The rise of the Pastons

What were the routes to social mobility in late medieval England?

Agriculture Trade Law Church Other professions / service War Marriage

The Paston story Clement Paston (d. 1419) – ( document) – William’s will refers to ‘a messuage, a mill, lands, tenements, rents and services in Paston, Edingthorpe, Witton, and Mundesley’ and nearby vills – Marriage – Education – Clement’s will

Background: social and agrarian change after the Black Death – More land available (through death of tenants, and because lords began to lease their own demesnes, rather than cultivate them) – More active land market – Emergence of a clearer village elite in some places

We see daily how husbandmen of the country, through their diligence, rise daily higher in state of civility, so that their issue attain to nobility – Nicholas Upton, 1447

Chaucer’s Sergeant of the Law For his science and for his heigh renoun, Of fees and robes hadde he many oon. So greet a purchasour was nowher noon: Al was fee symple to hym in effect; His purchasyng myghte nat been infect. [For his knowledge and for his excellent reputation He had many grants of yearly income. There was nowhere so great a land-buyer: In fact, all was unrestricted possession to him; His purchasing could not be invalidated.]

William Paston Career – Attorney in court of Common Pleas by 1406 – Legal counsel at Norwich, 1411, Yarmouth, 1415, Bishop’s Lynn, etc. – Justice of the Peace for Norfolk, 1418 – ?1418 – created serjeant-at-law – 1429 – created justice of Common Pleas

The legal profession Judges: about 8 (c. £250 p.a.) Serjeants-at-law: about 6 (c. £300 p.a.) Apprentices-at-law (barristers): about 100 (?c. £60 p.a.) Large number of other solicitors, attorneys etc. (?c. £5 p.a.)

William Paston Land – Inheritance (i) from Clement Paston (d. 1419) (ii) from Geoffrey Somerton (d.1416) Purchase – What – Where – How

Lands in Bacton, Paston etc. - acquired ??? Oxnead manor - acquired 1419 Manors of Shipden and Ropers in Crowmer - acquired by 1426 Gresham manor – acquired 1427 Latimers manor in Bacton – reversion acquired Manors of Woodhall (in Great Palgrave) and Sporle - acquired c. 1430

East Beckham: (defective) title to manor acquired c.1434 Swainsthorp manor: acquired c. 1440

Sporle and Swainsthorp: held by childless widow of Walter Garleck East Beckham The land market

William Paston Marriage – In 1420 when William was 42 – To Agnes Barry, daughter and heiress of Edmund Barry of Orwellbury, Herts. – Her inheritance: manors of Marlingford (Norf.), Stansted (Suff.), Orwellbury

William Paston and social mobility Law Land Marriage Situation at William’s death Why was the law so important to social mobility (how important was it?) Demographics after the Black Death: increased social mobility?

William Paston Lordship – Background: manorial structure (in Norfolk) – Creating a manor at Paston chapel parlour the local community advowson of Paston

John I Paston Marriage to Margaret Mautby, 1440 – dau. and heiress of John Mautby: manors of Mautby, Flegghall, Fritton, Bessingham, Matlask, West Beckham, Briston, Sparham, Kirkhall – worth c. £150 p.a. but encumbered by relatives Education Service

1458 – acquired Huntingfield Hall manor in Bacton 1461 – attempted to acquired Duchy of Lancaster lands in Bacton and Paston and to hold courts there

Events of – August 1465: Anthony Woodville occupied Caister ‘under colour of a rumour..that John Paston was the king’s bondman although this was false’ (William Worcester) – 10 Jan 1466: it was proclaimed at Norwich the reason for the visit of lord Scales to the city - to seize the goods and chattels of John Paston, whom the king claimed for his villein (Norwich city records)

The extent of social mobility Warwickshire: between 1349 and c.1520 ownership of about 80% of manors had changed families Each generation saw quite a high number of ‘newcomers’ enter the elite (40-50%?)

Social mobility: attitudes The documents of and 1466 The brawl of – Sir Miles Stapleton and his wife ‘have blathered here [London] of my kindred in hugger-mugger, but by the time that we have reckoned of old days and late days mine shall be found more worshipful than his and his wife’s’