Thomas Horwood (mayor)
Thomas Horwood (1600-1658) of Barnstaple in Devon, was twice Mayor of Barnstaple, in 1640 and 1653. He founded an almshouse in Church Lane, Barnstaple. His mural monument survives in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple. Marriage. He married a certain Alice, whose family is unknown, but whose paternal arms as shown on her husband's mural monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple were: "Or, on a fesse between three martlets gules as many bezants an annulet for difference". In 1659, early in her widowhood, she founded a free school for "twenty poor maids", in Church Lane , Barnstaple, next to her husband's almshouse and today in use as a coffee-shop. A slate tablet affixed in 1917 above the entrance door of Alice Horwood's School, now the "Old School Coffee Shop" in Church Lane, Barnstaple, is inscribed: "A.H. 1659. This school for 20 poor maids was founded and built by Alice Horwood. Restored 1917", and shows the arms of Horwood: "Azure, a chevron ermine between three moorcocks passant argent winged sable wattled gules in chief a mullet argent for difference". Adjoining Thomas Horwood's almshouse are "Paige's Almshouses", founded by his sister Elizabeth Horwood  (Mrs Paige), sister-in-law of Gilbert I Paige (d.1647), twice Mayor of Barnstaple in 1629 and 1641. Founds almshouse. He founded an almshouse in Church Lane, Barnstaple. A contemporary tablet above the front door survives inscribed as follows: Monument in St Peter's Church. His mural monument which survives in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple, shows an effigy of the deceased seated under an arch, his right elbow propping up his head and his left hand holding a human skull, in the vanitas genre. In the spandrels of the arch are depicted female personifications of Prudentia (left) with her  attributes of mirror and snake, and Justitia (right) with her balance and sword. It includes two tablets, the higher of which is inscribed as follows: The lower tablet is inscribed with the following verse: