About Mary Thimelby
Lived 1610 – 1690 (aged 79–80). Mary Thimelby was an English writer and nun.
Mary Thimelby (1610 – 31 August 1690) was an English prioress of St Monica at Leuven.
Life
Thimelby was born in Irnham Hall in Lincolnshire. Her parents were Mary (born Brookesby) and Richard Thimelby. Her ancestors were known for harbouring Catholics hiding from the Protestant authorities. 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 was a notable letter-writer and she was unanimously voted in as the new Prioress after Margaret Throckmorton died on 26 October 1668. Sister Gertrude died in 1668.
Thimelby died in Leuven in 1690 after resigning from her leadership role a week before.
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Important facts
People in Mary Thimelby's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Mary Thimelby?
prioress of St Monica's, Louvain, and author (1618/19–1690)
When was Mary Thimelby born?
Mary Thimelby was born in 1610 in Irnham.
When did Mary Thimelby die?
Mary Thimelby died on 31 August 1690 in Leuven.
What was Mary Thimelby's occupation?
Mary Thimelby was a writer and nun.
What nationality was Mary Thimelby?
Mary Thimelby was English.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mary Thimelby. https://biography.guide/mary-thimelby/
MLA: "Mary Thimelby." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mary-thimelby/.
Chicago: "Mary Thimelby." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mary-thimelby/.
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