Natural history -- England -- Wiltshire; Wiltshire (England) -- History
This advertisement I desired Dr. Rich. Blackburne to word. He is one of
the College of Physitians, and practiseth yearly at Tunbridge-wells. It
was printed in an Almanack of Hen. Coley about 1681, but it tooke no
effect.
“Advertisement.—At Seen (neer ye Devizes in Wiltshire) are springs
discovered to be of the nature and vertue of those at Tunbridge, and
altogether as good. They are approved of by severall of ye physitians
of the Colledge in London, and have donne great cures, viz.
particularly in the spleen, the reines, and bladder, affected with
heat, stone, or gravell; or restoring hectick persons to health and
strength, and wonderfully conducing in all cases of obstructions.”
I proceeded and tryed other wells, but my ingeniose faithfull servant
Robert Wiseman (Prudhome) tryed all the wells in the village, and found
that all the wells of the south side doe turne with galles more or
lesse, but the wells of the north side turne not with them at all. This
hill lies eastward and westward; quod N.B.
The water of Jo. Sumner’s well was so bad for household use that they
could not brew nor boyle with it, and used it only to wash the house,
&c.; so that they were necessitated to sinke a well in the common,
which is walled, about a bow shott or more from his dwelling house,
where is fresh and wholsome water. Memorandum. Dr. Grew in his
[Catalogue] of the Royall Society has mistaken this well in the common
for the medicinall well of J. Sumner. But, mem., there is another well
that turnes, I thinke, as deep as J. Sumner’s. [On the subject of this
discovery by Aubrey, to which he attached great importance, the reader
is referred to Britton’s “Memoir of Aubrey”, published by the Wiltshire
Topographical Society, p. 17. As there stated, most of the property
about Seend now belongs to W. H. Ludlow Bruges, Esq. M.P., who
preserves the well; but its waters are not resorted to for sanatory
purposes.—J. B.]
Memorandum. That Dudley, Lord North, grandfather to Sir Francis North,
Lord Keeper, and Baron of Guildford, returning from his travells from
the Spaw, &c. making a visit to the Earle of Leicester at Penshurst,
his relation, as he was riding thereabout made observation of the earth
where the water run, the colour whereof gave him an indication of its
vertue. He sent for galles, and tryed it by evaporation, &c. and found
out the vertue, which hath ever since continued and donne much good to
the drinkers, and the inhabitants thereabout* This discovery was this
year (1685), about seventy-five years since, and ’tis pitty it should
be buried in oblivion. My Lord Keeper North told me of this himselfe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account