Thomas Thoresby, Mayor of Bishop's Lynn

Also:https://books.google.com/books?id=scDRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA191&lpg=PA191&d...

https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/genealogie-richard-remme/I537438...

More available in Miscellanea Genealogica Et Heraldica: Fourth Series
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Thomas THORESBY (d.1510) of Lynn. Son of Henry Thoresby of Lynn(q.v.). (H.P.p.847) Daughters: Margaret = John Grindell(q.v.). (ibid.p.401) Elizabeth = Thomas Guybon(q.v.). (ibid.p.404) He founded a college for the priests of Lynn; he was Mayor three times. (ibid.) 13 Sep.1484 One of those granted the demise of the custody of all lands, meadows, etc. in the lordship of Rysing, Norfolk. (C.P.R.1476-85 p.477)
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Thomas Thursby [This one, or maybe his son, judging by dates?] belonged to a rich merchant family of King's Lynn and had been mayor there in 1502 [1477, 1482, and 1502]. He acquired lands which he enclosed at Holt, Bassey and Hillington. He died in c.1516. See E.M. Yates, 'The Dispute of the Salt Fen', Norfolk Archaeology, 38 (1982), pp. 73-78. (Dr Andrew Hopper 2002 )
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Thoresby College, King's Lynn, was built in 1500. (http://www.localhistories.org/Kingslynn.html) OR Thoresby College was built ca.1510, a testamentary foundation of Thomas Thoresby, sometime mayor and member of a leading burgess family. ORB-Medieval English History http://www.the-orb.net/encyclop/culture/towns/lynn6.html
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Little-Well - This manor in Fincham came to also hold fishery rights in Littleport. Thomas Thoresby of the philanthropic Kings Lynn merchant family. His successor was to give Thoresby College (a chantry for 13 Priests) and later have their own house demolished to provide room for a vegetable garden. He also granted the Free Grammar School, basis of the current KES, to educate '6 poor people' in grammar, song and praying for the Thoresby family. http://www.finchams.org/history.htm
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The 13th-century hexagonal Chapter House, off the arm of the south transept of St.Margaret's church, was destroyed in the 15th century to build the Thoresby Chapel (Thomas Thoresby mayor in 1477, 1482, and 1502), now also destroyed. After E.M. Beloe, F.S.A., Our Borough: Our Churches: King's Lynn, Norfolk (Cambridge, 1899).
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In the Middle Ages and the early 16th century merchants and craftsmen joined together into organisations called guilds to protect their commercial interests. However in many towns there were also religious guilds. Well to do people joined them and they did works of charity for the poor. However one of the main purposes of religious guilds was to employ priests to say masses for the souls of dead members. (At that time England was, of course, a Catholic country. People believed that after death they would suffer and be 'purged' of their sins in Purgatory before they could enter Heaven. The amount of time your spend in purgatory could be reduced if a priest said a mass for your soul. In a deeply religious age this was very important). In Kings Lynn there was a guild called the Guild of the Holy Trinity. At the beginning of the 16th century a man named Thomas Thoresby built a college to house priests who worked for the guild and said masses for the souls of dead members. Henry VIII closed the college (along with all the monasteries in England) and the building was sold. Fortunately the building has survived to the present day. Tim Lambert

Extra from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Thursby

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.

At the time of his death, he was married to Elizabeth (d.1518[4]), the widow of Robert Aylmer (d.1493[5]%29 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. TPD 12/6/24