, and[178.2]
a place in mariage, and many othir thyngges that is muche better than all thi bak rekinyngges. And I have now yove ye other x. acres of fre londe aftir my discesse; and me thynketh be the thou heldest the not lowest, but woldest have all. But on thyng I shall sey to the; if thou trouble John, thy brother, or ony of myn executores, or cleyme ony more londes or goodys that evere were myne, I shal yeve ye G.o.ddys curse and myn, for thou hast be ever frowarde to me.' In witnesse and recorde herof we have sette oure sealys.
To alle trewe Cristen pepill the qwiche these presente letters shal see or here, John Herte of Couteshale, Roberd Yoxhale, Roger Silveryn, Thomas Dawes, and Thomas Drye, sende gretyng in oure Lorde. Where it is merytory, nedefull and medefull to bere witnesse of trought, all ye mot knowe us, that we herde William Pekeryng, sone of Nicholas Pekeryng, seyn that his fadir wolde he shulde have but x. acres of fre londe aftir his decesse be syde other x. acres of fre londe that he yaf hym in maryage. In wittenesse and recorde heer of we have setto oure seales.
_Endorsed:_ A Testymonyall.
[Footnote 178.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From the contents of the preceding letter it is probable that this doc.u.ment was drawn up in 1465. Blomefield, indeed, states (vol. ii. p. 221) that Nicholas Pickering was buried in the steeple of Filby church in 1466. But the date may be an error, for he certainly seems to have been dead in or before 1465.]
[Footnote 178.2: _and_ repeated in MS.]
604