Thomas Coram, Founder of the Foundling Hospital,
Thomas Coram (1668-1751), philanthropist. In 1694 he became a shipbuilder in Massachusetts. He returned to London in 1720 and set up as a merchant. He obtained a charter for the Foundling Hospital in 1739 and opened the building in 1745. From its earliest days the hospital was the meeting place of fashionable London and was helped by famous artists. Handel presented the organ in the Chapel and played on it. He annually conducted performances of "Messiah" there. These performances also had the effect of spreading the fame of "Messiah." The money raised from the performances was the modern equivalent of £500,000.
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Id:1963 Q:0