Hospital officials have scrapped plans to remove a statue of Thomas Guy following a long-running row over his slave trade links.
The Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation previously said it would move the statue of the Guy’s Hospital founder to “a less prominent location”.
But the charity has now submitted plans to install “permanent interpretation boards” around the statue to explain its “historic and social context”.
Thomas Guy statue revealed after being covered for slave trade connection
This, its says, came after Historic England’s recommendation that such statues are maintained “supported by careful re-interpretation”.
In June 2020, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation decided to cover the statue in hoardings, citing “a duty to address the legacy of colonialism and slavery”.
That was after the Edward Colston statue was toppled in Bristol, sparking national debates around the ethics of historical statues.
Campaigners had pointed out that Guy’s wealth had come from investment in the South Sea Company, which was granted a monopoly to supply African slaves to South America by the British government in 1713.
In November, the hoardings were removed so the statue could undergo conservation work.
Some locals dislike the proposed plaques, calling them “pathetic.” Commenting on the plans on Southwark council’s website, one person said: “Stop judging these people by today’s standards. At their time of living they did NOTHING wrong, or illegal.
“You’re wrongly judging them by today’s standards… there is stuff we do today that’ll be condemned in centuries to come. These icons do not deserve it. And what they contributed to society and this country’s national heritage is worth more than some pathetic shaming plaque.”
The Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation says the plaques would “help people to better understand” the history of Thomas Guy and how his wealth “has left a legacy that has long lasting impacts on society today.”