Citizen of London: Richard Whittington – The Boy Who Would Be Mayor

by: Michael McCarthy (Author)

Publisher: Hurst

Publication Date: 2022/12/15

Language: English

Print Length: 424 pages

ISBN-10: 1787387917

ISBN-13: 9781787387911

Book Description

This book brings to life the extraordinary story of Richard Whittington, from his arrival in London as a young boy to his death in 1423, against a backdrop of plague, political instability and war; turbulence between Crown, City and Commons; and the financial demands of three kings, to whom Whittington was mercer, lender and fixer. Whittington was a man determined to follow his own path, in life and in death, and a significant figure in London’s ceaseless development. As an entrepreneur, common councillor, Collector of the Wool Custom, King’s Council member and four-time mayor, Whittington figured prominently in the rise of the capital’s merchant class and powerful livery Companies. A leading voice for social reform, a bulwark against corruption and a figure of largesse, he contributed to Henry V’s victory at Agincourt and even oversaw building works at Westminster Abbey. In London, Whittington found his ‘second’ family: a mentor in Sir Ivo Fitzwarin, and a wife and inspiration in Fitzwarin’s daughter Alice. Since the mid-1600s, millions have enjoyed Dick Whittington pantomimes. There is a grain of truth in them, but the real story is far more compelling. Though minus that sadly mythical cat.

About the Author

This book brings to life the extraordinary story of Richard Whittington, from his arrival in London as a young boy to his death in 1423, against a backdrop of plague, political instability and war; turbulence between Crown, City and Commons; and the financial demands of three kings, to whom Whittington was mercer, lender and fixer. Whittington was a man determined to follow his own path, in life and in death, and a significant figure in London’s ceaseless development. As an entrepreneur, common councillor, Collector of the Wool Custom, King’s Council member and four-time mayor, Whittington figured prominently in the rise of the capital’s merchant class and powerful livery Companies. A leading voice for social reform, a bulwark against corruption and a figure of largesse, he contributed to Henry V’s victory at Agincourt and even oversaw building works at Westminster Abbey. In London, Whittington found his ‘second’ family: a mentor in Sir Ivo Fitzwarin, and a wife and inspiration in Fitzwarin’s daughter Alice. Since the mid-1600s, millions have enjoyed Dick Whittington pantomimes. There is a grain of truth in them, but the real story is far more compelling. Though minus that sadly mythical cat.