Dick Whittington
Person Male Born 1350 Died 23/3/1423
Born in Pauntley, Gloucestershire, second son of a wealthy man. Thrice Lord Mayor of London: 1397, 1406 and 1420 (actually four times but two were consecutive). Three times Master of the Mercers' Company. The Museum of London tells his story well but we first learnt the story from the Ladybird book (see the picture) and many British children learn it from Christmas pantomimes.
A fact not mentioned there we learnt from Londonist: the hellish Newgate Prison was known as 'the Whit' because it "was rebuilt in the early 15th century at the bequest of Mayor Dick Whittington".
Another fact that the Ladybird book did not mention, but was brought to our attention by Camden History Society, is that Whittington also bequeathed funds for a public toilet, the first split by gender, with 64 seats for each. On Cheapside, its ditch was flushed by the Thames tide twice daily - so nice and hygienic then.
