Captain Thomas, a gentleman remarkably distinguished by his humanity, was born about the year 1668, and spent the early part of his life in the station of master of a vessel trading to our colonies. Afterwards residing in the eastern part of the metropolis, among sea-faring people, where business often obliged him to come early into the city, and return late, he frequently saw young children exposed in the streets through the indigence or cruelty of their parents. This excited his compassion and induced him to project the foundation of an hospital for foundlings. In this humane design he laboured with indefatigable diligence for seventeen years; and by his application procured a number of the nobility and gentry to patronize and carry the scheme into execution, and at length obtained the royal charter for it. He was also highly instrumental in promoting the trade of America, by procuring a bounty upon naval stores imported from our colonies. He was likewise eminently concerned in setting on foot the colonies of Georgia and Nova Scotia. His last charitable design, in which he lived to make some progress, was a scheme for uniting the North American Indians more closely to the British interest, by an establishment for the education of Indian girls. In short, he spent the greatest part of life in labouring for the public, and experienced a fate too common in those who devote their talents to such laudable purposes; being at last indebted for subsistence to the voluntary subscriptions of some public-spirited persons, at the head of whom was the late Frederic, Prince of Wales. Captain Coram died in 1751; and was interred, at his own desire, in a vault under the chapel of the Foundling Hospital.