Atwood family

In St Margaret's church, Westminster are two memorials to the Atwood family. The Reverend Thomas Atwood and his wife have a marble tablet high on the south wall. This inscription reads: 

In the vault under this church are deposited the remains of the Revd. Thomas Atwood many years Curate of this parish who died on the 4th day of December 1770 aged 49 years. Also the remains of Isabella Atwood his widow who died on the 27th day of June 1793 aged 72 years. And of two of their children who died in their infancy

He was also a curate at St Clement Danes church in London and married Isabella Sells.

On the north wall is a brass to two sons of Thomas and Isabella. This was made by Coleman & Co of Norwich and shows the coat of arms "gules a lion rampant argent within an orle of eight acorns, slipped or" with a crest and motto. The inscription reads:

Sacred to the memory of the Revd.Thomas Alexander Atwood. Educated at Westminster School and Curate of this church from 1790 until his death in A.D. 1805. Also of George Atwood M.A. F.R.S. who died A.D. 1807 scholar of Westminster School and fellow of Trinity Coll. Cambridge private secretary to William Pitt the Prime Minister. They were the sons of the Rev.Thomas Atwood M.A. Curate of this church from 1749 to 1770 and grandsons of the Rev. George Atwood B.D. Archdeacon of Taunton, Canon of Wells and Vicar of St James' s church Taunton.

George was the eldest son and was baptised on 15th October 1745 and was a King's Scholar at Westminster and Captain of the School. He went onto be a distinguished mathematician, author and teacher of astronomy and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1776. His scientific reputation was based on a design for a type of pulley machine. He died unmarried in July 1807 and was buried in the church. (His first cousin George, son of the Reverend George Atwood, vicar of Milverton, Somerset was also at the School).

Thomas Alexander was born on 29th March 1764 and was curate at Mickleham in Surrey before becoming Curate and Lecturer at St Margaret's. His wife was Grace Burtenshaw and he died on 19th July 1805.

(Their brother James Estcourt Atwood, born 1758, was also at Westminster School and was ordained and served in India. He died unmarried)