Mary Thimelby (1610 – 31 August 1690) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

prioress of St Monica at Leuven.

Life

left, Irnham Hall, near Bourne, Lincolnshire more recently Thimelby was born in

Irnham __NOTOC__ Irnham is a village and civil parish in South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. It is situated approximately south-east from Grantham. To the north is Ingoldsby and to the south-west, Corby Glen. The village is on a high limestone ...

Hall in Lincolnshire. Her parents were Mary (born Brookesby) and Richard Thimelby. Her ancestors were known for harbouring Catholics hiding from the Protestant authorities. Her father spent a year in the Tower of London around the time of her birth and her mother was brought up by her widowed mother Eleanor Brooksby and her sister

Anne Vaux Anne Vaux (c. 1562 – in or after 1637) was a wealthy Catholic recusant. Background Vaux was the third daughter of William Vaux, 3rd Baron Vaux of Harrowden (1535–1595) and his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of John Beaumont of Grace Die ...

. They harboured many priests including

Henry Garnet Henry Garnet (July 1555 – 3 May 1606), sometimes Henry Garnett, was an English Jesuit priest executed for his complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Born in Heanor, Derbyshire, he was educated in Nottingham and later at Winchester Colle ...

who was executed in 1605 for his part in the

Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sought ...

. The families were discriminated against as Catholics and fined regularly. Irrespective of this the Thimbleby's kept a full time priest at the home. Her father wanted to have at least one of his children to follow a religious life and Mary decided that she would like to be a nun. She and her younger sister, Frances, joined the nuns at St. Monica's Convent in

Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...

in Flanders. It was one of seven communities of English nuns who had moved to the continent to avoid the repression of Catholics. Her brother John was then head of the family as their parents and their family priest had all died. Her aunt, Elizabeth Clifford, was already at the convent although had not taken the full vows of a nun. However when her age allowed, Mary became a choir nun in 1635. Her sister had intended to also became a nun but Frances died in 1644 in Liege. The prioress was

Margaret Throckmorton Margaret Throckmorton later Magdelan (religious name) (1591 – 26 October 1668) was an English prioress of St Monica's convent in Leuven. It was one of seven religious communities on the continent of English nuns escaping discrimination in England ...

whose family assisted the community financially. She was a notable letter-writer and she was unanimously voted in as the new Prioress after Margaret Throckmorton died on 26 October 1668. In 1658, after the deaths of her husband and only child, Gertrude Thimelby, her sister in law became a nun at St. Monica's Convent. Sister Gertrude died in 1668. Thimelby died in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

in 1690 after resigning from her leadership role a week before.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thimelby, Mary 1610 births 1690 deaths People from Lincolnshire Nuns of the Spanish Netherlands Clergy from Leuven