Thomas Firmin facts for kids

Thomas Firmin (born June 1632 – died 1697) was an English businessman who cared deeply about helping others. He was also a publisher and a member of the Church of England who held Unitarian beliefs.

Early Life and Beginnings

Thomas Firmin was born in Ipswich to Henry and Prudence Firmin, who were Puritan parents. When he was young, Thomas moved to London. There, he became an apprentice to a merchant who sold belts and fabrics. This merchant attended church services led by John Goodwin, a famous preacher. Thomas would even write down Goodwin's sermons in shorthand!

Later, Thomas started his own business on Lombard Street in London. He met many important people, including church leaders and thinkers. He also became friends with John Biddle, who greatly influenced his ideas about helping people. Thomas got married in 1660.

Helping Others: Firmin's Charity Work

Thomas Firmin's first big effort to help people happened in 1665, during the terrible time of the Great Plague. Many people lost their jobs, so he gave them work making clothes. A year later, in 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed his business on Lombard Street. But Thomas quickly found a new place and soon rebuilt his original shop, making his business even more successful.

By 1676, he was doing so well that he let his nephew, Jonathan James, take over the daily running of the business. Thomas was now worth about £9,000, which was a lot of money back then! Around 1673, he also became a governor of Christ's Hospital, a famous school and charity.

The Linen Workhouse

In 1676, Thomas Firmin opened a special place called a "workhouse" in Little Britain. He even built new buildings just for it. His goal was to give jobs to poor people by having them make linen fabric. He hired as many as 1,700 spinners, plus people to prepare flax and weave. He paid them the usual wages for the time (about 6 pence for a 16-hour day) and sometimes gave them extra bonuses.

Thomas made sure the workers were comfortable and clean. He also helped train children who lived on the streets. He even printed many copies of a simple religious book and gave rewards to those who learned from it.

This workhouse project often lost money, and Thomas had to cover the costs himself. Later, a company that made linen took over the workhouse, keeping Thomas as manager. But they cut wages, and the project still struggled. Eventually, Thomas took it back and kept it going until he died. He managed to make it seem like it was breaking even by keeping wages low, but he would secretly give his workers extra money from his own pocket.

He also tried to start a wool-making business in London, but after losing money for two years, he stopped. Thomas was also very involved in collecting money for Huguenot refugees (French Protestants who had to flee their country). In 1682, he even started a linen factory for them in Ipswich.

Helping Prisoners and Hospitals

From about 1676, Thomas Firmin became very interested in helping people who were in prison because they couldn't pay their debts. He helped hundreds of them get out of prison if they owed small amounts of money. He also worked to pass laws that would free even more prisoners. He visited prisons, checked how prisoners were being treated, and even took action against cruel prison guards.

With his friend, Sir Robert Clayton, Thomas was an active governor at Christ's Hospital. He helped improve the buildings and how things were organized. On Sunday evenings, he would often go to the students' church service and make sure their supper puddings were big enough! In 1693, he also became a governor of St. Thomas's Hospital and helped rebuild the hospital and its church.

Thomas kept a list of all the poor people he visited. He would recommend them for help and even arrange for their children to become apprentices and learn a trade. He learned from his friend John Biddle that it was important to personally investigate the problems of the poor to truly understand how to help them.

Religious and Political Beliefs

Thomas Firmin was known for his open-minded views. In 1662, he helped raise money for Polish anti-Trinitarians who had been forced to leave their homes. He believed strongly in religious toleration, meaning people should be free to practice their own religion without being persecuted.

He didn't get involved in politics much until 1685. He opposed King James II, which even cost him his position as governor at Christ's Hospital for a while. He supported William of Orange and helped spread pamphlets that warned against King James's policies.

Thomas Firmin was also known for supporting Unitarian ideas. Unitarians believe in one God, but their views on the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) differ from traditional Christian beliefs. He helped publish several books that explained Unitarian ideas, including "A Brief History of the Unitarians" in 1687, which was the first time the word "Unitarian" was used in English writing.

Even though he held these different beliefs, Thomas Firmin never left the Church of England. He wanted to create "Unitarian congregations" that would meet for worship within the church itself.

Later Life and Legacy

Thomas Firmin became ill with a lung disease and then quickly caught a fever, dying on December 20, 1697. He was buried at Christ's Hospital, where a marble slab was placed to remember him. He left behind about £3,000.

Family Life

Thomas Firmin was married twice. His first wife, whom he married in 1660, died and left him with a son (who died around 1690) and a daughter (who died as a baby). In 1664, he married Margaret Dentt. They had several children, but sadly, all but one died very young. Their eldest son, Giles, born in 1665, became a merchant. Giles later died in Portugal in 1694.