Dick Whittington

Dick Whittington (died March 1423, London, Eng.) was an English merchant and lord mayor of London who became a well-known figure in legend and traditional pantomime. Whittington, who was the son of a knight of Gloucestershire, opened a mercer’s shop in London that supplied velvets and damasks to such notables as Henry Bolingbroke (later King Henry IV). He then entered city politics and served three terms as lord mayor of London: 1397–99, 1406–07, and 1419–20....