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Introduction
Early in the reign of Richard II, Richard Whittington (?1354-1423), third son of a Gloucestershire gentleman, came up to London make his way in the world of trade. He amassed a fortune as a textile merchant and financier, was thrice elected Lord Mayor of London, and left a legacy of civic works, churches and welfare that deeply impressed sixteenth-century historian Richard Grafton.
This year [1406] a worthy citizen of London, named Richard Whittington, mercer* and alderman,* was elected mayor of the said city, and bare that office three times.*
This worshipful man so bestowed his goods and substance to the honour of God, to the relief of the poor, and to the benefit of the common weal, that he hath right well deserved to be regestered in the book of fame. First, he erected one house or church in London to be a house of prayer, and he named the same after his own name Whittington’s College, and so it remaineth to this day.*
And in the same church, besides certain priests and clerks, he placed a number of poor aged men and women and builded for them houses and lodgings, and allowed unto them wood, coal, cloth, and weekly money to their great relief and comfort. He also builded for the ease of the mayor of London and his brethren, and of the worshipful citizens at the solemn days of their assembly, a chapel adjoining to the Guildhall, to the intent they should ever before they entered into any of their affairs first to go into the chapel, and by prayer to call upon God for assistance.
* A mercer is a dealer in textile fabrics, especially fine cloth such as silk or velvet. In 1406, Richard Whittington supplied a wedding dress in pearls and cloth of gold for Henry IV’s daughter Philippa, who married the King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It cost £248 10s 6d, or over £200,000 today.
* An alderman is a member of a local council, junior to the Mayor. In the UK, the role has mostly fallen into disuse, but the City of London still has aldermen, and candidates for Lord Mayor are restricted to aldermen who have been Sheriff of the City.
* The year 1406 saw Richard Whittington (?1354-1423) elected Lord Mayor of London for the second time. The first was in 1397, and the third and last time was in 1419. Each term lasted one year. Whittington had also been appointed to the role earlier in 1397 by King Richard II after the holder, goldsmith Adam Bamme, died in office, so as modern scholars do John Stow (?1525-1605) counted four terms in his Survey of London (1598). Whittington had come up to London sometime before 1379, the first year for which there is record of his activity there.
* “His executors” John Stow tells us “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 called Newgate, &c.” Whittington had funded the rebuilding of his parish church, St Michael Paternoster Royal, in 1409. Now St Michael’s became a collegiate church administered by a team of five clergy as The College of St Spirit and St Mary. St Michael’s was consumed in the Great Fire of 1666, and with it all trace of the graves of Richard and his wife Alice. The present building dates back to 1694.
Précis
Sixteenth-century chronicler Richard Grafton recorded that when Sir Richard Whittington died in 1423, the former Lord Mayor of London’s Will established an almshouse for thirteen destitute men and women, annexed to his parish church. The chapel at the Guildhall was also Whittington’s gift, founded in the hope that the Aldermen would make their deliberations in an atmosphere of prayer. (59 / 60 words)
Sixteenth-century chronicler Richard Grafton recorded that when Sir Richard Whittington died in 1423, the former Lord Mayor of London’s Will established an almshouse for thirteen destitute men and women, annexed to his parish church. The chapel at the Guildhall was also Whittington’s gift, founded in the hope that the Aldermen would make their deliberations in an atmosphere of prayer.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, despite, if, otherwise, until, whereas, who.
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