Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 59.djvu/287

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lack a permanent value. He states that he had contemplated a history of the Spanish colonies, but lost the papers he had collected, partly as a prisoner, partly at sea. His chief works are: 1. ‘The present State of the Spanish Colonies, including an Account of Hispaniola,’ London, 1810. 2. ‘An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Four Species of Peruvian Sheep,’ London, 1811. 3. ‘An Exposé of the Dissensions of Spanish America,’ London, 1814. 4. ‘The true Interests of the European Powers and of the Empire of Brazil in reference to … Portugal,’ with other pamphlets, London, 1829 (the copy in the British Museum contains an autograph letter to the Duke of Sussex). 5. ‘Letter to Viscount Goderich respecting the relations of England and Portugal,’ London, 1830. 6. ‘Spain, or who is the lawful Successor to the Throne?’ London, 1834. 7. ‘Legitimacy the only Salvation of Spain,’ London, 1835. 8. ‘Revolutions of Spain,’ London, 1837. 9. ‘The Alpaca: a Plan for its Naturalisation,’ London, 1844. More than a dozen other letters to statesmen and similar political pamphlets, all on Spain and Portugal, are noted in the British Museum catalogue. Walton also translated two or three works from the French.

[Gent. Mag. 1857, ii. 96; Allibone's Dict. of Engl. Lit.; British Museum Cat.]

C. A. H.

WALWORTH, Count JENISON (1764-1824), diplomatist. [See Jenison, Francis.]

WALWORTH, Sir WILLIAM (d. 1385), lord mayor of London, was descended of good family. A William de Walworth, who may have been his father, was the grantee of land in Darlington in 1314. Sir William himself succeeded a member of the ancient family of Bart, Bard, or Baard, in the tenure of a manor which included the parish of Middleton St. George, near Darlington in Durham; his brother Thomas was a canon of York, and Sir William by his will forgave the convent of Durham a hundred marks. His name appears among those of his relatives in the ‘Durham Book of Life,’ and his arms (gules, a bend raguly argent between two garbs or) were displayed in the cloister of St. Cuthbert's Cathedral. The family of Kelynghall, who succeeded him as owners of Middleton, bore his arms (‘The Tenures of Middleton St. George,’ by W. H. D. Longstaffe, in Archæologia Æliana, new ser. ii. 72–5).

Walworth was apprenticed to John Lovekyn [q. v.], a member of the Fishmongers' Guild (Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs, ed. Riley, p. 250), and was chosen alderman of Bridge ward on 11 Nov. 1368, succeeding Lovekyn, his late master, in that office (City Records, Letter-book G, f. 217). On 21 Sept. 1370 he was elected sheriff, and was admitted before the barons of the exchequer at Westminster on 30 Sept. (ib. f. 254). In 1370 he contributed the large sum of 200l. to the city loan to Edward III (ib. ff. 263, 270). He was elected mayor in 1374. On 24 Aug. 1375 the porters of the five city gates were sworn before Walworth and the recorder to prevent lepers from entering the city (ib. Letter-book H, f. 20). Stow relates that during his mayoralty Walworth effectually used his authority for suppressing usury within the city, and that the House of Commons followed up his action by petitioning the king ‘that the order that was made in London against the horrible vice of usury might be observed throughout the whole realm;’ to which the king answered that the old law should continue (Survey of London, 1720, bk. v. p. 113). Another ordinance of 21 Sept. prohibited the keepers of taverns from using ‘alestakes’ or poles projecting in front of their houses and bearing the sign or ‘bush’ of the tavern of greater length than seven feet (City Records, Letter-book H, f. 22).

In 1376 an important change was made in the constitution of the city, the election of the common council being taken away from the men of the wards and transferred to the members of the guilds. This was not effected without some disturbance, and the king threatened to interpose. A deputation of six commoners, with Walworth and (Sir) Nicholas Brembre [q. v.], was sent to appease the king and assure him that no disturbance had occurred in the city beyond what proceeded from reasonable debate on an open question. This explanation was accepted by the king (ib. ff. 44, 44 b). Walworth is described in the patent rolls for 1377 and onwards as a wealthy London merchant, and frequently figures with Brembre, (Sir) John Philipot [q. v.], John Haddeley, and other merchants of less note for whom they acted, as advancing large sums by way of loan to the king (Cal. of Pat. Rolls, Richard II, 1377–81 passim).

In 1377 Walworth and Philipot were appointed treasurers of the two tenths and fifteenths granted by parliament on 13 Oct. They were entrusted with full authority to receive and disburse the funds, and were granted a hundred marks each a year for their labour (Pat. Rolls. 1377–81, p. 99). The Duke of Lancaster, whose growing power made him resent the restraint of this super-