Desires them to show favour to the defendants in an appeal of robbery sued before them out of malice by Thomas Bury against John Berney of Redham, Norf., Junior, Esq., John Paston of Norwich, Esq., John Berney of Redham, Norf., Senior, Esq., John Hevenyngham, of Norwich, Esq., and Christopher Norwich of Brundehale. They are to receive no writ returned in the name of the Sheriff of Norfolk touching that matter except by the hands of the sheriff himself, or of John Bernarde his under-sheriff.

London, 26 July.

II. Another letter, similar in substance, in which no justices’ names are given.

[These documents cannot be later than 1460, as the younger John Berney died in July of that year (see next letter). But as Judge Littleton was only made a King’s Serjeant in 1455, they cannot be many years earlier, and they are not unlikely to be of the year 1460 itself.]

[222.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

[412]
JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[223.1]

To my wurschipfull coysyn, Margaret Paston, be this delyvered in haste.

1460
JULY 28

I recomaunde me unto you, letyng you witte that your unkyll, John Berney, is deed, whoos soule God have mercy; desyryng you to sende for Thomas Holler,[223.2] and enquere of hym wher his goode is, and what he is wurthe, and that he take goode eede to all suche goods as he had bothe meveable and on mevable; for I undre stande that he is wurthe in money vc. [500] marke, and in plate to the valwe of other vc. marke, beside other goods. Wherfor I wolde ye schulde not lete hym wete of his dissese unto the tyme that ye had enquered of the seide Thomas Holler of all suche maters as be a bovyn wreten, and whan he hathe enformed you therof, than lete hym wete verely that he is deede, desiryng hym that no man come on to his place at Redham but hym selfe, unto the tyme that I come.

Item, I lete you witte that gret parte of his goode is at William Taverners, as I undrestande. Thomas Holler woll telle you justely the trouthe as I suppose, and deseyre hym on my behalfe that he doo soo, and ther is writyng therof; and telle Thomas Holler that I and he be executours named, and therfore lete hym take heede that the goods be kept saffe, and that nobody knowe wher it shall lie but ye and Thomas Holler. And Thomas Holler, as your unkyll tolde me, is prevy wher all his goode lithe and all his writyng, and so I wol that ye be prevy to the same for casualte of deethe, and ye too shal be his executours for me as longe as ye doo trewly, as I trowe verely ye woll.