The History of Sir Richard Whittington | Page 8

Richard Whittington behold
In mayor's robes and chain of gold."
1808. In the Antiquarian Repertory (vol. ii. pp. 343-346) there is a
good account of Whittington.
1811. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, and four times Lord
Mayor of London, in the reigns of Edward III. Richard II. and Henry V.
Compiled from authentic documents; and containing many important
particulars respecting that illustrious man never before published:
intended to amuse, instruct, and stimulate the rising generation. By the
Author of "Memoirs of George Barnwell." Harlow: Printed by B.
Flower for M. Jones, No. 5, Newgate Street, London. 1811. Small 8vo.
1828. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, four times Lord
Mayor of London. London: Published by Thomas North, 64,

Paternoster Row. 1828. (Lysons.)
1841. The Life and Times of Dick Whittington: an Historical Romance.
London: Hugh Cuningham, St. Martin's Place. 1841. 8vo.
This is a novel written in imitation of Ainsworth, illustrated with plates
in imitation of Cruikshank.
[1845.] Woodcock's "Lives of Illustrious Lords Mayors and Aldermen
of London, with a Brief History of the City of London." London. 8vo.
Pp. 28-46, Life of Whittington; but it contains no information of any
value.
1860. The Model Merchant of the Middle Ages, exemplified in the
Story of Whittington and his Cat: being an attempt to rescue that
interesting story from the region of fable, and to place it in its proper
position in the legitimate history of this country. By the Rev. Samuel
Lysons, M.A. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co. 1860. 8vo.
1871. The Story of Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London in
the years 1397, 1406-7, and 1419 A.D. Written and
illustrated by
Carr. London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1871. Folio.
A new Ballad prettily illustrated, in which Canon Lysons's researches
are taken into account, and the boy is made of good parentage, but the
rest of the legend is retained.
1881. Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London. By Walter
Besant and James Rice. London: Marcus Ward and Co. 1881. Sm. 8vo.
Whittington and his Cat. By Ernest J. Miller. Published by the Albany
Institute, Albany, N.Y. Weed, Parsons, and Company. 1881. 8vo.
A valuable paper, which contains a great mass of information on both
the true and----the fictitious Whittington.
Whittington and his Cat, an Entertainment for Young People, by Miss
Corner.

The Remarkable History of Richard Whittington and his Cat. Aunt
Busy Bee's New Series. Dean and Son. Coloured illustrations on the
page.
The following title is taken from Mr. Lysons's book, and I presume it is
merely an edition of the ordinary chap-book.
History of Sir Richard Whittington. Printed at Sympson's in Stonecutter
Street, Fleet Market.

The following extract from Granger's History of England is curious as
showing that the public would not have a portrait of Whittington
without a representation of his famous cat:--
"The true portraicture of Richard Whitington, thrise Lord Maior of
London; a vertuous and godly man, full of good works, and those
famous. He builded the gate of London called Newegate, which before
was a miserable doungeon. He builded Whitington College, and made
it an almose-house for poore people. Also he builded a great parte of
the hospitall of St. Bartholomew's, in West Smithfield, in London. He
also builded the beautiful library at the Grey Friars in London, called
Christe's Hospitall. He also builded the Guildehalle chappell, and
increased a great parte of the east ende of the said halle, beside many
other good workes."--_R. Elstracke sc. Collar of SS.; his right hand on
a cat._
Granger says of this:
"The cat has been inserted as the common people did not care to buy
the print without it. There was none originally in the plate, but a skull
in the place of the cat. I have seen only two proofs of this portrait in its
first state, and these were fine
impressions."--1775, vol. i. p. 62.
The following is a copy of the headings of the chapters in an early form
of the chap-book version of Whittington's life:
THE

HISTORY
OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,
THRICE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.
Durham: Printed and sold by I. Lane. [1730.]
THE LIFE OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON.
CHAP. I.
How, Whittington, being born of unknown parents, was left to a
desperate fortune, and rambled the country till necessity and fear made
him come to London.
CHAP. II.
How, at the instance of Mrs. Alice, the Merchant's daughter, he became
a servant in the family under the cook maid, who used him cruelly, and
how Mrs. Alice took pity on him, and interpos'd her authority.
CHAP. III.
How, lying in a garret, he was ready to be devoured by rats and mice,
and to prevent it purchased a cat with a penny given him for cleaning
shoes; and how, with the servants, he adventured the cat, being all his