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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.