Career
He also founded The Red Maid"s School. Whitson was a merchant and alderman of Bristol. He was Sheriff in 1589.
He was re-elected Member of Parliament for Bristol in 1614.
He was Mayor of Bristol in 1616. In 1621 he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Bristol.
He was elected Member of Parliament 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.
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 Street 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 Street Nicholas described him as "a worthy pattern to all who came after him". Whitson married three times.
