Our Christmas lunch at The Links Hotel in West Runton was followed by a talk by Dr Rob Knee of the UEA, on the old Paston family of Norfolk, concentrating mainly on the fifteenth century.
Rob began his talk in a startling manner by coming in dressed in mediaeval costume – a luxuriant red robe and a large red floppy hat! He explained how the Paston family had gone over the course of time from very humble beginnings to becoming great landowners and even being courtiers of King Henry VIII.
Masses of correspondence were found in the basement of Oxnead Hall and they give a very vivid picture of the time– of wars, of gossip, of financial dealings and so on and Rob read from a good number of these. There are hundreds of such letters, and they have proved to be a valuable resource for historians. These letters include the country’s earliest-known Valentine letter, from Margery (sic) Brews to John Paston III in 1477.
More information can be found on the website www.thisispaston.co.uk.
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