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Richard Whittington, was born in Gloucester at Pauntley in The Forest of Dean (approx. forty miles from here)!
As he was a younger son of his father, he would not have inherited any of his fathers estate and, had been sent to 'make his fortune' elsewhere. He travelled to London after hearing about the pavements being 'paved in gold', to earn his wealth. He became a 'merchant' and basically, 'made good'.
Accordingly to folktales, The Bow Bells, appeared to chime out the rhyme:
'Turn again Whittington,
thrice,
Lord Mayor of London'!
He did become The Lord Mayor and, as the bells predicted, he did, hold the position in:
1397 - 99, 1404 - 07 and 1419 - 20.
He died in 1423
