Margaret Paston

Margaret Paston

by Bethan Holdridge

Described by historian Diane Watt as the “most prolific letter writer in medieval England”, Margaret Paston was a member of Norfolk’s most powerful families, whose 100 letters tell their remarkable story and the nuances of their relationships against the turbulent background of the Wars of the Roses.

Twenty Stories. One City. The City of Stories. 

From medieval rebels and mystics to pioneering reformers, artists, entrepreneurs and unsung heroes, these are the people who shaped Norwich over 1000 years- and whose legacy can still be discovered across the city today. 

All our stories are told by twenty invited guest authors from across our city’s creative, tourism and cultural community. 

Delve into the series with our NEW, FREE, mobile-friendly trail and discover the places linked to these incredible people- from museums and tours to cultural landmarks and green spaces. We kindly invite you to- Step Into The Story.

Image: Detail of The Paston Treasure, likely Margaret Paston. Unknown artist, Dutch School, c1663, oil on canvas. Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. Credit: Norfolk Museums Service

---

 

Stories Published So Far:
 Jack Valentine | Emma de Guader | Pablo Fanque | Rumsey Wells | John Crome | Harriet Martineau | Julian of Norwich | Amelia Opie | Margaret Fountaine | Caroline Colman | George Skipper | Samuel Bignold | Margaret (Margie) Fahey McGrath

 

---

MARGARET PASTON
1423 – 1484

The Paston Letters, in essence the day-to-day ‘emails’ between members of the local Paston family, tell us a great deal about Norwich and Norfolk during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, throughout the duration of the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487) and the repeated reoccurrence of the Plague. But, where they shine in comparison to other available literature of the time is in their ability to give a sense of living whilst all the big events are unravelling around their authors as they write and, as a result of these being private correspondences, a rare chance to hear women’s voices.

Margaret Paston’s voice comes through the loudest as it is her letters that have survived more than any of the other women of the Paston family. Margaret Paston was born around 1422 and married John Paston in 1441. It is thought that it is their stone corbel figure heads that can out-stare you in St Peter’s church on Hungate. Margaret, just like other women, managed the family’s various Norfolk estates while John was often away in London. She also worked hard bringing up their seven children. A letter from Margaret to John in 1448 beautifully encapsulates the breadth of responsibility of women like Margaret.

‘Right worshipful husband, I recommend me to you, and pray you to get some crossbows, and windlasses to bend them with…for your houses here been so low that there may none man shoot out with no long bow, though we have never so much need…And also I would you should get two or three short poleaxes’

Margaret Paston, in this letter, is defending her house at Gresham, while her husband is away, from the attacks of Robert Hungerford and his supporters bought about by the classic argument of ‘It’s mine, no it’s mine’. Margaret was unsuccessful in holding out against the siege and she, along with the other twelve inhabitants of the house, were forcibly removed. The fact that there were a thousand attackers suggests that Margaret was a loyal and determined wife, not to mention incredibly brave.

What is charming about this letter to John in 1448 is the addition to the shopping list of crossbows, windlasses, and poleaxes:

‘I pray you that you will vouchsafe to buy for me 1lb of almonds, 1lb of sugar, and that you will buy some frieze to make your children’s gowns. You shall have best cheap and best choice of Hay’s wife…’

While the men, armed to the teeth, are hammering at her door, Margaret is planning to make some marzipan and is concerned about a bargain for the cloth for the children’s new clothes, instructing John to go to Hay’s wife as he apparently wouldn’t know where to go and, judging by other letters between the spouses, would often get the purchase wrong if not told explicitly what to purchase and from where.

Although Margaret lived in turbulent and pestilential times both locally and nationally, many of her letters, like the latter part of the 1448 letter, are just concerned with getting on with life, including the stresses of family disputes or the anxieties of illness,

‘I have never had such a sorrowful time as I had from the time I knew of your illness until I knew of your improvement, and my heart is still not much at ease, nor shall be until I know that you are completely well.’ (Margaret to her husband, John, 1443)

‘Your father thought, and still thinks, that I had agreed to you leaving and that makes me very sad. I dare not let him know about the last letter you wrote to me…’ (Margaret to her son, John, 1463)

We have shared a brief but albeit lovely glimpse into Margaret’s life and the life of her family. Her letters so often could have just as easily been written today. Margaret’s letters show us that although technology, beliefs and world problems have changed in many ways, our basic humanity has not and it makes me wonder, in today’s world of emails, WhatsApp and text messages, will we be able to look back at 2026 in 2626 and get a sense of the world through the prosaic, day to day interactions that we share with our loved ones? Or will the digital nature of our communication mean that our voices will be more lost than those of our predecessors?

---

Step Into The Story.
A city you don’t just read about – you experience.

As a member of the Paston family, you can see and experience Margaret’s legacy across the city.

At the Museum of Norwich (adults £7.74, children from £6.57, book online in advance for the best prices, twilight ticket £2.50), you can learn about the Pastons’ history, influence and fortunes- tracing how this a family of visionaries who chanced everything to rise through the ranks from peasantry to an influential landowning family in just two generations. While at Norwich Castle (adults from £15.30, children from £13.05, twilight ticket 1 hour before closing £2.50, book online for the best prices), you can see the magnificent oil painting, The Paston Treasure. It’s a rare and unique record of the family’s collection of treasures. Painted by an unknown artist, you can find out more about the pieces portrayed and the stories behind them, although their current whereabouts are largely unknown.

When exploring the city, make sure to visit Elm Hill to see where the Pastons once lived- marked by a blue plaque and today the Strangers’ Club. Or walk in the family’s footsteps with special audio tour walks, a project delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Paston Heritage Society, UEA and Norfolk County Council.

---

Author bio: Bethan Holdridge is the Curator of Strangers’ Hall Museum, an historic house museum in the centre of Norwich and the country’s first social history museum. Bethan has worked for Norfolk Museums Service for over twenty years working across all the three Norwich museum sites and with several different departments. Bethan’s passion is for social history and how the history of the everyday can create access to the past and wider, more complex narratives.