Turn again, Whittington, thou worthy citizen
Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London
Make your fortune, find a good wife
You will know happiness all through your life.
He became a mercer (cloth dealer) and became very successful by importing exotic fabrics. He was soon a rich man and was soon lending money to King Richard II. As a reward the king made him the Lord Mayor of London for two consecutive years. When King Richard was deposed Dick Whittington left London but legend has it that on hearing the sound of the bells of Bow Church calling him back he decided to return.
His success continued and he became Lord mayor again in 1406 and then for a final term in 1419. During his lifetime he used much of his fortune to finance projects to help the poor such as basic drainage and sanitation in the slum areas. On his death he left the equivalent of £5,000,000 that repaired St Bart's hospital and built almshouses for the poor, so it is no wonder his legend has lived on.
This is the church of St Michael Paternoster in the City of London. The original was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666 and it is here that they believe Whittington lived and was buried.
Sharing with Our World Tuesday
enjoyed this peek into history :)
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised to find that Dick Whittington is a real person! Thanks for the visit and interesting information. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice church, must remember to look it up if I ma near to it when I visit London again
ReplyDeleteSounds like he was a very giving soul.Love the stained glass. Janey
ReplyDeleteLovely stained glass windows! And an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame that it burned down, but the church in its place is beautiful. The stained glass windows are so different and eye catchers. Take care. Chel x
ReplyDeleteEveryone has heard of him but I expect few, including myself, knew his story.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Dick Whittington was a real person. Sounds like he was a concerned citizen as well as a good businessman.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story and I love those stained glass windows.
ReplyDeleteGreat story - good to find out the story behind the story - I wonder how many other 'legends' have such a basis!
ReplyDeleteNo chance of 'fame' altering my commenting patterns! So, your have to put up with me for a bit longer!!!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
The stained glass windows are very nice.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Wonderful series of photos and a most informative post! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend to you,
artmusedog and carol
That's quite a person and history here. I was born in London but have no memories of it!
ReplyDeletelove the inside of old Churches. Such character!
ReplyDeleteWonder if my comment got through...great to read about Richard W. - such a benevolence! So the inside of the church you show is from after the fires?
ReplyDeleteThose glass paintings are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteApparently 'the streets were paved with gold' was right. A pity that they are not paved with gold anymore. Interesting story
ReplyDeleteOne ambitious and successful person! Thank you for the story.
ReplyDeleteThe stained glass looks amazing.
The best kind of legend it appears!
ReplyDeleteA very interesting and informative read, especially as I am one of those people who just knew the legend of Dick Whittington and the streets of London etc.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are still people who imagine that London is paved with gold!
I Remember reading the story about him in "the book of knowledge" when I was a little girl (early last century;) ... The book was a children's anthology .
ReplyDeleteI've always liked the story of his cat, which helped mr. Whittington make his fortune in London. Even if it's not true!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post and photographed so well.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful stained glass!
ReplyDeleteMagnifique endroit !
ReplyDeleteMagnifique endroit !
ReplyDelete