Margaret Paston

Margaret Paston (née Mautby or de Mauteby; c. 1422/1423 – 1484) was an English gentlewoman and one of the foremost authors of the Paston Letters, with over 100 surviving letters attributed to her.

Biography Margaret Mautby was born in Reedham, Norfolk, the daughter and only child of Margery Berney and John Mautby. Her father died in 1433 when she was young, leaving her the sole heiress to his estates around Mautby.

The couple had seven children including five sons and two daughters, the first born in spring 1442, who lived to adulthood. After her husband's death, Margaret continued writing letters, particularly to her two eldest sons. She retired to Great Yarmouth.

Death and legacy

Per her will, Margaret was buried at Mautby Church.

Margaret is remembered as one of the foremost authors of the Paston Letters, credited with writing or directing 104 of the surviving letters. In her review of Joel T. Rosenthal's book Margaret Paston's Piety (2010), historian Diane Watt called her the "most prolific letter writer in medieval England", saying "it is not only the quantity of her letters that is noteworthy. These letters provide a vivid insight into life in a late-medieval English household during the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses". Rosenthal suggests Margaret Paston might provide an example closer to what might be considered a "conventional" woman of the time compared to the likes of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe.

In 2019, a new memorial stone to Margaret was placed near her burial place at St Peter and St Paul's Church in Mautby, Norfolk.