History further relates that they lived very happy, had several children, and died at a good old age. Mr. Whittington served Sheriff of London in the year 1340, and was three times Lord Mayor. In the last year of his mayoralty he entertained King Henry V. and his Queen, after his conquest of France, upon which occasion the King, in consideration of Whittington’s merit, said, “Never had prince such a subject;” which being told to Whittington at the table, he replied “Never had subject such a king.” His Majesty, out of respect to his good character, conferred the honour of knighthood on him soon after.
Sir Richard many years before his death constantly fed a great number of poor citizens, built a church and a college to it, with a yearly allowance for poor scholars, and near it erected an hospital. He also built Newgate for criminals, and gave liberally to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and other public charities.
Two old houses in London, which were pulled down at the beginning of the present century, have been associated with the name of Whittington, but there is no evidence that he really dwelt in either of them. One ruinous building in Sweedon’s Passage, Grub Street, engravings of which will be found in J. T. Smith’s Topography of London, was pulled down in 1805, and five houses built on its site. A tablet was then set up, on which was an inscription to the effect that the house had been called Gresham House, and that Whittington once inhabited it.
The magnificent house which stood in Hart Street, Crutched Friars, a few doors from Mark Lane, is said to have been called Whittington’s palace in the old leases, but this is the only evidence in favour of the popular belief. The front was elaborately carved in oak, the work of a much later date than that of Whittington. The decoration is attributed to the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII., and on the ceiling among other forms was that of a cat’s head, from which possibly the tradition of its having been the residence of Whittington arose. There was a popular superstition that the cat’s eyes followed the visitor as he walked about the room. This house was taken down in 1801, but both it and the house in Sweedon’s Passage were reproduced in the interesting Old London Street at the International Health Exhibition of 1884.
THE
FAMOUS AND REMARKABLE
HISTORY
OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,
THREE TIMES LORD MAYOR OF LONDON:
who lived in the time of King Henry the Fifth in the year 1419, with
all the Remarkable Passages, and things of note, which happened
in his time: with his Life and Death.
Written by T. H.
Printed by W. Thackeray and T. Passinger.