Thomas Blanke

Article summary

Sir Thomas Blanke (died 1588) was an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London. He was the son of a London haberdasher, also named Thomas Blanke, and the brother-in-law of James Altham, one of the Sheriffs of London in 1557. Like his father, Thomas Blanke followed the trade of a haberdasher. He became an alderman in 1572 and served as one of the Sheriffs of London in 1574. He was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1582. He had the misfortune to be elected during a severe outbreak of the plague; due to the pestilence, there was no pageant celebrating his election, and he was not presented to the queen until the next May. Much of his mayoralty was spent dealing with the effects of the plague, and his efforts earned him the appellation of "The Good Knight". He died in 1588, at the age of 74, and was buried at St Mary-at-Hill; his wife lived until 1596, being buried in the same tomb. As he had died without issue, his estate at Abbott's Inn passed into the Altham family, who retained it until it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.

Key claims

1. date of death: 1588 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 1588 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of death is "1588". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "1588". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377792356