1865 - Redfern, Francis - History of Town of Uttoxeter (2)

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
Allusion
Date 1865
Author Redfern, Francis
Title History of Town of Uttoxeter
Mentions Maiden's Well (Uttoxeter); Maid Marian
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Maiden Well, Uttoxeter.
The mesh covering and brick walls of the Maiden's Well can be seen to the left of the drive / Google Earth Street View.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2020-10-18. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-17.

Allusion

 Another of these wells [in Uttoxeter] was called Marian's Well anciently, but in more modern times Maiden's Well, or Maiden's Wall Well (wall having the same meaning as well), and is situated on the ascent to the High Wood, by the road side, nearly opposite to the public-house there, but it has since been taken into the field. The waters of this well have also been famous for their virtues in healing; and the grandfather of an aged female living in Uttoxeter wished in his dying moments to have a bottle of water from it to drink, on account of its remarkable properties; so that its fame remained great until less than a hundred years back, although, perhaps, not six persons at this time, except by this notice, know any thing about it. But what is also remarkable about it is that it was believed to be haunted by the ghost of a handsome young lady, on account of which people were much afraid of going past it at night—a superstition origi- [p. 265:] nating, probably, in a former belief of the well having been inhabietd by spirits, there being superstitious beliefs of this kind in Scotland at this day.[1]

Source notes

IRHB's brackets. P. 264 n. 2 (note to 'Marian's Well'): 'Should Marian be a corruption of Mary this well would doubtless be a baptistry in early times, in connection with Uttoxeter Church, which is dedicated to St. Mary'.
P. 264 n. 3 (note to 'anciently,'): 'Lightfoot's Survey'. The latter source is a survey of the parish of Uttoxeter dating from 1658.[2]

IRHB comments

In the slightly expanded account in the second edition of Redfern's work – see 1886 - Redfern, Francis - History and Antiquities of Town of Uttoxeter (2) – he instead interprets the element 'Marian' as referring to Maid Marian. See discussion at page on Maiden's Well (Uttoxeter).

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