The Pastons, Great Yarmouth, and their world...

From their rise from relative obscurity in the late Middle Ages, until their decline in the early eighteenth century, the Pastons were one of the most influential families in East Anglia. Their interests stretched across a vast swathe of the region, and yet their heartland was always the area around the prosperous port town of Great Yarmouth. Nearby Caister castle became their most prestigious residence, and the port itself played a key part in the prosperity of the Pastons and their immediate family. Whilst the family are today best known for their surviving medieval letters, which chronicle their struggle to establish themselves, when they finally joined the ranks of the aristocracy it was as the Earls of Yarmouth.

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This one day symposium examines many aspects of the Pastons, their relationship with Great Yarmouth throughout the centuries, and their role in the growth of one of the regions greatest seaports. The world class speakers will explore the rise of the Pastons through their letters and documents, as well as examining the buildings, monuments, and artefacts they left behind.