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