William Paston (died 1444)

William Paston (died 1444) was an English Justice of the Common Pleas. He belonged to the Paston family, a prominent Norfolk family whose correspondence provides valuable insight into 15th-century English society.

Born the son of Clement Paston of Paston, Norfolk, William was trained in law and rose through the legal ranks. He became a Serjeant-at-Law in 1421. His legal expertise led to his appointment as a Justice of the Common Pleas in 1429, a position he held until his death in 1444.

Paston’s career as a judge afforded him considerable wealth and influence, enabling him to acquire land and establish the Paston family’s fortunes more securely. He notably purchased land at Gresham in Norfolk, a key acquisition that would later be contested.

William Paston married Agnes Berry, and their children included John Paston (1421-1466), who inherited his father’s legal acumen and continued the family’s rise in social standing. It is primarily through the Paston Letters, correspondence among John Paston, Agnes Paston, and other family members, that William Paston’s life and times are known in detail. His letters reveal aspects of his legal practice, land acquisitions, and family concerns. His legal career and land holdings formed the bedrock of the family's later influence during the Wars of the Roses.