Tag: John Paston

Medieval, 15th Century History, Legal history

Conversations with a medieval MP: Sir Thomas Billing and the Pastons

This month’s Medieval MP of the Month is highly esteemed fifteenth century lawyer, Sir Thomas Billing. Here’s Dr Simon Payling of our House of Commons 1422-1461 Section with more… THE HISTORY OF PARLIAMENT: THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 1422-1461, edited by Linda Clark, is out now. For further details about the volumes, including purchasing information,  visit the Cambridge University Press website, here. It is rare to have … Continue reading Conversations with a medieval MP: Sir Thomas Billing and the Pastons

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Medieval, 15th Century History

The Knight’s Daughter: a newly discovered child of an old MP

Dr Hannes Kleineke of our House of Commons 1422-1504 project discusses the significance of a new archaeological discovery in Norfolk to medieval parliamentary history… A comment with which the medieval historian is all too frequently confronted is ‘I thought it has all been done.’ This might indeed be so, were it not for the singular wealth of evidence, mainly in unpublished manuscripts, but also in … Continue reading The Knight’s Daughter: a newly discovered child of an old MP

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Medieval, 15th Century History, Parliamentary Life, Social history, Women and Parliament

A medieval MP’s Valentine’s Day Letters

Dr Hannes Kleineke of the 1422-1504 Commons explains how the commercial holiday we now recognise as St Valentine’s Day was observed by a young lover in the fifteenth century… It is a little known fact that the earliest known Valentine’s letter was in fact addressed to an MP, albeit a future one. In February 1477 Margery Brewes, soon to be married to the Norfolk gentleman John … Continue reading A medieval MP’s Valentine’s Day Letters

Hannes Kleineke2 Comments