ST. HELEN'S WELL IN BRINDLE.--Dr. Kuerden in one of his MSS., describing the parish of Brindle in Leyland, states that "Over against Swansey House, a little towards the hill, standeth an ancient fabric, once the manor-house of Brindle, where hath been a chapel belonging to the same; and a little above it, a spring of very clear water, rushing straight upwards into the midst of a fair fountain, walled square about in stone and flagged in the bottom, very transparent to be seen, and a strong stream issuing out of the same. This fountain is called St. Ellen's Well, to which place the vulgar neighbouring people of the Red Letter [_i.e._, Roman Catholics] do much resort with pretended devotion on each year upon St. Ellins-day--[St. Helen's-day is either on May 21, August 18, or September 3, the two first being days of a queen, and the last of an empress saint]--where and when, out of a foolish ceremony, they offer or throw into the well, pins, which there being left, may be seen a long time after by any visitor of the fountain."[120] ST. HELEN'S WELL, NEAR SEFTON.--Mr. Hampson[121] notices the superstition of casting pins or pebbles into wells, and observing the circles formed thereby on the surface of the agitated water, and also whether the water were troubled or preserved its clearness and transparency; from which appearances they drew omens or inferences as to future events. He adds: "I have frequently seen the bottom of St. Helen's Well, near Sefton, Lancashire, almost covered with pins, which, I suppose, must have been thrown in for the like purposes." FOOTNOTES: [101] T. T. W., in _Notes and Queries_, iii. 55. [102] P. P., in _Notes and Queries_, iii. 516. [103] _Notes and Queries_, iii. p. 516. [104] Harl. MSS. Cod. 2042, fol. 239 a. [105] Harl. MSS. Cod. 2042, fol. 239. [106] Mr. Roby derived this statement from Thomas Barritt, the antiquary, who in one of his MSS. writes--"I was in company with a woman who had lain with a relation of hers sick of the small-pox. During all the time they had this hand lying with them every night, on purpose to effect a safe recovery of the afflicted person." Barritt does not say, however, that the recovery took place. [107] This story Mr. Roby derived from the same MSS. of Barritt, and also the statement of the real crime for which Arrowsmith was executed, and his alleged prophecy as to the Kenyons. Barritt says the dead hand was brought to Manchester about the time of the troubles in 1745, to cure a poor Papist lad, who came with Hill. [108] See Roby's _Traditions of Lancashire_. [109] Baines's _Lancashire_, vol. iii. p. 638. [110] _Pictorial History of Lancashire._ [111] Mannex's _Hist. and Topog. of Lancashire_. [112] Baines's _History of Lancashire_, vol. iii. pp. 638-9. [113] Mannex's _History and Topography of Lancashire_. [114] From a Correspondent. [115] The _Tablet_, July 26, 1856. [116] Scarsdale. [117] Dr. Whitaker's _History of Whalley_.