ABSTRACT
Michel Montaigne wanted his death to be 'morally at one with his life'; broadly speaking his assertion attempts to take into account a person's moral worth at the point of death. Similarly, this chapter will consider its significance and relationship as part of an appraisal of the 'first draft of history' upon the death of John Henry Whitley. By looking at the possible transient nature of the many obituaries dedicated to Whitley, one can see how the early sources offer a rather ordinary account of his life. Perhaps the most telling and important, though often uncritical, tributes regarding Whitley come to us by those who knew him best, particularly members of his family, primarily his son Oliver Whitley, and those who worked alongside him, most notably Whitley's secretary when Speaker, Sir Ralph Verney.
