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152
their overflowing in the aforesaid river, much increased the stream,
and in that place gave it the name of Well. In West Smithfield
there was a pool, in records called Horsepool, and one other pool
near unto the parish church of St. Giles without Cripplegate.
Besides all which, they had in every street and lane of the City
divers fair wells and fresh springs ; and after this manner was
this City served with sweet and fresh waters, which being since
decayed, other means have been sought to supply the want."
Since the reign of Elizabeth the water supply to the City of London
had become very deficient owing to the partial failure of the springs
supplying the conduits. The so-called conduits were what we should
to-day call fountains, where the water was always running. Some
were very elaborate structures. Stow describes one built in the year
1478 by the inhabitants of Fleet-street near the bridge over the Fleet
River as " A fair tower of stone garnished with an image of St.
Christopher on the top, and angels lower down with sweet sounding
bells before them whereupon by an engine placed in the tower the
divers hours of the day and night chimed such an hymn as was
appointed." London had so increased in size, and the population had
become so numerous that the existing supplies were quite inadequate
for the wants of the people, notwithstanding the sixteen conduits and
the great supply from the Thames.
The earliest records of private enterprise for supplying water in
London was in 1581 or 1582 when Peter Maurice or Morris, a Dutchman,
conceived the idea of raising water from the Thames by means
of a water wheel placed in one of the arches in London Bridge which
was worked by the ebb and flow of the tide, and forced the water
through pipes as far as the Standard on Cornhill. The enterprise was
successful and subsequently became the London Bridge Waterworks
Company which continued their useful service for 240 years until
London Bridge was pulled down and removed to another site in 1822,
when the area supplied by them was taken over by the New River
Company.
Elm Tree Pipes.
In 1594, one, Bevis Bulmer, built an engine at Broken Wharf,
between London Bridge and Blackfriars for forcing and conveying
Thames water to serve in the middle and west parts of the City. The
so called engine was at first a windmill, and later a horse engine.
When these works ceased to exist is not known, but were most likely
taken over by the London Bridge Waterworks Company.