Person    | Male  Born 1644  Died 27/12/1724

Thomas Guy

Founder of Guy's Hospital. Born 7 Pritchard's Alley, Fair Street, Horsleydown. This is now the section of Tower Bridge Road between London City Mission and Tower Bridge Primary School. A bookseller, in 1668 he bought a newly-built shop in Lombard Street, at the junction with Cornhill. Both streets used to extend further westwards and met almost in front of the Mansion House.

Made his fortune by investing in the slave trade, and came out of the 'South Sea bubble' of 1720 a wealthy man. He was a governor of St Thomas' Hospital and in 1721 he began to build another hospital, opposite, which was completed about the time of his death, Guy's Hospital. He died at home which seems still to have been the shop that he bought before he made his fortune, but he did have a reputation for being tight-fisted. Never having married he left much of his estate to Guy's Hospital.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Thomas Guy

Commemorated ati

CI - 8 - Books

This carving depicts the two Brontë sisters meeting Thackeray, but rather fai...

Read More

Guy's Hospital

In the photo the memorial is partly hidden by the rubbish bin.

Read More

Keats House at Guy's - bust 2 - Thomas Guy?

We are not certain of the identification.

Read More

Queen Mother visits Guy's

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother unveiled this stone to commemora...

Read More

Show all 7

Other Subjects

Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere

Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere

Newspaper owner. He and his brother Alfred, later Lord Northcliffe, developed the London Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. Born Hampstead. During the lead up to WW2 he was a strong supporter of Oswald M...

Person, Benefactor, Journalism / Publishing, Bermuda

4 memorials
Sir Arthur Crosfield

Sir Arthur Crosfield

Wealthy soap magnate and Liberal MP for Warrington in Cheshire. Married Domini Elliadi, a Greek tennis champion and millionairess, and in 1912 they bought Parkfield in Highgate from Walter Scrimgeo...

Person, Benefactor, Industry, Politics & Administration, France, Greece

1 memorial
G. W. Palmer

G. W. Palmer

We can find nothing on this man but think he was probably a Primitive Methodist who donated for the Caladonian Road Chapel.

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
J. Mackerell

J. Mackerell

Gave land in commemoration of Nelson in 1905.  Great nephew of Isaac Smith through whom, it seems likely, he may have  inherited the land of Merton Abbey but how and when he acquired Merton Place a...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial