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151
THE LONDON WATER SUPPLY
BY
E. G. Simmonds, j.p.
represented deptford on the metropolitan water
board over 14 years.
Chairman—The Appeal and Assessment Committee.
Member—The General Purposes Committee.
Do. Law and Parliamentary Committee.
Do. Staff Committee.
Do. Estates Committee.
Do. Special Committee.
In the Church of St. Andrew Undershaft, Leadenhall Street, there is a
monument to John Stow, who was born in the year 1525, and died in
the year 1605 at the age of 80. He is shown on his monument sitting
at a table writing with a quill pen. He commenced his working life
as a tailor, and at the age of 40 abandoned it for antiquarian pursuits,
which only brought him want and beggary. In his old age, after he
had spent all the powers of his mind and all his worldly goods in the
service of his country, he was awarded by his Sovereign, James I, with
his royal licence to beg. To-day his admirers visit his tomb to do him
honour, and from time to time renew the quill pen in his hand. Of
his numerous and monumental works the best-known to-day is his
" Survey of London under Elizabeth,'' written in the year 1598. In
that work he gives the following account of the water supply of
London at that date:—
"Anciently, until the Conqueror's time, and two hundred
years after, the City of London was watered, besides the famous
river of Thames on the south part, with the river of Wells, as it
was then called, on the west; with the water called Wallbrook
running through the midst of the City in the river of Thames,
serving the heart thereof ; and with a fourth water or bourn,
which ran within the City through Langbourne Ward, watering
that part in the east. In the west suburbs was also another
great water, called Oldbourne, which had its fall into the river of
Wells ; then were there three principal fountains, or wells, in the
other suburbs: to wit, Holy Well, Clement's Well, and Clerk's
Well. Near unto this last-named fountain were divers other
wells, to wit, Skinner's Well, Fags' Well, Tode Well, Loder's
Well and Radwell. All of which said wells, having the fall of