5 
Joshua Childrey, D.D., was a divine and natural 
philosopher, born in 1623, and died in 1670, was 
rector of Upwey in Dorsetshire after the Restoration, 
and filled other offices in the Church. 
Under the head of Wiltshire he says: 
‘¢ Sometimes there break out water in the manner of 
a sudden land flood, out of certain stones (that are like 
rocks) standing aloft in open fields near the rising of 
the River Kenet in this shire, which is reputed by the 
common people a forerunner of dearth. That the sud- 
den eruption of springs in places where they use not 
always to run should be a sign of dearth is no wonder. 
For these unusual eruptions (which in Kent we call 
Nailbournes) are caused by extreme gluts of rain, or 
lasting wet weather, and never happen but in wet 
years (witness the year 1648 when there were many 
of them) in which years Wheat and most other grain 
thrive not well (for a plain reason) and therefore dearth 
succeeds the year following.” 
Under the head of Surrey he says: 
‘The rising of a bourn or stream near Croydon 
(as the common people hold) presageth death, as the 
plague; and it hath been observed to fall out so. 
The rising of Bourns in places where they run not 
alwayes, we have before proved to be caused by great 
wet years, which (according to Hippocrates’ observa- 
tion) are generally the most sickly ; and if they prove 
hot as wel as wet (because heat and moisture are great 
disposers to putrefaction) they prove also malignant 
and for the most part pestilential. And the reason 
why the rising of this bourne doth not always presage 
the Plague, is because all wet years do not prove 
hot.” 
Childrey. 
Wiltshire 
Bourne. 
Nailbournes, 
Kent. Bourne 
due to rainfall. 
Childrey. 
Croydon 
Bourne. 
Causes and 
effects of 
Bournes. 
