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8 unusual facts about Paston Letters


Charlotte Jemima FitzRoy

In 1672 she married William Paston, later the second Earl of Yarmouth — a member of the Paston family — and had issue.

John Markham

In October 1450 he reproved an enemy of John Paston for the injuries done to Paston, and for 'ungoodly' private life.

North Walsham

The English naval hero, Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson and his brother William were educated at Paston Grammar School in North Walsham, founded by Sir William Paston (of Paston Letters fame) in 1606.

Paston Letters

Christopher Paston was Sir William's son and heir, and Christopher's grandson, William (d. 1663), was created a baronet in 1642; being succeeded in the title by his son Robert (1631–1683), who was a member of parliament from 1661 to 1673, and was created earl of Yarmouth in 1679.

But in 1474 an arrangement was made with William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester, the representative of the excluded executors, by which some of the estates were surrendered to the bishop for charitable purposes, while Paston was secured in the possession of others.

The huge collection of letters and papers was acquired from the executors of William Paston, 2nd Earl of Yarmouth, the last representative of the family, by the antiquary Francis Blomefield in 1735.

Two recent books have presented the story of the fifteenth-century Pastons for a wide audience, Blood and Roses by Helen Castor (2004) and A Medieval Family by Frances and Joseph Gies (1998).

Thomas Billing

Writing to one Ledam, Billing says : 'I would ye should do well, because ye are a fellow of Gray's Inn, where I was fellow ' (Paston Letters, i. 43, 53), and, according to a Gray's Inn manuscript, he was a reader there.



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