Thomas Horwood

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.

[3] 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.

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.

A contemporary tablet above the front door survives inscribed as follows: 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.

Thomas Horwood, detail from his Vanitas mural monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple
Arms of Thomas Horwood, detail from his mural monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple . Blazon : Sable, a chevron counter-ermine between three moorcocks or a mullet for difference (Horwood), impaling : Or, on a fesse between three martlets gules as many bezants an annulet for difference (wife's paternal arms, unknown family) [ 2 ]
Slate tablet affixed to wall of Alice Horwood's School, now the "Old School Coffee Shop" in Church Lane, Barnstaple
Diagram showing familial connections between the founders of the principal charities, almshouses and schools in or around the town of Barnstaple in the 17th century
Mural monument to Thomas Horwood in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple