The History of Sir Richard Whittington | Page 6

married Alice, daughter of Hugh
Fitzwarren, and probably he was originally apprenticed to his
father-in-law, whose name appears in all the versions of his history.
The second appearance of Whittington's name in the city books is in 8
Richard II., when he was one of the eight common councilmen for

Coleman Street ward. In 11 Richard II. he is named as becoming surety
to the chamberlain in the sum of ten pounds towards providing money
for defence of the city. In the following year he appears to have been no
longer a member for Coleman Street ward. On the 12th of March, 1393,
he is named as then chosen alderman of Broad Street ward; and on 21st
September of the same year he was chosen by the mayor, William
Staundon, one of the sheriffs for the ensuing year.[3]
When Adam Bamme died in the year 1397, during his mayoralty,
Richard II. arbitrarily put Whittington in his place, and at the lord
mayor's day of that year Whittington again filled the office, being then
regularly elected.[4] From his will we find that this king, who was a
member of the Mercers' Company, to which Whittington was
apprenticed, was an especial patron of his. In 1400 he was excused
from attending the Scottish wars, and in 1406 he was again elected
mayor. He rebuilt his parish church, and Mr. Riley has printed in his
valuable Memorials (p. 578) the grant by Whittington of land or the
re-building of the church of St. Michael, Paternoster, "in the street
called La Riole," called after the merchants of La Riole, a town near
Bordeaux, who had established themselves there.
Whittington was knighted by Henry V., and in 1419 he was elected
mayor for the fourth time. It was in this year that John Carpenter
commenced the compilation of his famous Liber Albus. We see how
highly this distinguished citizen was appreciated from the writings of
such men as Grafton and Stow. Richard Grafton writes in his Chronicle
(1569, p. 433)--
"This yere (1406) a worthie citizen of London, named Rychard
Whittyngton, mercer and alderman, was elected maior of the sayde citie,
and bare that office three tymes. This worshipfull man so bestowed his
goodes and substaunce to the honor of God, to the reliefe of the pore,
and to the benefite of the comon weale, that he hath right well deserved
to be regestered in the boke of fame. First, he erected one house or
church in London to be a house of prayer, and he named the same after
his awne name Whittyngtons College, and so it remayneth to this day.
And in the same church, besydes certeine priestes and clerkes, he

placed a number of poore aged men and women and buylded for them
houses and lodgyngs, and allowed unto them wood, cole, cloth, and
weekly money to their great reliefe and comfort.... He also buylded for
the ease of the maior of London and his brethren, and of the
worshipfull citizens at the solempne dayes of their assemblye, a chapell
adioining to the Guyldhall, to the entent they should euer before they
entered into any of theyr affayrs first to go into the chappel, and by
prayer to call upon God for assistaunce.... He also buylded a great part
of the east ende of the Guildhall, besyde many other good workes that I
knowe not. But among all other I will shewe unto you one very notable,
which I receyved credibly by a writyng of his awne hande, which also
he willed to be fixed as a schedule to his last will and testament, the
contentes whereof was that he willed and commaunded his executors as
they would aunswere before God at the day of the resurrection of all
fleshe, that if they found any debtor of his that ought to him any money,
that if he were not in their consciences well worth three tymes as much,
and also out of the debt of other men, and well able to pay, that then
they shoulde never demaund it, for he cleerely forgave it, and that they
should put no man in sute for any debt due to him. Looke upon thys, ye
aldermen, for it is a glorious glasse."
Stow writes as follows in his Survey of London on some of
Whittington's good works:--
"Richard Whittington, mercer, three times mayor, in the year 1421
began the library of the grey friars in London, to the charge of four
hundred pounds: his executors with his goods founded and built
Whittington College, with almshouses for thirteen poor men, and
divinity lectures to be read there for ever. They repaired St.
Bartholomew's hospital in Smithfield; they bare half the charges of
building the library there, and they built the west gate of London, of old
time