Discover

'Dick Whittington' (also 'Dick Wittington') is a character in a British pantomime, very loosely based on Richard Whittington, who was probably born in Gloucestershire but whose family came from Kinver in Staffordshire, England.^[1] His date of birth is variously given as in the 1350s and he died in London in 1423. There are several versions of the traditional story, which tells how Dick, a boy from a poor family, sets out for London to make his fortune, accompanied by his cat. At first he meets with little success, and is tempted to return home. However, on his way out of the city, whilst climbing Highgate Hill from Archway
★
★ , he hears the Bow Bells of London ringing, and believes they are sending him a message. A traditional rhyme is associated with this episode, as follows:
:''Turn again, Whittington,''
:''Once Mayor of London!''
:''Turn again, Whittington,''
:''Twice Mayor of London!''
:''Turn again, Whittington,''
:''Thrice Mayor of London!''
On returning to London, Dick embarks on a series of adventures. In one version of the tale, he travels abroad on a ship, and wins many friends as a result of the rat-catching activities of his cat; in another he sends his cat and it is sold to make his fortune. Eventually he does become prosperous, marries his master's daughter Alice Fitzwarren (the name of the real Whittington's wife), and is made Lord Mayor of London three times (the historical Whittington was elected Lord Mayor four times).
Alan Armstrong, in his children's novel ''Whittington'' (2005) (ISBN 0-375-82864-8), asserts that, beginning in the year 1605, "Whittington's name, still famous because of his generosities, got attached to a thirteenth-century Persian folktale about an orphan who gained a fortune through his remarkable cat."

Contents

References

Trivia

External links

References

1. Express and star

Trivia

★ In the video games ''Giants: Citizen Kabuto'' and ''Armed and Dangerous'' by Planet Moon Studios, there is a fortified jail called Dick Whittington Prison.

★ There is a large hospital on Archway/Highgate hill named the Whittington hospital, after this alleged episode.

External links

★ ''Dick Whittington and His Cat'': "A pantomime [adapt.] by Stuart Ardern." ("Read the complete Dick Whittington panto script on line. All the scripts on this site are copyrighted and may not be printed, quoted or performed without the permission of Lazy Bee Scripts. ''Dick Whittington and His Cat'' is a pantomime in two acts with a run time approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.") Accessed December 1, 2006.

★ ''Nine part radio play from BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

★ ''The History of Whittington'', as collected by Andrew Lang in ''The Blue Fairy Book'' (1889).

★ ''Dick Whittington and His Cat''. London: Jarrold, 1900.

★ ''Dick Whittington and His Cat''. London: Tebel Toy Novelty House, 1895.

★ ''Dick Whittington & his Cat'': London's Family Panto. Adapt. by Mark Ravenhill. On Stage at the Barbican Theatre, London. November 29, 2006-January 20, 2007. (Informational and ticket site.) Info: Audio (MP3) and Video Podcast (WMP) links. Video Podcast (WMP) (Full screen).

★ "Who Was Dick Whittington?" Museum of London December 17, 2006. (Free educational program: ''Storytelling''.) Event details.

★ Dick Whittington and His Cat as retold by Rohini Chowdhury.