In spite of a number of additions and alterations in later centuries, the parish church at Gresham would be recognisable to the medieval Pastons. He was the son of Clement Paston and Beatrice Somerton, and they sent him to be educated in the law, which became his profession, and he made good contacts and great profit through it.
He came from the village of Paston and built a fine hall there. He was married to Agnes de Berry, who had many lands. The Pastons claimed that their ancestors founded Bromholm Priory at Bacton.
William also purchased land at Oxnead, Cromer and at Gresham. William was buried in Norwich Cathedral. John Paston I inherited the wealth and lands of his father William at the young age of 22, having benefited from an education and career in law, as his father had before him. Many were not convinced of the veracity of this, and battles both legal and physical ensued. John I was even briefly imprisoned while the case was being debated. Despite eventually being exonerated, John did not live long afterwards to enjoy his victory.
Margaret Mautby is perhaps the most formidable character to emerge from the Paston Letters. Married to John I, she, as her mother-in-law Agnes had before her, combined the management of the Paston estates with increasing the dynasty of the family, bearing seven surviving children. In addition to this, she fought the battles of John I both politically and practically β as at the siege of their property in Caister, when the Duke of Norfolk attempted to take the castle by force.
Gresham's importance as a settlement had earlier been recognised by the building of fortifications, with the most substantial fortified structure built in by Sir Edmund Bacon, Constable of Wallingford Castle and Lord of the Manor of Baconsthorpe, built Gresham castle after , possibly on the site of a previous castle or fortified manor house.
