Thomas Guy
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [1]
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.
The Nuttall Encyclopedia [2]
Founder of Guy's Hospital, London, born at Horsleydown, Southwark, London; he started as a bookseller in 1668, and after the importation of English Bibles from Holland was stopped he obtained the privilege of printing Bibles for Oxford University; lucky speculation in South Sea stock, combined with his printing business, enabled him to amass an immense fortune, which he devoted largely to charitable purposes; from 1695 to 1702 he sat in Parliament (1645-1724).
