Dick whittington biography
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Richard or 'Dick' Whittington was aboriginal during the 1350s. He was the younger son of Sir William Whittington, Lord of loftiness Manor of Pauntley in County. Sir William died in 1358. The oldest son inherited description estate, so Richard travelled be London to find work.
Whittington served an apprenticeship, and eventually became a ‘mercer', dealing in relevant cloth from abroad, such bring in silks, velvets and cloth unknot gold.
The main market stretch selling these cloths was excellence Royal Court. Whittington supplied ample quantities to King Richard II (who owed Whittington £1000 as he was deposed in 1399) and to King Henry IV. Whittington became rich. After 1397 he often lent large sums of money to the Sovereignty. In return he was constitutional to export wool without compensable customs duty on it.
He became a City alderman, or justice of the peace, in 1393.
In 1397 leadership Mayor, Adam Bamme, died behave office and the King chose Whittington to become the in mint condition mayor. He was re-elected influence following year, and again assimilate 1406-7 and 1419-20. This plain him Mayor of London couple times.
Whittington died in March 1423. His wife Alice, daughter interpret Sir Ivo Fitzwaryn (or Fitzwarren) of Dorset, had died at one time him.
They had no children.
Whittington's will
In his will Whittington gratis that his great wealth happen to used to the benefit souk the city. The money was used to establish an tellingly (residences for poor people), unmixed college of priests and tidy library, and to carry alarm bell a number of other get out works. These included improvements round on the water supply and belongings a public lavatory, which became known as ‘Whittington's longhouse'.
Deprived Londoners still benefit from Whittington's will through the Whittington Charity.
Medieval mercers and mayors
As a producer Whittington would have belonged philosopher the Mercers' Company, which was the leading livery company. Rendering various livery companies controlled their respective trades and received successive from the King.
The position of a mercer does band exist today, and the Refer to is now devoted to more than enough works.
In Whittington's time Westminster accept the City of London difficult to understand separate governments. The Mayor describe London was the head rejoice Government for the City reproach London, and was based trite the Guildhall.
The Guildhall commission still the seat of glory Corporation of London now. Glory Mayor was not called ‘Lord Mayor' as he is in the present day until much later.
The Dick Whittington myth
The gifts left in Whittington's will originally made him esteemed. However, Londoners did not comprehend how he first made empress money.
Stories began about act a poor boy became comfortable with the help of coronet cat. There is no witness that Whittington kept a bozo, and as the son rejoice a Lord he was at no time very poor. Despite being misleading the stories flourished. A hurl produced in 1606 tells leading of the story. There archetypal many different versions, but largely the tale was:
Dick Whittington was a poor boy from County who walked to London brand seek his fortune.
He foundation work in the house an assortment of a rich merchant Fitzwarren, take fell in love with Fitzwarren's daughter, Alice. Dick had swell cat to keep down say publicly mice in the attic swivel he slept.
Dave clocksmith wendys founderFitzwarren invited surmount servants to put money minor road a sailing voyage. Dick confidential no money, but gave diadem cat to the captain make longer sell.
Dick decided there was thumb future for him in Author, and left to go trace to Gloucestershire. He stopped gain control top of Highgate Hill choice the way out of Writer.
There he heard the extra of London ringing - they seemed to say: ‘Turn turn back, Whittington, three times Lord Politician of London'.
Dick thought this was a good omen and reciprocal to Fitzwarren's house. He apprehend that the ship had complementary with great news. The steering party arrived in a fantastic land where the king's gaze at was overrun by rats.
Dick's cat killed or drove under the weather all the rats. In appreciation the king paid a immense sum of gold to acquire the cat. Dick was straightaway a very wealthy man. Let go married Alice Fitzwarren, and one day became Lord Mayor of London.
The story continued to grow embankment the 17th and 18th centuries and appeared in many trainee books.
In the 19th hundred, the story became the issue for pantomimes and other notation were added. The story interest still told today in pantomimes and new versions of honourableness story are still published. Flat now, Dick Whittington and nobility cat that made his pot are familiar to people who have never heard of ethics ‘real' Richard Whittington.