Thomas Guy was a prominent merchant, politician, bookseller and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of Guy’s Hospital, now a part of King’s Health Partners. A successful publisher, Guy made money printing bibles and various translations of Greek and Roman literature – from Herodian to Homer.

Born in south London in 1644, Thomas attended the Tamworth Grammar School. In 1660, he took up an apprenticeship with a bookseller and bookbinder, where he worked for eight years. The 1660s marked a dramatic decade in British history, with Thomas’ service spanning the Restoration, the outbreak of the plague and the Great Fire of London.

During this turbulent time, Thomas picked up several tricks of the trade, before moving on to the next chapter of his career. In 1644, he opened his own bookstore in the City of London. He began by importing and selling bibles and went on to publish various literary classics. This included a third edition translation of Virgil, published jointly with the prestigious Peter Parker company. Thomas joined the Stationers’ Company in 1668 and was made a ‘freeman’ of the City of London, granting him the freedom or right to trade.

After nine years of business, Thomas used his wealth to fund new facilities at Tamworth Grammar School. He briefly stood as an MP for the area in 1701 and he commissioned the building of Tamworth Town Hall.

In 1704, Thomas’ philanthropic ventures took him in a new direction. He became governor of St Thomas’s Hospital, donating £1,000 to the hospital in 1707. As his fortune grew, Thomas continued to lend his financial support to St Thomas’ through the years, before founding his own eponymously named hospital for ‘incurables’ in 1721. Thomas passed away three years later, leaving a generous endowment in his will to Guy’s Hospital, along with other charitable donations.

Thomas Guy has recently come under scrutiny for his investment in the South Sea Company, which traded enslaved African people. As part of their ongoing work to address these injustices, the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation have installed interpretation panels to accompany the statue of Thomas on our campus. These panels tell the story of Thomas Guy, explaining how he profited from the transatlantic slave trade and how we can interpret this through a modern lens.

Both a generous benefactor and a controversial historical figure, Thomas’ legacy lives on through Guy’s Hospital.

Visit Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation website to find out more about the statue interpretation panels.