LEMINGTON. 
being nearly in the middle of the kingdom, within two 
miles of Warwick ; a pleafant morning’s walk from Guy’s 
Cliff, once the noted refidence of our country’s champion, 
and the venerable ruins of Kenilworth Caflle; and about 
nine miles from Coventry. The canal coming near the 
village makes the necefl'aries of life moderate; the drynefs 
of its fituation renders it healthy; and the roads are clean 
and pleafant. 
“ Lemington Priors takes its name from its fituation 
on the fouth fide of the river Leame. In the Conqueror’s 
time, earl Roger held it to the extent thereof, being certi¬ 
fied at two hides, which were valued at 4I. having two 
mills rated at 24s. The church, dedicated to All Saints, 
was originally but a chapel belonging to Wooton, being 
therewith confirmed to the canons of Kenilworth, by 
Ric. Pedhe, bifhop of Coventry, in Henry the Second’s 
days, and appropriated to them by G. Mufchamp, his 
fucceffor, in king John’s time, 1291. 19 Edw. I. it was 
valued at fix marks over and above a penlion of 20s. then 
iffuing out of the abby of Malmfbury, and the vicarage 
of 20s. But in 26’-Henry 8th, the fame was valued at 61 . 
10s. the penfion at 33s. 4d. added by the canons of Ke¬ 
nilworth computed. All that is further obfervable touch¬ 
ing this place is, that, nigh to the eafl end of the church, 
is a fpring of falt-water (not above a Hone’s throw from 
the river Leame), whereof the inhabitants make ufe for 
feafoning of meat.” 
“ Newbold Comyn. This place (the original occafion of 
whofe name is difcovered by the latter Eyliable bold , which 
in the Saxon language fignifieth houfe) is one of thofe de¬ 
populated villages whereof John Rous (an antiquarian 
and fometime chantry-prieft at Guy’s Cliffe) complained, 
and lyeth on the north fide of Leame. In Edward Con- 
felfor’s time it was the inheritance of one V.leucine, who 
gave it to the abby of Malmfbury at fuch time as he was 
morn a monk in that monaftery; and by the Conqueror’s 
Survey is certified to contain 3 hides, at which time there 
was a mill yielding 8s. per annum: the value of the whole 
being 50s. But it was not long after the Norman con- 
queft that the monks of Malmfbury enfeoft one Radul- 
phus Vicecomes in this their land at Newbold ; which 
Ralph had iffue, Wibert, and he a fon called Anfelme, 
who left one only daughter, fc. Joan, within age at her 
father’s deceafe, and in ward to the Abbott, by whom 
file was given in marriage to Elias Comyn. From which 
Elias and Joan defcended thefe Comyns, who had their 
feat here, and for diflinflion from other Newbolds gave 
the addition of their own name to this place. In 31 Hen¬ 
ry III. upon difference that grew betwixt John Comyn 
and Geffry de Simely, lord of Radford, touching liberty 
of fifhing in the river Leame, they came to an agreement 
that the faid John fliould fifh as far as his own land ex¬ 
tended.” Dugdalc. 
Such was the lfate in former times of thefe two villages, 
which confiitute one parifh, or conHablewick; the river, 
which rifes in this county, divides their diftricks, wafliing 
the banks from an eaflern to a weHern direction ; a hand- 
fome Hone bridge of three arches has lately been erefted, 
which holds a communication between the two villages, 
and from whence proceeds a road leading to Coventry, &c. 
The fpring which fupplies the old baths was difco¬ 
vered in 1786, in which year a cold and a warm bath 
were conltruiSted. Upon finking the well, a rock was 
found at the depth of eighteen feet; and the wate’k rifes 
from about the depth of three feet within the rock. This 
water is pellucid when it firH rifes from the fpring; in 
fmall quantities it does not lofe its tranfparency ; a very 
fmall fediment is depofited by boiling, fo fmall indeed 
that fufficient cannot be .colleffed in this way for exami¬ 
nation. However, when the bath has been newly filled, 
in l'ome hours the tranfparency pf this large body of water 
is defiroyed by expofure to the atmofphere, and it con¬ 
trails a whitifn colour. 
The fpring now called the new baths was difcovered 
jn the year 1790, at the depth of forty-two feet from the 
■ Vp h. XII. No. 845. 
469 
furface of the ground. A well is funk about twenty-four 
feet deep. In the courfe of this depth there is a rock the 
thicknefs of eight or ten feet; afterwards a bed of marl; 
after penetrating which, another rock, much harder than 
the former, is found. Through this fecond rock a bore 
is made eighteen feet deep, where there is a fmall cleft in 
the rock. There are many little fprings found in this 
courfe; but from this cleft the water riles with violence 
to the level of four feet above the furface of the ground ; 
and it affords a confiant and copious fupply of frelh water. 
The water, when frefli drawn, fmells of fulphurated hy¬ 
drogen, or hepatic gas; but it quickly becomes inodorous 
by expofure to the atmofphere. A fediment falls to the 
bottom, and adheres to the fides of the bath. It is of a 
yellow colour, and acquires additional brightnefs by ex¬ 
pofure to the atmofphere. A fimilar fediment may be fe- 
parated by boiling the frelh water. From a gallon of wa¬ 
ter, *75 of a grain is procured. This diffolves readily in 
acids, and (hows all the common and well-known appear¬ 
ances of oxyd of iron. Several phenomena demonfirate 
the exiltence of fome metallic fubHance in this water, be- 
fides the precipitate already defcribed ; but it is fo pecu¬ 
liarly combined, or otherwife modified, as to elude, in a 
great meafure, the aflion of the ordinary re-agents. When 
the water is boiled in contaft with fome of the metals, it 
becomes turbid 5 and the metal is partly oxydated, and 
partly diffolved. The iron, which has been ufed in the 
confiruftion of the baths, is almoH deHroyed ; the tin, 
which lined a veffel ufed as warm bath for children, has 
fuffered in like manner. If the water be only boiled and 
poured into a wine-glafs with a bright key in it, the li¬ 
quor becomes turbid before it is cold. Copper feems to 
refill its action better ; but this is only in a low tempe¬ 
rature ; for, if the water be boiled in a copper veffel, 
fimilar effedls are produced ; a precipitate is formed, and. 
fome copper is diffolved in the water. This is readily 
proved by putting a bright piece of iron into the liquor, 
which, in a few hours, acquires a coppery coating. This 
remark evinces the firong necefiity of a chemical examina¬ 
tion of all the fubltances ufed as medicines. It is very 
common to warm the water with a view of quickening its 
laxative power. It is evident with what caution veffels 
in which copper is an ingredient fhould be tiled for this 
purpofe ; or, rather with what care they fliould be utterly 
avoided. 
Table of Subfances contained in the two Springs. 
Gafeous fluids contained in a wine-gallon in cubic inches. 
Hepatic gas 
Azotic gas 
Carbonic acid gas 
Old Bath. 
too fmall to be meafured 
’3 
New Bath. 
too fmall to be weighed. 
35 
•5 
Solid contents of a wine-gallon in grains. 
Carbonat of jron 
Oxyds of iron 
and manganeft 
Oxygenated mu- 
riatof iion ant 
manganefe 
Sulphur - - 
Muriat of mag- 
ntlia - 
Muriat of ft-da 
Sulphat of foda 
Sulphat ol lime 
too fmall to be weighed. 
unknown, but very fmall 
5 » 
330 
62 
J46 
‘75 
unknown,but very ftnalf. 
unknown,butveiy final!. 
1 r 5 
430 
152 
112 
It is to be obferved, that botli thefe fprings are affetfed by 
rainy weather; and that, confequentJy, their contents 
vary conliderably according to the lealons. Lambe in the 
Manchejler Mem. vol. v. part 1. 
In the fummer of the year 1808, a fait fpring was 
opened on the Newbold fide, at about the diltance of 
twenty yards from the river and bridge, to which baths 
and proper conveniences are made lor tiling the water. 
A new town is likewife building on this fide for accom- 
6 D modal ion. 
