April 19th 1471: A Wounded Paston
The Pastons at Barnet
(Graham Turner: Studio 88)
The Paston family looked to a Lancastrian victory to protect their property from the Duke of Norfolk’s designs. The brothers, Sir John and John (confusingly) both fought with the Earl of Oxford at Barnet. Sir John wrote to his mother on 19th April to give her the family news. The letter is a compelling account of the worries of being on the losing side.
Moodre, I recommend me to you, letting you know that, blessed be God, my brother John is alive and fareth well, and in no peril off death. Never the less he is hurt with an arrow on his right arm beneath the elbow, and I have sent him a surgeon which hath dressed him, and he telleth me that he trusteth that he shall be all whole within right short time. It is so that John Mylsent is dead, God have mercy on his soul, and Wylliam Mylsent is alive and his other servants all be escaped by all likelihood.
Item, as for me, I am in good case, blessed be God, and in no jeopardy off my life if me lyst my-self, fore I am at my liberty if need be.
Item, my lord Archbishop is in the Tower. Nevertheless I trust to God that he shall do well. He hath a safe-guard for him and me both. Nevertheless we have been troubled since, but now I understand that he hath a pardon, and so we hope well. There was killed upon the field half a mile from Barnet, on Easter Day, the Earl of Warwick, the Marquis Montagu, Sir William Tyrell, Sir Louis John, and diverse other esquires of our country, Godmerston and Bothe. And on the King Edward’s party, the Lorde Cromwell, the Lorde Saye, Sir Humphrey Bourchier of our country, which is a sore mourned man here, and other people of both parties to the number off more than a thousand.
As for other tidings is understood here that the Queen Margrett is verily landed, and her son, in the west country, and I trow that as tomorrow or else the next day the King Edward will depart from hence to her-ward to drive her out again.
Item, I beseech you that I may be recommended to my cousin Lomnor, and to thank him for his goodwill to me wards if I had had need, as I understood by the bearer hereof. And I beseech you on my behalf to advise him to be well ware of his dealing or language as yet, for the world, I assure you, is right queasy, as ye shall know within this month. The people here feareth it sore. God hath showed himself marvellously, like him that made all and can undo again when him likes; and I can think that by all likelihood shall show himself as marvellous again, and that in short time, and as I suppose oftener then once in cases like.
Item, it is so that my brother in on-purveyed off money. I have helped him to my power and above, wherefore, as it pleaseth you, remember him, for can do no more.
Written at London the Thursday in Easter Week. I hope hastily to see you. All this bill must be secret.
Be ye not adoubted of the world, for I trust all shall be well. If it thus continue I am not all undone, nor none of us; and if otherwise, then, &c.