The medicinal qualities of the Tuewhit Well having been discovered by Mr. William Slingsby in or about the year 1571, this gentleman did "drink the water every yeare after all his life time" and averred that "it was much better, and did excell the tart fountaines beyond the seas." Much pains were taken to bring the waters into notoriety in the interests of humanity, and by reason of a pardonable national pride that the country could boast of a health resort in every way comparable with the famous German health resort of Spa. Chief among these early advocates of this home fountain was Dr. Timothy Bright, who is responsible for naming the well the "English Spa," which name was apparently adopted by the gentry partaking of the water, whereas the common folk still cling to the ancient name of Tuewhit Well. Timothy Bright has had a varied literary history. For about three centuries he was almost entirely forgotten, and some of his works even ascribed to purely imaginary authors. In recent years full justice has been done to his name as the "father of shorthand" following the publication by J.H. Ford in 1888 of the tercentenary edition of his work entitled "Characterie," and since that year there has been much written of him. The curious may therefore consult the works mentioned in the footnote,[15] but it will suffice for my purpose to give a brief sketch of his life, not as the "father of shorthand," but as one of the fathers of Harrogate. Timothy Bright was born in Cambridge in the year 1551, matriculated in Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1565, and took his B.A. in 1567-8. He then went to Paris to study medicine, and in 1572 narrowly escaped the Massacre at Paris on St. Bartholomew's Eve by taking shelter at the house of Sir Francis Walsingham, the English ambassador. Returning to England he graduated M.B. in 1574 and M.D. in 1579. In 1584 he was well launched on his medical career, for he was the physician at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. By this time he had achieved some reputation as a writer and had obtained the friendship of the powerful Cecil Lord Burghley, Sir Francis Walsingham and Sir Philip Sidney, which probably explains how his now famous work "Characterie" was in 1588 dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. His connection with these powerful personages led to a change in his profession and incidentally to his connection with Harrogate, for on July 5th, 1591, the Queen presented him to the Rectory of Methley in Yorkshire, and on the 30th of Dec., 1594, also to the Rectory of Barwick in Elmet in the same county. He held both these livings till his death, which took place in 1615. By his Will he left his body "to be buried when and where it shall please God." He was no mean linguist for he bequeathed his Hebrew Bible and a Syriac Testament as well as Greek, Latin and Italian works to his brother. His books of Phisick and Philosophie he bequeathed to his sonne Titus Bright, M.D. He