Guy, Thomas

Guy, Thomas an English philanthropist, founder of Guy's Hospital, was born at Southwark in 1644. After serving ,an apprenticeship of eight years, he began business as a bookseller in 1668. He dealt largely in Bibles, which he at first imported from Holland, but afterwards printed for himself. He became master of an immense fortune, and died unmarried, December 17, 1724. In 1707 he built three wards of St. Thomas's Hospital, and aided it in other ways. He built Guy's Hospital at a cost of over £18,000, and left an endowment of £219,499. He also made other gifts and bequests for hospitals and almshouses. See A True Copy of the Last Will and Testament of Thomas Guy, Esq. (Lond. 1725); Knight, Shadows of the Old Booksellers (1865), page 323; Encyclop. Brit. 9th ed. s.v.