Berkshire | Cambridgeshire
THE holy well, which bore Sir John Shorne's name, and was supposed to have
derived its medicinal qualities from his prayers and benedictions, is
situated about 150 yards from the church. It is still known by the
villagers as "Sir John Shorne's Well," but is commonly called
"The Town Well." It [4] consists of
a cistern, 5 feet 4 inches square, and 6 feet 9 inches deep. This is
walled round with stone, and has a flight of four stone steps descending
into the water. The cistern is enclosed by a building, somewhat larger
than the well itself, with walls com-posed of brick and stone, about 5 feet
high, and covered with a roof of board. From the size and construction of
the building, it was probably occasionally used as a bath, but the sick
were, doubtless, chiefly benefited by drinking the water. It is slightly
chalybeate, containing a large portion of calcareous earth. Formerly its
properties must have been very powerful, for its supposed miraculous cures
attracted such numbers of invalids to it that houses had to be built for
their accommodation. Browne Willis says that many aged persons then
living remembered a post in a quinqueniam on Oving Hill (about a mile east
of the well), which had hands pointing to the several roads, one of them
directing to Sir John Shorne's Well.
He likewise says ceremonies were
practised here on account of this gentleman. But Lipscombe's transcripts
from Willis are not to be trusted; for instance, he says the miracle of
Shorne was recorded on the wall which enclosed the holy well when it
was visited by Browne Willis,
whereas Willis's own words are,
"At the south end of the town is a well, known by the name of Sir John
Shorn's Well (perhaps so named from the tonsure), which tradition tells us
had this inscription on the wall of it
"'Sir John Shorn,
Gentleman born,
Conjured the Devil into a Boot.'"
In the marriage register of North Marston occurs this entry : It is
said that the chancel of this church of North Marston, nearly four miles
south from Winslow, was built with the offerings at the shrine of Sir John
Schorne, a very devout man, who had been rector of the parish about the
year 1290, and that this village became very populous and flourishing in
consequence of the great resort of persons to a well of water here, which
he had blessed, which ever after was called 'Holy Well,' but my
parishioners now call it 'Town Well'; its water is chalybeate. The common
people in this neighbourhood, and more particularly some ancient people of
this my own parish, still keep up the memory of this circumstance by many
traditionary stories.
This entry is signed, [5] William Pinnock, September 12, 1860.
One
legend is that Master Shorne, in a season of drought, was moved by the
prayers of his congregation to take active measures to supply their need.
He struck his staff upon the earth, and immediately there burst forth a
perennial spring. The water was a specific for ague and gout; it is now
obtained by a pump. There is still a tradition that a box for the receipt
of the offerings was affixed to the well, but this has not been the case
within the memory of any person now living. The building which enclosed
the well when Willis visited it has been removed, and a comparatively
modern one has taken its place. A glass of the water drunk at night was
said to cure any cold ere daybreak. For much information re Sir John
Shorne, see Records of Bucks, vols. ii. and iii., from which
the above account is taken. Representations of Sir John Shorne occur on
the rood-screens Of Cawston, c. 1450; Gateby, c. 1480 Suffield, c.
1450, in Norfolk, and Sudbury (in the possession of Gainsborough Dupont,
Esq.), Suffolk, c. 1550.
There is a local tradition that when Julius Caesar invaded Britain, he found a hart drinking at a well or spring; hence the name. The water is supposed to cure weak eyes and several other complaints. I myself can testify to having been cured of rheumatism by using it.--M. A. Smethurst, Aylesbury.