Elizabeth Paston facts for kids
Elizabeth Paston (1429 – 1 February 1488) was an important woman from a well-known English family. Her life story is shared in many old letters called the Paston Letters. She was the only daughter of William Paston, a lawyer, and Agnes Barry. Elizabeth was quite strong-willed. As a teenager and young adult, she said no to several marriage ideas her mother and brothers had. She finally married Sir Robert Poynings in 1458 and had a son, Edward Poynings.
After Sir Robert died in a battle in 1461, she became a widow. Later, she married George Browne and had two more children. George Browne was executed in 1483 after being part of a rebellion. This made Elizabeth a widow for a second time.
Elizabeth Paston's Family
Elizabeth Paston was born in 1429 in Norfolk, England. She was the middle child and the only daughter of William Paston and Agnes Barry. Her father, William Paston, was a judge. Elizabeth had four brothers. Her oldest brother, John Paston (died 1466), took over as the head of the family when their father passed away in 1444.
Marriages and Challenges
For her time, Elizabeth Paston married quite late. She was almost 30 years old when she married in 1458. Her father had left her £200 in his will to help with her marriage. But she had to marry someone approved by her mother and other family members.
Marriage discussions for Elizabeth started when she was just nineteen in 1449. One idea was for her to marry Stephen Scrope, a 50-year-old widower. At this time, Elizabeth was not treated well at home by her mother, Agnes. Her cousin, Elizabeth Clere, even wrote in a letter that Agnes often hit Elizabeth.
Her brother John was in charge of getting her dowry ready. A dowry was money or property a bride's family gave to the groom. But John was very slow to do this. Many possible husbands were suggested during the 1450s. However, none of these marriages happened until 1458.
Elizabeth finally married Robert Poynings. He was one of the younger sons of a landowner from Sussex. It might not have been a love match, but within a year, they had a son named Edward Poynings. Edward was born in 1459. Just a few months later, Robert Poynings was killed fighting in the Second Battle of St Albans. He was on the side of the Yorkists in the Wars of the Roses.
Elizabeth was left a widow to raise their son. Edward Poynings grew up to be a trusted helper for King Henry VII. He became very important in Ireland. He was responsible for a famous rule called "Poynings' Law." This law made sure that the English Parliament had power over the Irish Parliament.
Elizabeth Poynings remained a widow for over ten years. In 1471, she married again to George Browne. He was a landowner from Surrey. Elizabeth and George had two more children: a son named Matthew and a daughter named Mary.
George Browne was very involved in politics, both locally and nationally. Twelve years after they married, George Browne joined a rebellion. His stepson, Edward Poynings, also took part. This rebellion was led by Henry, Duke of Buckingham, against King Richard III in 1483. The rebellion was not successful.
Elizabeth's husband, George Browne, was executed in London in December of that year. This meant Elizabeth became a widow for the second time because of political events during the Wars of the Roses. She did not marry again after this.
Her Later Life and Will
Elizabeth Browne passed away in 1488. She was 58 or 59 years old. Her adult life was greatly affected by the political actions of both her husbands and her older son, Edward.
Elizabeth left behind a very detailed will. It shows that she was a very religious widow. It also shows she was quite wealthy. She left a long list of valuable items and jewels to her children and grandchildren.
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