John Whitson

John Whitson (c 1558 – 1629) was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1605 and 1626. He also founded The Red Maid's School ^[1]

Whitson was a merchant and alderman of Bristol. He was Sheriff in 1589. In 1605, he was elected Member of Parliament for Bristol in a by-election to replace Sir George Snigge who was raised to the Bench. He was re-elected MP for Bristol in 1614. He was Mayor of Bristol in 1616. In 1621 he was re-elected MP for Bristol. He was elected MP for Bristol again in 1625 and 1626. In 1627 he gave a charity of £500 to be divided between five young men being ' meer merchants ', and an unspecified number of handicraft tradesmen and freemen of Bristol.^[2]

Whitson was hurt by a fall from his horse, which was the supposed cause of his death at the age of 71. He was buried at St Nicholas' Church on 9 March 1629 and as he was Captain of the trained bands of the city, they attended his body to the church and the musketeers fired three volleys over his grave. His monument in St Nicholas described his as "a worthy pattern to all who came after him.^[2]

Whitson married three times.^[2]

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