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Dick Whittington: from medieval merchant to panto hero

Michael McCarthy tells the story of the real-life Lord Mayor of London who inspired the famous pantomime character

Published: March 1, 2023 at 9:10 AM

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If you grew up watching pantomimes, then you’ll likely be familiar with the story of Richard “Dick” Whittington – the poor country boy who ends up becoming three-times Lord Mayor of London. But did you know that Dick Whittington was a real person? Michael McCarthy tells Jon Bauckham about the wealthy merchant who inspired the tale, and explains why – on the 600th anniversary of his death – he deserves to be remembered today.

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Michael McCarthy is the author of Citizen of London: Richard Whittington – The Boy Who Would Be Mayor (Hurst, 2022)

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Authors

Jon BauckhamDigital commissioning editor

Jon Bauckham is the digital commissioning editor at HistoryExtra

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