John Paston (died 1504) facts for kids

Sir John Paston (born in 1444, died in 1504) was an important person in England during the 1400s. He was the second son of John Paston and Margaret Mautby. After his older brother, also named John, passed away in 1479, Sir John took over the family's lands and responsibilities.

He was a soldier and fought in battles like Barnet and Stoke alongside a powerful leader, the Earl of Oxford. Sir John also helped the Earl manage his duties, including being his assistant when the Earl was in charge of the navy. We know a lot about Sir John and his family because many of their letters, called the Paston Letters, still exist today. These letters tell us about the lives of wealthy families in England during that time.

Sir John Paston's Family Life

John Paston was born in 1444, likely in a place called Geldeston in Norfolk. His parents were John Paston and Margaret Mautby. Margaret was the daughter of John Mautby from Mautby, Norfolk.

John had an older brother, also named John. He also had three younger brothers named Edmund, Walter, and William, and two sisters named Margery and Anne.

Sir John Paston's Early Career

Ruins of Caister Castle, which Sir John Paston surrendered in 1469 after a siege by the Duke of Norfolk

We don't know much about Sir John's schooling. When he was young, he helped his mother manage the family's properties. From 1462 to 1464, he worked for John Mowbray, the 4th Duke of Norfolk. He served the Duke at Holt Castle and Newcastle upon Tyne.

In 1465, the Duke invited him to celebrate his 21st birthday. In 1468, John and his older brother John traveled with King Edward IV's sister, Margaret of York, to Bruges. They were there for her wedding to Charles the Bold.

The Fight for Caister Castle

Sir John's father believed he had inherited lands from a rich relative, Sir John Fastolf. However, other people also claimed these lands, especially the Dukes of Norfolk, who wanted Caister Castle.

In 1469, the Duke of Norfolk, whom John Paston used to work for, attacked Caister Castle. John Paston defended the castle for a while, but he had to give it up around September 25.

In 1470, John went to Esher to discuss the Fastolf estate with William Waynflete, the Bishop of Winchester.

Battles and Royal Service

In April 1471, John was hurt while fighting alongside his older brother, John, and the Earl of Oxford. They were on the losing side of the Lancastrian army at the Battle of Barnet. He was forgiven for this in July of the same year.

During this time, he visited Framlingham many times. He was trying to get Caister Castle back for his older brother in exchange for money.

In 1473, he planned to go on a religious journey to Santiago de Compostela, but we don't know if he actually went. In 1475, he was briefly in Calais.

In November 1479, his older brother John died. Sir John worked to take control of his brother's estate, but his uncle, William Paston, made it difficult. In 1484, he received a pardon from King Richard III. He worked on many important tasks in Norfolk and in 1485, he became a Member of Parliament for Norwich. He also served as the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk.

By 1487, he was working for the Earl of Oxford. The Earl called him his "right trusty and right well-beloved councillor." Sir John fought in the Battle of Stoke on June 16, 1487. After the battle, King Henry VII made him a knight banneret, a special kind of knight.

The Earl of Oxford was put in charge of the English navy in 1485. He made Sir John Paston his assistant. In 1500, King Henry VII asked Sir John to be present when Catherine of Aragon arrived in England, though her arrival was delayed.

Sir John Paston passed away on August 28, 1504.

Sir John Paston's Marriages and Children

Sir John Paston married twice.

First Marriage

His first wife was Margery Brewes, who died in 1495. She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Brewes. It seems like their marriage was based on love. Margery wrote two special letters to John in 1477, called "Valentines." These are some of the earliest Valentine's letters known in England, and in them, she called him "my right well-beloved Valentine."

Sir John and Margery had three children:

• Christopher Paston (born 1478). He likely died before 1482, as he is not mentioned in his grandmother's will.
• William Paston (around 1479–1554). He married Bridget Heydon. William became the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1517–18. He was knighted by 1520 and attended a famous meeting called the Field of Cloth of Gold. Their daughter was Eleanor Paston, Countess of Rutland.
• Elizabeth Paston.

Second Marriage

His second wife was Agnes. She was the daughter of Nicholas Morley and had been married twice before.

In 2019, the burial place of Anne, another daughter of John, was found in a church in Norfolk. It's not clear if her mother was Margery or Agnes.

Images for kids

• 

  Ruins of Caister Castle, which Sir John Paston surrendered in 1469 after a siege by the Duke of Norfolk