HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [173 



The water of the well at HORE-CROSS HALL seems of this kind, 

 and the well water of the house of Mr. John Cmnherlege, mayor of 

 WALSALL, is also aluminous; and so is the fountain head of the 

 rivulet called STICHBROOK, between Lichfield and Elmhurst, 

 which is so apparently such, that the very alum slat may be seen 

 sticking in the bank side, whence the water issues. 



Besides these, there are many other waters not mineral, which no 

 doubt carry with them some more subtile steams whereby they 

 perform unaccountable cures. Such is the water of the. well near 



GAWTON STONE, in KNYPERSLEY PARK, which has some reputa- 

 tion for the cure of the king's evil ; and so has the spring called 



Saltar's Well, near NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME ; and such is the 

 water of the three wells near Shuston House, and of St. Edith's 

 well, both in the parish of CHURCH EYTON ; of the two St. Mod- 

 wen's wells, at BURTON and Cannal, and all the holy wells in the 

 country, which the people still adorn, at some certain times of the 

 year, with green boughs and flowers, in grateful memory of the 

 good they have formerly done. *And among these must be reckon- 

 ed all sorts of eye-waters, such as that of the Elder well betwixt 

 BLYMHILL and BRINETON, and many others of the kind all over 

 the country. And so must a spring in a narrow lane about mid 

 way betwixt WOLVERHAMPTON and a house called Sea well, which 

 was anciently of such repute, that it still retains the name of the 

 Spaw. 



The above were all the wells of note in this county in the time 

 of Plot ; and the names of the owners above-mentioned, were pro- 

 prietors in his day. The following observations appear in another 

 part of his work, (ch. viii. see. 89) and may aptly conclude this 

 subject. 



" They have also a custom in this county, which I observed on 

 holy Thursday at Breewood and Bilbrook, of adorning their wells 

 with boughs and flowers : this it seems they do at all gospell- 

 places, whether wells, trees, or hills ; which being now observed 

 only for decency and custom sake, is innocent enough. Hereto- 

 fore too it was usual to pay their respect to such wells as were 

 eminent for cureing distempers, on the saint's day whose name the 

 well bore, diverting themselves with cakes and ale, and a little 

 musick and danceing; which, whilst within these bounds, was 

 also an innocent recreation. 



" But whenever they began to place sanctity in them, to bring 

 alms and offerings, or make vows at them, as the ancient Germans 



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