There is no certain evidence for the date of birth of Richard 'Dick' Whittington, but most sources suggest it was in 1350 in Pauntley, Gloucestershire.
The life of Richard Whittington
Born to a reasonably wealthy family and the son of Sir William Whittington, Richard was not the eldest son and therefore not likely to be the inheritor of his father's estate. Subsequently, he was sent to London where he became a trader in silks and cloths. Among his clients were the King of England, Richard II and members of the Royal Court.
His business was extremely successful and he made a lot of money. With some of this money he became a money-lender and lent large sums to Richard II.
In 1393 Whittington became a City Alderman of the City of London. He was instrumental in complaining to the King about allegations of misgovernment. This led the King to confiscate lands in the City of London. In 1397, upon the death of the Mayor, Adam Bamme, the King appointed Whittington as Mayor of London. This led to a deal between the King and Whittington whereby the King returned civil liberties to London in exchange for £10,000. the population subsequently re-elected Whittington as Mayor the following year.
Whittington had also been a lender to Henry Bolingbroke who eventually overthrew Richard II in 1397 and became Henry IV of England. The relationship between Whittington and the Crown continued, and he also lent money to Henry's son, Henry V.
Career highlights of Richard Whittington
Not only was Whittington a wealthy man, he was Mayor of London on four different occasions. He became a Member of Parliament in 1416, served on several Royal Commissions and as a judge. He was also a collector of revenues and import duties. Whittington was Henry V's expenses supervisor for the completion of Westminster Abbey.
The legacy of Richard Whittington
Richard Whittington was a man of great charitable acts, and during his lifetime he financed many projects. Included was the rebuilding of the Guildhall, the rebuilding of his parish church, drainage systems, and a ward for unmarried mothers at St. Thomas' Hospital. He was married to Alice who died before him, and they remained childless. In his will he left an enormous amount of money to charity and this was used for several large public works. Money was spent on building the first library at Guildhall, repairs at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and public drinking fountains. Today, his legacy lives on in the Whittington Charity
Richard Whittington died in March 1423.
Source:
Museum of London
Richard Aitkins - Richard Aitkins is a freelance writer and tutor from Hertfordshire, England. He has a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Humanities with ...
