The statement added: ‘We see the pervasive and harmful effects of structural racism every day through our work. The hospitals are major teaching hospitals connected with King’s College London (KCL). The statue of Thomas Guy, adjacent to the Science Gallery on the King’s College London campus, and the statue of Robert Clayton at St Thomas’ Hospital are part of the arts and heritage collection owned by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. Meanwhile, Liverpool University said it will rename Gladstone Halls over the former prime minister’s links to slavery. Sir Robert Clayton, a former Lord Mayor of London and president of St Thomas’ Hospital in the 17th century, was a banker connected to the Royal African Company which shipped slaves across the Atlantic. Already, a statue of slave trader Robert Milligan has been removed from outside the Museum of London Docklands. [4] The statue was commissioned at some time around this date, to commemorate Clayton's contribution to the hospital. The statue will be removed due to its links to slavery, said the hospital trust (Getty Images) Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London have said they will remove two statues linked to Britain’s slave trade in response to anti-racism protests across the UK. You can find our Community Guidelines in full London Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a “diversity commission” to investigate which statues should be retained in the city and which new ones should be erected to represent the achievements of all Londoners, particularly black and minority ethnic Londoners. Thomas Guy worked as a bookseller while also making a fortune through the ownership of shares in the slave-trafficking firm South Sea Company which aimed to trade 4,800 adult men every year. It criticises a biography on the university’s website which previously described him as ‘an eccentric and controversial philanthropist who made his wealth by printing Bibles illegally’. [5], Following the complete reconstruction of the hospital in 1872, on a site further up the River Thames at Lambeth,[6] the statue was moved to its present position. [11][12], Statue of Robert Clayton by Grinling Gibbons, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, "Statue of Robert Clayton at north entrance to ward block of north wing at St Thomas' Hospital (1319925)", "CLAYTON, Sir Robert (1629–1707), of Old Jewry, London and Marden Park, Godstone, Surr. He spoke out against abolition in Parliament because his family had slaves on plantations in the Caribbean, and supported the repatriation of white slave owners. We are fully committed to tackling racism, discrimination and inequality, and we stand in solidarity with our patients, students, colleagues and communities.”. Over 8,000 students have also signed a petition calling on King’s College London to rename Guy’s Campus. A section under ‘Who was Thomas Guy’ said he was ‘extraordinarily generous’ and ‘hated to see poor people not in full health’, adding that he used his enormous wealth ‘to found a new hospital from which no one would ever be turned away for financial reasons’. [8] A demonstration in Bristol organised by the Black Lives Matter movement culminated in the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston, targeted due to Colston's involvement in the slave trade. Dates for the actual construction vary; Pevsner gives 1701–1702,[7] which is supported by the Survey of London. The sculptor was Grinling Gibbons, and the statue was executed around 1700–1714. The statue has since been fished out the water and will be displayed at a local museum alongside placards from the demonstration, the city’s Mayor confirmed. [7] The work was listed at Grade I, the highest grading given to buildings and structures of "exceptional interest", in 1979. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? As President of St Thomas', he was responsible for the complete rebuilding of the hospital, and associated church in the late 17th century. “We have therefore decided to remove statues of Robert Clayton and Thomas Guy from public view, and we look forward to engaging with and receiving guidance from the Mayor of London’s Commission on each.". Charlie Gladstone made the comments after online petitions called for Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, North Wales, to be renamed due to the family’s links to the slave trade. thwarted when it was surrounded by dozens of locals refusing to allow it to be taken away. Listing NGR: SU8244584525. A view of the statue of Sir Robert Clayton at St Thomas Hospital. [3] Working firstly as a land agent and subsequently as a banker, he made a large fortune such that, by the 1670s, the diarist John Evelyn, described him as "this prince of citizens, there never having been any, who, for the stateliness of his palace, prodigious feasting, and magnificence, exceeded him". here. [1], The killing of George Floyd in the United States on 25 May 2020 led to worldwide protests against racism, including in the United Kingdom. It was originally set up in the grounds of Christ’s Hospital, London to commemorate his benefaction of the new workhouse there. The 15-storey tower block, in Colston Street, accommodates a number of offices. Campaigners had highlighted Baden-Powell’s associations with the Nazis and the Hitler youth programme, as well as his actions in the military. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? inscription records erection of statue by Governor of Christ's Hospital, London, to commemorate Clayton as benefactor of the new Work-house there. Hours earlier, Colston's statue was fished out of Bristol harbour after being pulled down and dumped into the water during an anti-racism demonstration on Sunday. The statue of Robert Clayton stands at the entrance to the North Wing of St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth, London. One statue that is facing calls for removal is Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell in Poole, Dorset. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council said it was not able to remove the statue because it had misjudged the depth of the foundations, but privately council leaders admitted that they had no chance of removing it because of the crowd, The Guardian reports. Mr Floyd died in police custody, after an officer refused to lift his knee from his neck, despite protests that he could not breathe.His death sparked international Black Lives Matter protests, demanding an end to police brutality and the removal of memorials to historic figures with racist associations. [3] Clayton became an M.P., served on innumerable parliamentary committees and in 1692 was made President of St Thomas' Hospital, an office he held until his death in 1707. Also on Thursday evening, video on social media showed men in hard hats scaling Colston Tower in Bristol city centre to remove the controversial figure's name from atop the high-rise building. It appears to have been updated overnight to include information about his links to the slave trade, which were previously omitted. The debate surrounding the UK’s controversial statues was thrown into the limelight on Sunday after anti-racism protesters brought down a monument to slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol and plunged it into the city’s harbour. The downing of Colston has inspired a campaign called ‘Topple the Racists’ which has identified over 60 statues, memorials and plaques across the UK that honour people involved in the slave trade and imperialism. The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates, Register with your social account or click here to log in. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web Earlier this week, Sadiq Khan ordered a review into statues and street names with links to slavery in the capital. A life-size statue of Sir Robert Clayton, in his robes as Lord Mayor of London, dated 1714, stands in the grounds. [1], Robert Clayton was born in 1629, the son of "a poor man of no family". Sir Robert was a banker, politician and Lord Mayor of London. ‘We are fully committed to tackling racism, discrimination and inequality, and we stand in solidarity with our patients, students, colleagues and communities.’. A statement from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College London, said: “Like many organisations in Britain, we know that we have a duty to address the legacy of colonialism, racism and slavery in our work. Black people have worse health outcomes, and this inequality is one of many ways racism permeates our society. Life-size figure of Sir Robert Clayton in robes and chain of office of Lord Mayor of London. [1] Clayton is depicted in his robes, with a periwig and pigtail, and carrying a scroll. Moved from original site at Hospital, probably c.1900. [1] The commission for the statue was awarded to Grinling Gibbons. [3], The origin of St Thomas' Hospital was the sick house attached to the Church of St Mary Overie[4] in Southwark, founded in the 12th century. video. ‘We have therefore decided to remove statues of Robert Clayton and Thomas Guy from public view, and we look forward to engaging with and receiving guidance from the Mayor of London’s Commission on each.’. [10] On 11 June 2020, a joint statement from the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust announced that Clayton's statue, together with that of Thomas Guy, would be removed from public view. – History of Parliament Online", "St Thomas' Hospital – Survey of London: Volume 23, Lambeth: South Bank and Vauxhall", "Thousands join UK protests over George Floyd death", "BLM protesters topple statue of Bristol slave trader Edward Colston", "Joint statement about Thomas Guy and Robert Clayton statues", "Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital to remove two statues linked to slave trade", Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Florida's Tribute to the Women of the Confederacy, Christopher Columbus (Columbus State Community College), 61st Battery Royal Field Artillery (Woolwich), Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Statue_of_Robert_Clayton&oldid=969302013, Buildings and structures completed in 1714, Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Lambeth, Monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Pages using infobox artwork with the material parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Statue of Robert Clayton at North Entrance to Ward Block of North Wing at St Thomas' Hospital, This page was last edited on 24 July 2020, at 16:15.

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