{"id":29118,"date":"2023-09-25T15:10:31","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T13:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=241195"},"modified":"2023-09-25T18:12:52","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T16:12:52","slug":"how-the-real-dick-whittington-lives-up-to-his-pantomime","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/how-the-real-dick-whittington-lives-up-to-his-pantomime\/","title":{"rendered":"How the real Dick Whittington lives up to his pantomime"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past 200 years, Dick Whittington has become one of Britain\u2019s best-loved pantomime heroes. Yet, as Michael McCarthy tells Jon Bauckham, the real-life story that inspired Dick\u2019s rags to riches tale is even more remarkable than the fiction <\/p>

By Jon Bauckham\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 25 September 2023 at 13:10 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Every Christmas, British theatres are taken over by a \u2018usual suspects\u2019 roster of pantomines: Jack and the Beanstalk<\/em>, Aladdin<\/em> and Snow White<\/em> being among the most common.<\/p>\n

But while many of these stories are based on fables or fairy tales, one much-loved production \u2013 Dick Whittington<\/em>, the story of the boy who heads for London in search of streets paved with gold \u2013 draws a surprising portion of its narrative from real-life events.<\/p>\n

Who was the real Dick Whittington?<\/h2>\n

The titular \u2018Dick\u2019 is based on Richard Whittington, the medieval mayor of London who, just like his panto counterpart, left his home in the countryside and made his fortune in the big smoke.<\/p>\n

But how much of the story, which has captivated theatre-goers for centuries, is drawn from reality? And how much is plucked from the realm of fantasy? And, perhaps most importantly, did Whittington really have a pet cat?<\/p>\n

These are questions that have long fascinated Michael McCarthy, author of Citizen of London: Richard Whittington, The Boy Who Would Be Mayor<\/em>, the first major study of Richard Whittington in several decades. The book sees McCarthy providing a detailed account of the real Whittington\u2019s remarkable rise to prominence, which is no mean feat given the difficulties of piecing together aspects of Whittington\u2019s early life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhittington first arrived in London around 20 years after the Black Death<\/a>, which had peaked in Europe in the mid-14th century,\u201d says McCarthy. \u201cHowever, the problem we have is that the pandemic killed around 50 per cent of England\u2019s rural clergy, who were the main people responsible for the record- ing of births, marriages, deaths and other key events at this time. Due to the turbulence of the period, many of the records you would normally expect to find simply haven\u2019t survived.\u201d<\/p>\n

The real Dick Whittington was not poor<\/h2>\n

Fortunately, by working backwards from later documents, McCarthy has deduced that Richard was born around the year 1358. And, in contrast to the impoverished pantomime character, Whittington certainly wasn\u2019t of poor stock. In fact, he hailed from a prosperous family in Gloucestershire, and his father \u2013 Sir William Whittington \u2013 had represented the county in parliament.<\/p>\n

Tragically, William died around the time of Richard\u2019s birth, leaving his widow, Joan, to raise the couple\u2019s children on her own. But if Whittington thought he was going to live a comfortable life on the back of his father\u2019s wealth, then he was very much mistaken.<\/p>\n

As the youngest of three sons, he was unable to benefit from the tradition of primogeniture, so was instead forced to make his own fortune. To this end, he was sent away to become an apprentice to Sir Ivo Fitzwarin, influential as a military figure, courtier and mercer, when he was about 10 to 12 years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhittington\u2019s mother, by now a single parent, would have likely gone to consult local mercers in the city of Gloucester, asking for their recommendations about who she should send her son to,\u201d explains McCarthy. \u201cOr, if she had already made her decision, she would have wanted to know that she was correct in the judgments she was making. But the Fitzwarin connection also ran deeper: Whittington\u2019s father had served as a knight under Fitzwarin\u2019s father during the Hundred Years\u2019 War<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Illustration\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Textile, gold and silver merchants peddle their wares in a 14th-century illustration. Dick Whittington made his mark on society by selling silks and velvets to London\u2019s movers and shakers. (Image from Alamy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Whether Whittington would have been aware of these military connections before he set foot in London is unknown, but it seems he soon settled into the life of a young apprentice. Taking up residence in the Fitzwarin household, he shadowed his master and became skilled in the art of selling expensive textiles \u2013 such as silks and velvets \u2013 to London\u2019s great and good.<\/p>\n

Importantly, he also began exporting raw wool to Florence and Venice, where it was turned into cloth of the finest quality. In contrast to the pantomime, Whittington\u2019s story is perhaps best described as a tale of luxury fabrics, rather than rags, to riches.<\/p>\n

Dick Whittington really did marry Alice Fitzwarin<\/h2>\n

Serving under Fitzwarin enabled Whittington to meet two hugely significant people in his life: Fitzwarin\u2019s daughter, Alice, whom he went on to marry at some point between 1402 and 1410, and Richard II, to whom he was introduced in 1379 . As Whittington began building his own fortune, he even started acting as the monarch\u2019s private moneylender. But it wasn\u2019t just the king who came knocking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Hundred Years\u2019 War, combined with the upheaval caused by the Black Death, meant that London was in a state of social flux, with land changing hands on a frequent basis,\u201d explains McCarthy. \u201cHowever, unlike some of his contemporaries, who went round buying up houses along the Thames, Whittington kept his money liquid and developed a reputation for integrity; he was began approaching him for loans. I wouldn\u2019t say that he was opportunistic, but he was certainly far-sighted and intelligent enough to use these connections to his advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Dick Whittington became Mayor of London<\/h2>\n

By the final decade of the 14th century, Whittington\u2019s star was truly in its ascendancy. In 1393, having already gained valuable experience as a common councillor, he was appointed sheriff of the City of London, which put him in prime position to land one of the most important roles of all.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
A woodcut showing part of the story of Dick Whittington from an 18th-century chapbook. (Image from Bridgeman Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\u201cIn the summer of 1397, the mayor of London, Adam Bamme, died in office,\u201d says McCarthy. \u201cBamme had been a very popular mayor, having saved Londoners from starvation by negotiating an important grain deal some years before. But Richard II, who was deeply unpopular within the city, did not want to wait around for another election and feared instability. Instead, he turned to Whittington, by then a highly respected figure, and installed him in the post.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite effectively being a caretaker mayor, Whittington proved that he was more than worthy of carrying on in the role on a permanent basis. After serving out the brief remainder of Bamme\u2019s term, Whittington was formally elected mayor of London in the autumn of 1397. In total, he would serve in the post four times, winning further elections in 1406 and 1419.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Richard II, shown in a c1390 portrait, would become a useful ally to Whittington \u2013 as would his cousin, arch-rival and successor, Henry IV. (Photo by Fine Art Images\/Heritage Images\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The erroneous assertion in the pantomime, which sees Whittington becoming \u201cthrice mayor of London\u201d, stems from a basic historical error: whoever first coined that catchy phrase neglected to include his first stint filling in for his late predecessor.<\/p>\n

As Whittington moved from early adulthood into middle age, he continued to serve as a supplier and moneylender to royalty \u2013 even in the cut and thrust world of medieval kingship. In fact, when Richard II was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke in 1399, Whittington did not find himself banished from the court: quite the opposite.<\/p>\n

Having already been a long-standing client, Bolingbroke carried on using Whittington\u2019s services even after he had taken the throne as Henry IV<\/a>. Then, when Bolingbroke\u2019s son Henry V became king in 1413, Whittington\u2019s relationship with the crown only deepened, and he was even tasked with overseeing construction of a new roof at Westminster Abbey.<\/p>\n

Was the real Dick Whittington a good mayor?<\/h2>\n

Despite his royal affiliations, Whittington felt his strongest sense of duty to the ordinary people of London. During his time as mayor, and in other civic roles, he embarked on several public building projects, including a ward for unmarried mothers at St Thomas\u2019 Hospital and even a block of public toilets, known as the \u2018Longhouse\u2019, which survived until the Great Fire of London<\/a> in 1666.<\/p>\n

Whittington also took a personal interest in improving the lives of the capital\u2019s prisoners, as McCarthy explains. \u201cVery early on in his career, Whittington developed a huge anger and distaste for London\u2019s prisons, and in particular Newgate, which was horrifically filthy and overcrowded. As his wealth grew, he made it his mission to see that the prison was rebuilt \u2013 something that was achieved shortly after his death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much of Whittington\u2019s philanthropy occurred posthumously, because, when he died in March 1423, he left his entire fortune to charity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhittington\u2019s wife Alice had already died, and the couple had not produced any children,\u201d explains McCarthy. \u201cSo in 1421, Whittington began writing up his will with help from his friend, John Carpenter, who he also named as his chief executor. But that\u2019s not all: Whittington placed Carpenter in charge of a four-man task and finish group, entrusted with spending Whittington\u2019s money after he had passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Worth \u00a37,000 \u2013 or around \u00a37m in modern terms \u2013 Whittington\u2019s bequest was enormous not only in volume, but also in the sheer breadth of how it was distributed. Remarkably, six centuries after his death, his generosity is still reflected across London today.<\/p>\n

\"Photo\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Whittington\u2019s name lives on in London\u2019s Whittington Garden \u2013 next to his burial place of St Michael Paternoster Royal church. (Photo by Grant Smith-VIEW, via Alamy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Photo\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Whittington Hospital on Highgate Hill in North London. (Photo from Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Today we still have a Whittington College, now based at Felgate; a Whittington Hospital, established in 1473; and a Whittington NHS Trust that oversees it. In London, there are schools, parks and community facilities named after Whittington.<\/p>\n

Six centuries after he changed the face of the capital, the name of this extraordinary individual lives on.<\/p>\n\n

Dick Whittington and his Cat: the true story<\/h2>\n
\"The\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The cast of Dick Whittington on stage at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The tale of the benevolent mayor has captivated theatre-goers since the 17th century.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Richard Whittington certainly deserves to be more than a mere footnote in London\u2019s history. But how did his story become synonymous with dames, horse costumes and frenzied shouts of \u201cit\u2019s behind you\u201d?<\/p>\n

The answer to that question, it seems, lies in a mixture of oral tradition and the written word. While the pantomime character of Dick Whittington didn\u2019t properly develop until the early 19th century, versions of the story were already circulating soon after the real Whittington\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirteen years after he died, Whittington was described by an unnamed poet as the \u2018sonne of marchandy\u2019 \u2013 the ultimate mercer, if you will,\u201d says Michael McCarthy. \u201cBut it seems that the story really started to take off around the 1530s, when some of his good works were beginning to bear fruit, through the auspices of the Mercers\u2019 Company and other institutions that he had founded.<\/p>\n

Playwrights were starting to hook on to his tale and think, \u2018There\u2019s an interesting story to be told here\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story of the benevolent mayor was still doing the rounds among writers of the Stuart period, with evidence that Whittington\u2019s life formed the basis of both a \u2018drama play\u2019 and a ballad in 1604 and 1605 respectively. And, according to a diary entry from September 1668, even Samuel Pepys recalled an outing to \u201cSouthwarke-Fair\u201d, where he watched \u201cthe puppet-show of Whittington, which was pretty to see\u201d.<\/p>\n

By the 17th century, Whittington was no longer a boy from noble stock, as in real life, but a poor country lad who is said to have absconded from his master\u2019s household, only to have been lured back by the sound of Bow Bells calling him to \u201cturn again\u201d and fulfil his destiny as \u201cthrice lord mayor of London\u201d.<\/p>\n

Did Dick Whittington own a cat?<\/h2>\n

But what about Whittington\u2019s beloved pet cat, who, in the pantomime, secures the boy his fortune after being sold to the sultan of a distant, rat-infested kingdom?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no evidence to suggest that Whittington owned a cat,\u201d reveals McCarthy. \u201cHowever, is it possible that a young apprentice, entrusted with looking after parts of his master\u2019s household, would have owned a cat as part of efforts to keep rats at bay? Absolutely. Whittington was serving his apprenticeship only 20 years after the Black Death, and would likely have been responsible for going into the cellars and hallways and keeping them free of vermin.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCarthy sees Whittington\u2019s fabled feline companion as a possible allegory. \u201cCats were not only associated with witchcraft, they were also connected to good luck, so I don\u2019t think it\u2019s an accident that some versions of the story used the cat as the device that makes Whittington his fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n