View source for Thomas Willesby 1618-1683

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===[[name::Thomas]] [[name::WILLESBY]]  [[date of birth::1618]]-[[date of death::1683]]===

====Biographical Note====
Born at [[place of birth::Spalding, Lincolnshire]], son of [[family::William Willesby]].  BA [[education::Emmanuel College, Cambridge]] 1639, MA 1642.  [[occupation::Rector]] of [[location::Bigby]] with [[location::Somerby, Lincolnshire]], 1646, [[occupation::vicar]] of [[location::Wombourn, Staffordshire]] 1652.  member of the [[organisations::Worcestershire Association]], 1655.  Ejected from [[location::Wombourn]] 1662, after which he preached as an [[occupation::independent minister]] in and around [[location::Birmingham]] and [[location::Old Swinford, Worcestershire]], where he was living at the time of his death.

====Books==== 
In his will, Willesby created an endowment to establish a school in [[location::Spalding]]; one of the conditions was that the children “who are most towardly and tractable” should leave “well cloathed with a bible and some practacall booke such as Mr Baxter’s [[book title::Call to the unconverted]] or Mr Thos. Gouge’s [[book title::Young man’s guide]]”.  He [[bequest::bequeathed]] his copies of William Camden’s [[book title::''Britannia'']], Peter Heylyn’s [[book title::''Geography'']], Clark’s [[book title::''Mirror'']] and Baxter’s [[book title::''Christian directory'']] to his [[beneficiary::brother]] [[family::James Willesby|James]], and directed that the rest of his books, excepting “some practacall ones my wife shall reserve for her owne use” to be sold, and the proceeds distributed to “foure poore ejected ministers or their widows and children”.

====Characteristic Markings==== 
None of Willesby’s books have been identified.

====Sources====
<div id="sourcelist">
*Matthews, A. G. ''Calamy revised''.  Oxford, 1934.
*Venn, J. & J. A. ''Alumni Cantabrigienses''. Cambridge, 1922.
</div>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willesby, Thomas}}

[[Category:Nonconformists]]
[[Category:Clergy]]
[[Category:Libraries Bequeathed to Towns, Parishes, etc]]
[[Category:All Owners]]