arch, 3 Henry VIII. (A.D. 1512). This was, however,
by no means the first of this family connected with Horncastle. Deriving
their name from the parish of Thimbleby, in the soke of Horncastle, we
find the first mention of a Thymelby in that parish in a post mortem
Inquisition of the reign of Edward III., {22c} which shews that Nicholas
de Thymelby then held land in Thimbleby under the Bishop of Carlisle,
A.D. 1333; but nearly a century before that date a Lincoln document {22d}
mentions one Ivo, son of Odo de Thymelby, as holding under the Bishop in
Horncastle, in the reign of Henry III., A.D. 1248.

Further, in the reign of Edward I., as is shewn by a Harleian MS., in the
British Museum, {22e} Richard de Thymelby was Dean of Horncastle; Thomas,
son of the above Nicholas de Thymelby, presented to the benefice of
Ruckland in 1381, John de Thymelby presented to Tetford in 1388, and John
again to Somersby in 1394, {22f} and other members of the family
presented at later periods. The family continued to advance in wealth
and position until in the reign of Edward VI. it was found by an
Inquisition {22g} that Matthew Thymelby, of Poolham (their chief
residence in this neighbourhood), owned the manor of Thymbleby, that of
Parish-fee in Horncastle and five others, with lands in eight other
parishes, and the advowsons of Ruckland, Farforth, Somersby and Tetford.
He married Anne, daughter of Sir Robert Hussey. Other influential
marriages were those of John Thymelby, "Lord of Polum" (Poolham), to
Isabel, {22h} daughter of Sir John Fflete, Knt. (circa 1409); William
(probably) to Joan, daughter of Sir Walter Tailboys (circa 1432), {22i} a
connection of the Earl of Angus; Matthew's widow marrying Sir Robert
Savile, Knt. {22j}

[Picture: Plan of Horncastle, 1908--from the Ordnance Survey]

In connection with the marriage of William to Joan Tailboys we may
mention that the base, all that now remains, of the churchyard cross at
Tetford bears on its west side the Thimbleby arms "differenced" with
those of Tailboys, the north side having the Thimbleby arms pure and
simple. {24a}

Another important marriage was that of Richard Thimbleby (A.D. 1510) to
Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Godfrey Hilton of Irnham Manor near
Grantham, through which alliance that property passed to the Thimblebys.
It had been granted to Ralph Paganel by the Conqueror, afterwards passed
to Sir Andrew Luterel, Knt., and later to Sir Geoffrey Hilton,