St Thomas’s Hospital

St. Thomas’s Hospital had its origin in the infirmary of St. Mary Overy Priory by London Bridge, founded in the early twelfth century. The Hospital moved location and was refounded several times: in 1215 following a disastrous fire it was moved to the east side of Borough High Street, and in 1551 it was handed a new charter after being briefly disbanded due to the dissolution of the monasteries. The Hospital provided freely accessible care for the sick poor of London. It relied on charitable benefaction and the rents arising from landed property and London real estate to sustain its medical services. A statue of a benefactor of the Hospital who participated in the transatlantic slave trade – Sir Robert Clayton (director of RAC) – was erected in the early eighteenth century and still stands in the grounds of the modern hospital. The statue came under increased scrutiny during the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020. [MB]

Economic Sector: Charity

Region: England

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