William Hurst (by 1484-1568), of Exeter, Devon, was an English merchant and Member of Parliament (MP).[1] He was Mayor of Exeter for six terms, first in 1523, taking over after the death of the incumbent John Simon and re-elected the following year.[1] The Hurst Almshouses in Allhallows were to the exterior of the city wall, near the East Gate.The gate was demolished in 1784, and the buildings near the wall were in poor repair, as noted in a House of Commons report in 1834.[3] There were arguments at the city council as to whether Hurst had the right to endow the almshouses in perpetuity.
Hurst's Almshouses, highlighted in red, painted by
Braun
and
Hogenburg
, outside the East Gate of the city
