Katherine Paston

Katherine Paston, Lady Paston (1578 – 10 March 1629) was an English gentlewoman, estate manager and letter writer.

Origins

She was born Katherine Knyvett, and was baptised in Ashwellthorpe on 22 June 1578, a daughter of Thomas Knyvett and his wife Muriel Parry. Her sister Muriel Knyvett married Edmond Bell, as his second wife.

Marriage and issue On 28 April 1603, Katherine married Edmund Paston, and in 1610, on the death of his grandfather, they moved into his ancestral seat of Paston Hall in Paston, Norfolk. They had two sons. The Pastons' hold on their inheritance was confused as her husband's grandfather, William Paston, had placed his estate in a trust because his heir, Christopher Paston, was mentally ill, They were granted £800 a year income from the trust. Her husband was "sickley" so in order to resolve the legal disputes, she moved to London with her two sons in order to progress their case through the chancery courts.

Death Paston died in 1629 and was survived by her husband. Her monument, made by Nicholas Stone, survives in St Margaret's Church, Paston.