Thomas Lucas facts for kids

Thomas Lucas (born around 1720, died 1784) was an important English businessman who worked with the West Indies. Later in his life, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for a place called Grampound. He also played a big role at Guy's Hospital, first as its treasurer from 1764 to 1774, and then as the president of its board of governors until he passed away.

Thomas Lucas's Business World

Thomas Lucas was involved in many different businesses. He was a director for several important companies. In 1759, he joined the Union Society. In 1763, he became a director of the South Sea Company, which was a very well-known trading company at the time. A year later, in 1764, he also became a director of the Union Fire Office. He kept all these important roles until he died.

His business connections stretched all the way to the West Indies, especially to islands like St Kitts and the Leeward Islands. He worked with William Coleman in London, helping plantation owners from the Leeward Islands manage their trade. Thomas Lucas was very involved in the sugar trade from these islands. He was likely a close relative of Eliza Lucas, who was born in Antigua in the Leeward Islands in 1723.

Helping Others: Thomas Lucas's Charity Work

Thomas Lucas cared a lot about helping people. Besides his big role at Guy's Hospital, he supported many other charities. He was a governor and later a vice president for hospitals that helped people with smallpox and gave inoculations (early forms of vaccines).

He also served as a governor for St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics, which was a hospital for people with mental health conditions. Additionally, he supported the Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor, which aimed to help educate less fortunate people.

Thomas Lucas's Private Life

Not much was known about Thomas Lucas's early life right after he died. However, he was well-connected with important families, which made some people think he might have been related to the noble family of Lucas of Shenfield. This family was connected to Henry Grey, the Duke of Kent.

Thomas Lucas was married three times. His wives were Ann Jones, Mary Page, and Elizabeth Payne. Even though he married, he did not have any children who lived past him. His last wife, Elizabeth, later married a famous art collector named John Julius Angerstein. A famous painting of them by Sir Thomas Lawrence is now in the Louvre museum in Paris. It is thought that Eliza and her sister were raised by their great-uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. George Payne, after their own mother passed away young.

Thomas Lucas had a home in London on Albemarle Street. He also owned a country house called Lee Place in Kent. Around 1770, he hired a special architect named Richard Jupp to build him a new house on land he had bought. This new house, where he died on September 29, 1784, later became known as Lee Manor. Today, Lee Manor is a public library, and its beautiful gardens are a public park called Manor House Gardens.

His Time in Parliament

In 1780, Thomas Lucas became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Grampound area. This was a big achievement for him. However, he lost his seat in the General Election in May 1784. Another important person, Francis Baring, took his place. Francis Baring also bought Thomas Lucas's new house from his widow in 1796.

Images for kids

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  Lee House, Kent