A Medieval Family: The Pastons of Fifteenth-Century England (Medieval Life)

The Paston family of Norfolk, England, has long been known to medieval scholars for its large collection of personal correspondence, which has survived five centuries. Until now, however, they have remained virtually unknown to the general reading public. Revealing a wealth of information about the manners, morals, lifestyles, and attitudes of the late Middle Ages, the letters also tell a story of three generations of the fifteenth-century Paston family that reads like a historical novel full of memorable characters: • Margaret Paston, the indomitable wife and mother who fought the family’s battles; • her husband, John Paston I, tough, hardheaded, and thrice confined to Fleet Prison but never yielding to his enemies; • daughter Margery, who scandalized family and friends by falling in love with the Paston bailiff, Richard Calle; • lighthearted, chivalric Sir John; and • cheerful, sensible John III, who against all odds succeeded in marrying for love. A Medieval Family traces the family history from 1420, through the stormy Wars of the Roses, to the early 1500s. The family’s story, extracted from their letters and papers and told largely in their own words, shows a side of history rarely revealed: the lives and fortunes not of kings and queens but of ordinary people with problems, tragedies, and moments of happiness. The fascinating story of the fortunes of one medieval family over the course of a century, from bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies.The Pastons were members of the English gentry—a tiny group of roughly 1,000 households sandwiched between the ruling nobility and the peasants, and a rough analog for the contemporary “middle class.” Their existence was fairly typical, but for the fact that it was recorded in an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,000 letters which have survived to this day. Through these letters, which cover the years from 1421 to 1484, and the lives of three generations of Pastons, bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies provide a rare window into the day-to-day life of this family, and the broader political and social goings-on of medieval England.A Medieval Family first tells the story of Judge William Paston (1378-1444), the patriarch of the family, a lawyer and judge who bought up land in Norfolk and left his son a sizeable estate, which was later forcibly seized by a neighboring baron. We then follow the family through its ups and downs over several generations, learning of their feuds with neighbors, the frequent instability of 15th century England, and significant historical events, such as the Siege of Caister and the Battle of Barnet. There are also many letters of more personal significance, including a series of Valentines sent to John Paston III.The work of acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies has been used by George R.R. Martin in his research for Game of Thrones. In A Medieval Family, they have woven a compelling intergenerational saga that is essential reading for anyone seeking insight into the medieval period.“The Gieses, who specialize in making the Middle Ages accessible to nonspecialists, have done a wonderful job of linking and amplifying the Pastons'words.” –New Yorker The fascinating story of the fortunes of one medieval family over the course of a century, from bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies The Pastons were members of the English gentrya tiny group of roughly 1,000 households sandwiched between the ruling nobility and the peasants, and a rough analog for the contemporary middle class. Their existence was fairly typical, but for the fact that it was recorded in an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,000 letters which have survived to this day. Through these letters, which cover the years from 1421 to 1484, and the lives of three generations of Pastons, bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies provide a rare window into the day-to-day life of this family, and the broader political and social goings-on of medieval England. A Medieval Family first tells the story of Judge William Paston (1378-1444), the patriarch of the family, a lawyer and judge who bought up land in Norfolk and left his son a sizeable estate, which was later forcibly seized by a neighboring baron. We then follow the family through its ups and downs over several generations, learning of their feuds with neighbors, the frequent instability of 15 th century England, and significant historical events, such as the Siege of Caisterand the Battle of Barnet. There are also many letters of more personal significance, including a series of Valentines sent to John Paston III. The work of acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies has been used by George R.R. Martin in his research for Game of Thrones . In A Medieval Family , they have woven a compelling intergenerational saga that is essential reading for anyone seeking insight into the medieval period. The Gieses, who specialize in making the Middle Ages accessible to nonspecialists, have done a wonderful job of linking and amplifying the Pastons words. New Yorker Acknowledgments xv 1 The Letters 1 2 The Family 23 3 Judge William and His Children (1421-1444) 32 4 Land Disputes and the Siege of Gresham (1444-1450) 49 5 Sir John Fastolf, a Soldier in Retirement (1450-1452) 74 6 Sir John Fastolf and John Paston (1453-1459) 99 7 The Fastolf Will Contested (1459-1465) 130 8 The Sack of Hellesdon and the Death of John Paston (1465-1466) 162 9 Royal Marriages and Misalliances (1466-1469) 187 10 The Siege of Caister (1469) 214 11 The Battle of Barnet (1470-1471) 230 12 Family Discord, Foreign War, and Other Disturbances (1471-1475) 257 13 Caister Regained, a Marriage Negotiated (1475-1478) 284 14 Deaths (1479-1484) 311 15 The Last of the Medieval Pastons 330 Notes 344 Bibliography 363 Cast of Characters 368 Calendar of Events, Paston and Political, 1415-1504 371 Glossary 376 Index 379 This collection of letters, diaries, and papers not only follows the trials and tribulations of the Paston family through three generations, but also reveals a wealth of information about manners, lifestyles and attitudes of ordinary middle-class people in the late Middle Ages. The prevailing trends, attitudes, and morals of medieval England as well as that of the Paston family from 1420 through the beginning of the 1500's is revealed through preserved correspondence and manuscripts