Thomas Guy

Thomas Guy
Born	1644 Horselydown, South London, England
Died	27 December 1724
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, Publisher, Philanthropist, Politician
Years active	1668–1724
Known for	Founder of Guy's Hospital; Member of Parliament for Tamworth

Thomas Guy (1644 – 27 December 1724) was an English entrepreneur and political figure, widely recognized as the founder of Guy's Hospital in London.

Early life

Thomas Guy was born in Horselydown, located in South London, as the eldest son of a coalmonger and lighterman. His father, a carpenter and citizen of the City of London, was an Anabaptist dissenter. Following his father's passing in 1652, his mother moved back to Tamworth, Staffordshire, where Thomas likely attended the local grammar school.

London publisher

Returning to London in 1660, Thomas undertook an eight-year apprenticeship with John Clarke the younger, a bookseller and bookbinder. In 1668, he became a member of the Stationers' Company and gained freeman status within the City of London, subsequently establishing a bookshop on Lombard Street and Cornhill.

At first, Guy engaged in the unauthorized importation of superior Dutch-printed bibles. His imprint is found on significant works such as James Howell's Epistolae Ho-Elianae (1673) and John Ogilby's translation of Virgil (1675). He collaborated with publisher Peter Parker on classical literature including texts by Pliny, Homer, Erasmus, and others, alongside educational materials printed at Oxford. Their offerings encompassed Latin-English dictionaries as well as translations of Juvenal's Satires and Lucan's Pharsalia, among various classical publications.

Guy's name commonly appeared alongside Parker's; his brother John Guy was also involved in their ventures. After Oxford produced its first English Bible between 1673 and 1675, Thomas secured a contract in 1679 to publish bibles under Oxford’s license. He co-licensed the 1683 Oxford edition of the Book of Homilies with Parker and Moses Pitt. From 1679 through 1688, several Oxford Bible editions were released bearing his name. His 1689 Oxford prayer-book featured prayers marking significant political milestones such as the Gunpowder Plot and the Glorious Revolution. Subsequent works included a 1705 Bible by Theodore Beza. For an extensive overview of his publishing career, refer to Wilks and Bettany.

Tamworth benefactor and M.P.

A thrifty lifelong bachelor, after nine years in trade Guy financed new buildings for the Tamworth free grammar school in 1677, where he had previously studied before his apprenticeship. The next year, he constructed an almshouse in Tamworth. Elected as Member of Parliament for Tamworth in 1695, he commissioned the erection of a new Tamworth Town Hall in 1701. After failing to secure re-election in 1707, he withdrew further support from the town.

Investment in the South Sea Company

By the late 1670s, Guy had acquired seamen’s pay-tickets at discounted rates and extended considerable loans to landowners. In 1711, these tickets were converted into shares of the South Sea Company through a debt-to-equity exchange. Although primarily holding government debt, the company’s exclusive rights to British trade with Spanish America composed less than two percent of its capital. Before the collapse of the South Sea Bubble in 1720, Guy sold 54,040 shares for £234,428, realizing approximately £175,000 in profit. He reinvested these proceeds into £179,566 worth of 4% government annuities, £8,000 in 5% annuities, and £1,500 invested in East India Company stock.

Hospital Patronage

In 1704, Guy assumed the role of governor at St Thomas' Hospital, London, contributing £1,000 in 1707, followed by additional substantial donations over time. By 1721, having considerably expanded his wealth, he established a hospital dedicated to "incurable" patients, leading to the development of what is now known as Guy's Hospital.

Thomas Guy passed away unmarried on 27 December 1724. Prior to his death, he had already invested £19,000 into the hospital, and his will further bequeathed £219,499 to it—marking the most significant individual philanthropic gift of the early eighteenth century. Additionally, he allocated an annuity of £400 to Christ's Hospital alongside various other charitable contributions. The remainder of his assets, approximately £75,589, was distributed among his family and acquaintances.

On 24 March 1725, King George I granted royal approval to incorporate Guy’s executors for the administration of his charitable trusts and formally acknowledged his public benefactions.

In tribute to him, a dual carriageway bypassing Tamworth was named Thomas Guy Way in 1995.

Memorials

Parliament authorized an expenditure of £2,000 by Guy's Hospital to honor Thomas Guy's "Generous and Charitable Intentions." In 1732, the hospital commissioned sculptor Peter Scheemakers to produce a brass and marble statue portraying Guy in the Stationers' Company attire, notably depicted without a wig to emphasize his humility. The statue bears the inscription Dare Quam Accipere ("to give rather than receive") and includes reliefs illustrating Christ Healing the Sick Man and the Good Samaritan, prominently positioned in the hospital’s central courtyard.

A new west wing featuring a chapel was constructed in 1776. Renowned sculptor John Bacon (1740–1799) created a life-sized marble funerary monument representing Guy as "a living Samaritan" assisting an ill man. This monument is further adorned with roundels symbolizing Industry, Prudence, Temperance, and Charity.

Bibliography

• A True Copy of the Last Will and Testament of Thomas Guy, Esq. (London, 1725)
• John Noorthouck, 'Book 3, Ch. 1: Southwark', in A New History of London Including Westminster and Southwark (R. Baldwin, London 1773), pp. 678-690.
• John Nichols, Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century, 6 vols (Nichols, Son, and Bentley, London 1812), III.
• Charles Knight, Shadows of the Old Booksellers (Bell and Daldy, London 1865).
• Samuel Wilks and G. T. Bettany, A Biographical History of Guy's Hospital (Ward, Lock & Co., London/New York 1892).
• Copy of the Last Will and Testament of Thomas Guy Esq. with an ACT for incorporating the Executors of the said Will (London, printed for the Governors of Guy's Hospital, 1815).
• Jane Bowden-Dan, 'Mr Guy's Hospital and the Caribbean', History Today, Vol. 56 issue 6 (June 2006).