"Battle Roll" of 1066. A Final Concord, of date A.D. 1293, states
that on the Quindene of the purification of the Blessed Mary (_i.e._ the
5th day after), a dispute having arisen between Herbert de St. Quintin on
the one part, and Ascelina de Waterville and Matilda de Diva on the other
part, the two latter being tenants of 3.5 carucates of land (_i.e._ 420
acres) in Thymeleby; it was settled that the said Ascelina and Matilda
should acknowledge the said land to be the right of Herbert; and for this
Herbert granted them, as his tenants, all the said lands, except six
oxgangs (_i.e._ 90 acres) which were occupied in separate parcels, by
Baldrick, Hogge, Alfsi, Godric, Walfric, and others; and for this the
said Ascelina and Matilda gave him, in acknowledgment, 40 marks.

A few years after this date it would appear that the Bishop of Carlisle
exercised a kind of ecclesiastical lordship over this parish. Thimbleby
was in the soke of Horncastle, and Ralph de Rhodes, the former Lord of
the demesne of Horncastle, with its appurtenances, West Ashby, High
Toynton, &c., had granted these (by charter confirmed by Henry III., A.D.
1230) to Walter Mauclerk, Bishop of Carlisle, and his successors.

Accordingly in an old document of the early 14th century, we find that
John de Halghton, Bishop of Carlisle, gave consent for William de Foletby
to convey certain lands in Thimelby, Langton, and Horncastle, to the
Abbot and Convent of Kirkstead, to provide two monks, to celebrate daily
services for the souls of the faithful deceased. The witnesses were
Richard de Wodehall, William de Polam (Poolham), and others. "Dated at
Horncastre, on this day of St. Barnabas, 5 Ed. II., 11 June, A.D. 1312"
{168a} This shows a connection with the monastery of Kirkstead, to which
we shall refer hereafter.

We next come to a record of special interest, of rather later date. The
family of Thimbleby, Thymelby, Thimoldby, &c., doubtless took their name
from this parish, at a period lost in hoar antiquity. They acquired in
course of time extensive property in various parts of the county. The
chief branch of the family resided at Irnham Park, near Grantham, which
was acquired (about 1510) by Richard Thimbleby, through his marriage with
the heiress of Godfrey Hilton, whose ancestor, Sir Geoffrey Hilton,
Knight, had obtained it by marriage with the heiress of the Luterels, a
very ancient family, several members of which were summoned to Parliament
as Bar