before that in the manor of Caster four years
text unchanged: Gairdner’s usual spelling is “Caister”

[640]
NOTE

Extract from ‘An Index to Deeds and Writings in the Tower, Magdalen College, Oxford’

‘34. The testimony of Th. Howes concerning the testament of Sir John Fastolf, touching which controversies arose between John Paston the elder, and Thos. Howes of the one party, and William Yelverton, Knight, and William Worcetyr on the other.’

[641]
EDWARD IV. TO THE BAILIFFS OF YARMOUTH[246.1]

By the Kinge (Edward the Fourth)[246.2]

1466
JULY 17

Trusty and welbeloved, we greet yow well, letting yow wete that our trusty and welbeloved knight Sir John Paston, our welbeloved William Paston, and Clement Paston, with other, have been before us and our councell worshipfully declared of the surmise of great charge that was laid on our behalfe unto John Paston deceased and them, jointly and severally; so that we hold them and every of them sufficiently declared in that matter, and take and repute them as gentlemen descended lineally of worshipfull blood sithen the Conquest hither; and over that, have commanded that plenare restitution of the manner of Castor, and of all other lands and tenements, with goods and cattell, that the said John Paston deceased had of the gift and purchase of Sir John Fastolfe, Knight, shall wholly be restored unto our said Knight Sir John Paston, like as the said John Paston deceased had in any time of his daies. Wherefore, in as much as our said Knight intendeth to make his abideing in Castor, we desire and pray yow that, for our sake and contemplation, ye will be friendly and neighbours unto him in his right; and such other things as may be to his profitt and ease, wherein ye shall do unto us full and good pleasure. Yeaven under our signet in our Castle at Windsore the xvijth day of July.

Subjoined to the above in Sandford’s Genealogy is ‘the coppie of a warrant sent from Kinge Edward the Fourth to restore Sir John Paston to the lands and possessions which he purchased of Sir John Fastolfe, whereof the originall remaineth in the custody of Edw. Paston, Esq.’ It is addressed ‘To all tenaunts, fermors, or occupiers of all the lands and tenements, and of every part of them, that late were John Paston’s, Esq., now deceased, by way of inheritance, or Agnes Paston, Margaret Paston, William Paston, and Clement Paston, or any of them, and to all such persons what so they be, now being in the manner or place of Castor, or in any lifelode that was the said John Paston, Esq., by way of gifte or purchase of late Sir John Fastolfe, or of any other, within our counties of Norff., Suff., and Norwich, and to all the tenants, fermors, baylies, or occupiers of the same, and of every part thereof; and to all mayers, shreves, eschetors, bayliffs, and other our officers, as well within franchise as without our counties aforesaid, hereing or seeing these our letters.’ The King mentions in this warrant that ‘great part of the said lands, tenements, and manors had been seized into our hands’; and the tenants, farmers, bailiffs, and occupiers of the said lands are charged thenceforth to pay the whole issues and profits thereof to Sir John Paston; and the mayors, sheriffs, escheators, and others the King’s officers are charged to be ‘assisting, helping, and strengthening.’ The warrant is ‘Yeven under our signet at Windsore, the xxvjth day of July, the sixth yeare of our reigne.’

[246.1] This letter is reprinted from the Norfolk Archæology, where it was first published by Mr. Worship from a transcript made by Sandford in his MS. Genealogy of the Paston family, compiled in 1674. Sandford states that ‘the originall under the King’s seale remaineth in the custody of Edward Paston, Esq.’ The date is rendered certain by the warrant subjoined.