scion of the old county family of the Tyrwhitts of Kettleby, Stainfield,
&c., by Faith, daughter of Nicholas Cressy of Fulsby, who married
Frances, daughter of Sir Henry Ayscough, of another very old county
family. She was named Douglas, though a female, after her kinswoman,
Douglas, daughter of William, first Lord Howard of Effingham. Her sister
married Sir Edward Dymoke of Scrivelsby. She herself is mentioned among
the benefactors to the poor of Horncastle, as leaving a charge of 10s. on
a farm at Belchford, as an annual payment, on her death in 1703.

Another name of frequent occurrence, though now extinct, is that of
Hamerton. John Hamerton (as already stated) is mentioned, with John
Goake, on a tablet inserted in the wall on the south side of the chancel
arch, as being churchwarden in the vicariate of Thomas Gibson, in 1675,
and throughout the early registers successive generations of this family
are recorded. They may have been humble scions of the Hamertons, of
Hamerton, Yorkshire, a branch of whom were among the landed gentry near
the Scottish border; but at Horncastle they were engaged in trade. John
Hamerton, christened Dec. 10, 1575, whose probable father, another John
Hamerton, was buried Sep. 3, 1584, married Feb. 2, 1613, Grace Broxholme,
whose father John Broxholme is described as "Gent" in 1611. Thomas
Hamerton in 1603 was a draper, another Thomas Hamerton in 1613 was a
"yoman," John in 1615 was a tanner, Thomas in 1606 and 1617 was a tanner,
Robert son of Thomas in 1619 was a tanner, William in 1620 was a glover.
In 1630, Thomas, buried Jan. 24, is designated "Mr." On June 16, 1633,
Katherine Hamerton is married "by Licence" to George Colimbell. A rise
in status is indicated by the two latter entries, and accordingly, in the
records of the neighbouring parish of Edlington we find "Geo. Hamerton,
gent., and Sarah Hussey married July 21, 1699;" the Husseys being
probably connected with the county family, the head of which was Lord
Hussey of Sleaford. The John Hamerton, churchwarden in 1675, was born
Jan. 22, 1636, son of John and Dorothy Hamerton. The marriage of the
parents is not given in the register, the father therefore probably
married an "outener," as they are provincially termed. The interesting
point however in connection with this family is, that although they have
long ago been extinct, they have left their mark behind them still
surviving in the town. Near the junction of East Stree