Lincolnshire | Monmouthshire
STOW, speaking of the wells near London, says that on the north side
thereof is a well called Clark's Well ; and, in assigning the reason for
this appellation, he furnishes us with a curious fact relating to the
parish clerks of London. His words are these: Clark's Well took its
name from the parish clerks in London, who of old times were accustomed
there yearly to assemble and to play some large history of Holy
Scripture.
--Brand, Pop. Ant., ii. 370, 371.
In the year 1390, the 14th of Richard the Second, the parish clerks in
London, on July 18, plaied Enterludes at Skinner's Well, near unto Clark's
Well, which play continued three days together, [89] the king, queen, and nobles being present. Also in
the year 1409, the tenth of Henry IV., they played a play at the Skinner's
Well which lasted eight days, and was of matter from the creation of the
world; there were to see the same most part of the nobles and gentles of
England.
--Survey of London, 4to., 1603, p. 15 Hawkins'
History of Music (Novello's Ed.), p. 559, vol. 2.
This well is situated behind the Alexandra Palace. It formerly belonged to the Hospital Order of St. John's, Clerkenwell--an hospital order for lepers. Robert Bruce had a free pass granted to him by the King of England, in order to go and bathe in its waters for his leprosy. The water is slightly chalybeate and bituminous.
In a tract, 1684, it is thus described: The New Well at Islington is
a certain spring in the middle of a garden belonging to the Music House,
built by Mr. Sadler, on the north side of the great cistern that receives
the New River water, near Islington ; the water whereof was before the
Reformation very much famed for several extraordinary cures performed
thereby, and was, there-fore, accounted sacred, and called Holy
Well. The priests belong-ing to the Priory of Clerkenwell using to
attend there, made the people believe that the virtues of the water
proceeded from the efficacy of their prayers. But upon the Reformation the
well was stopped up.
--(Antiquary, xiii. 108.)
Islington lands, a famous ducking land.
The sport consisted in
hunting a duck with dogs, the duck diving when the dogs came close to elude
capture. Another mode was to tie an owl upon the duck's back; the duck
dives to escape the burden when, on rising for air, the wretched
half-drowned owl shakes itself, and, hooting, frightens the duck; she, of
course, dives again, and replunges the owl into the water. The frequent
repetition of this action soon deprived the owl of its sensation, and
generally ended in its death, if not that of the duck also.--See
Strutt's Sports and Pastimes.
There was one dedicated to St. John in Shoreditch, which Stow says was spoiled by rubbish and filth laid down to heighten the plots of garden ground near it.
An illustration of this interesting well will be found in Hone's Table Book, i., 381, 382.
A pump now represents St. Clement's Well (Strand), which in Henry II.'s reign was a favourite idling place of scholars and city youths in the summer evenings, when they walked forth to take the air.
This well is said to be still visited by the faithful who believe in the virtues of its waters.
In a field opposite the Vicarage House, rises a spring called "Bishop's Well," of which the common people report many strange cures.--Brand, ii. 369.
Whilst writing about a Middlesex well, may I suggest that to the list should be added that of St. Loy's, or Eloy's Well, Tottenham, if for no other reason than the uncommonness of the name in England? It is frequently to be met with in Belgium. Bedwell, whose Brief History of Tottenham was printed in 1631, wrote: 'St. Loy's Well, which nowe is nothing els but a deep pitte in the highway on the west side thereof, betweene his cell and the Crosse, almost midde way ; it is always full of water, but neuer runneth ouer; the water thereof, as they say, doth farre excede all the waters nere vnto it; it was within the memory of man cast, to cleanse it, because it was almost fill'd vp with muddle and in the bottome of it there was found a very fayre great stone, which had certaine characters or letters engrau'n vpon it, but it [91] being by the negligence of the workmen broken and sorly defaced, and no man nere that regarded such things, it is vnknown what they were, or what they might signify.'
HARRY G. GRIFFINHOOFE.
St. Stephen's Club, S.W.
There was on the north side of St. Pancras Church a mineral spring known as St. Pancras' Wells.
Close to Battle Bridge was a mineral spring of great antiquity, called St. Chad's Well; it has been swept away by the Metropolitan Railway station of King's Cross.
Two springs discovered 1767 ; one chalybeate, the other aperient.
Black Mary's Well, so called from one Mary. Some say a black woman named Wollaston leased here a conduit, to which the citizens resorted to drink the waters, and who kept a black cow, whose milk gentlemen and ladies drank with the waters.
Mary dying, the place degenerated into licentious uses about 1687. Walter Baynes, Esq., of the Inner Temple, inclosed the conduit in the manner it now is, which looks like a great oven (18I3). He is supposed to have left a fund to keep it in repair. The stone with inscription was carried away during the night about ten years ago (1882).
Here is a deep well named as above, whose waters never freeze nor dry up, and are considered curative for affections of the eyes.