Guy, Thomas (1645?-1724), was an English bookseller and public benefactor. In 1721, he decided to use almost 250,000 British pounds of his fortune to build and to endow Guy’s Hospital, in London.
Guy was born in Southwark, London, and educated at Tamworth, in Staffordshire. He served an apprenticeship as a bookseller, and then started a bookselling business of his own. Later, Guy obtained a contract to print Bibles for Oxford University. He earned a large fortune from this contract, from his bookselling, and from careful investment in South Sea Company stocks.
With his fortune, Guy aided many charitable causes. He built almshouses and a town hall at Tamworth. He also built and equipped three wards for St. Thomas’ Hospital, in London. Guy served as member of Parliament for Tamworth from 1695 to 1707. He died on Dec. 27, 1724.
