Thomas Thursby

Agnus Dei

Thomas Thursby (died 9 August 1510[1]), was a merchant, three times Mayor of King's Lynn and the founder and benefactor of Thoresby College. He was the son of Henry Thursby, four times Mayor of Lynn and Burgess for Lynn,[1] in turn son of John Thursby, Mayor of Lynn Regis 1425[2] and Deputy-Mayor 1435.[1] Thomas' brother, Robert Thursby, was Burgess for Lynn 1462–3, 1482–3 and 1487, holding the manors of Ashwicken and Burg's Hall in Hillington before his death, 29 October 1500.

In his will he leaves 'my special good lord of Oxenford', John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, a tabernacle of our Lady of gold.[1][3]

At the time of his death, he was married to Elizabeth (d.1518[4]), the widow of Robert Aylmer (d.1493[5]) Mayor of Norwich.[6]

Elizabeth is not the daughter of John Burgoyne who in the Visitations of Cambridgeshire marries 'Thomas Thorseby of Norfolk', as that Elizabeth is still alive and apparently a wife in 1528, when she receives an inheritance from her mother Margaret.[7] Elizabeth Burgoyne is probably the Isabel, late the wife of Thomas Thursby, who is involved in a suit in 1532–38.[8] Isabel and Elizabeth were considered the same name in the period.

It is probably this couple, her husband's grand-nephew and his wife, Elizabeth refers to in her will, in which she gives Thomas Thursby a silver and gilt Agnus Dei with holy wax therein, and to his wife a silver and gilt image of our lady.[4]

One possibility is that Elizabeth is the daughter of the Sir William Knyvett with whom she was involved in a suit seemingly shortly after the death of her first husband in 1493.[9] He had two daughters named Elizabeth, one from each of his two first wives. The youngest is likely the one who also died in 1518, while in the household of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, as the Duke refers to her as 'my cousin'.[10][11] The two were related through her mother, Lady Joan Stafford. Sir William was known to show favouritism towards the children of his second marriage at the expense of those of his first.[12][13]

Francis Blomefield saw a north isle window in St. Laurence's Church, Norwich, commemorating Elizabeth's three husbands, bearing the inscription:[6]

Orate pro bono statu Thome Thirsby, et Eliz. Ur. et pro aiab: Johis: et Rob. Aylmer quondam maiorum Civitatis Norwici

  1. ^ a b c d Bannerman, W. Bruce (William Bruce) (1906). "Thoresby of Lynn". Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica. 4 (series 4). London, England : Mitchell, Hughes & Clarke: 138–140.
  2. ^ Burke, John (1833). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland. H. Colburn.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Ewing, William Creasy (2005). Notices of the merchants' marks in the city of Norwich.
  6. ^ a b "City of Norwich, chapter 42: Middle Wimer ward". An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 4. British History Online. 1806. Retrieved 21 September 2020. Orate pro bono statu Thome Thirsby, et Eliz. Ur. et pro aiab: Johis: et Rob. Aylmer quondam maiorum Civitatis Norwici.
  7. ^ "Impington: Manors and other estates | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020. John's widow Margaret held Impington until her death in 1528, (fn. 34) when it passed under a settlement of 1512 to their daughters Margaret, wife of George Heveningham, and Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Thursby.
  8. ^ Catalogue Description: Thursby v Calybut. Plaintiffs: Isabel, late the wife of Thomas Thursby. Defendants: John Calybut of Castleacre. Subject: Profits of the manor of Southacre whereof defendant is tenant. Norfolk. SFP. Date: 1532-1538. Held by: The National Archives, Kew. 1532–1538.
  9. ^ Catalogue Description: Knyvet v Aylmer. Plaintiffs: Sir William Knyvet, knight. Defendants: Elizabeth, late the wife of Robert Aylmer, and William Ferrour, his executors, and Thomas Cause and John Westgate, executors of John Wellys. Subject: Detention of property of Robert Toppis. Norfolk. 9 documents. Date: 1493-1500. Held by: The National Archives, Kew. 1493–1500.
  10. ^ "Henry VIII: May 1521, 11-20 | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2020. Paid to Eliz. knevet at Easter last, money due to her at Lady Day, 20l. To M. Geddyng, toward the burying of my said cousin, 15l.
  11. ^ "K". A Who's Who of Tudor Women. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  12. ^ Virgoe, Roger (1982). "Knyvet, Sir Edmund (by 1508–51)". In Bindoff, S.T. (ed.). The House of Commons, 1509–1558. Vol. II. London: Secker & Warburg. pp. 482–483.
  13. ^ Gunn, S.J. (2004). "Knyvet, Sir Thomas (c. 1485–1512), Courtier and Sea Captain". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15799. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 20 November 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)