Guy Thomas

Guy, Thomas (1645-1724), the founder of the hospital which bears his name, was born in Southwark. After his father's death he went with his mother to Tamworth, and.was later apprenticed to a London bookseller, becoming in due course a freeman of the Stationers' Company, and, in 1668, a bookseller on his own account. For a time he printed for the University at Oxford, which was in collision with the royal printers about the question of printing Bibles. In 1695 he entered Parliament as member for Tamworth. Later he paid a fine rather than serve as sheriff, from, it was said, motives of economy. He was penurious in personal habits, but generous and charitable to others. He built a town hall and an almshouse in Tamworth, gave money to poor relations and insolvent debtors, and relieved poor families. In 1704 St. Thomas's Hospital was greatly benefited by him. He had made a fortune by timely selling-out of South-Sea Stock, and this enabled him to carry out his design of erecting what was at first intended to be supplementary to St. Thomas's Hospital, but afterwards developed into a separate institution. Besides building and endowing this hospital, he left money to many other charitable purposes.