THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB
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atte-Bower, with the mansion of Pyrgo Park on the sky-line ; on the north in
the valley, the modern mansion of Harold Court; the rising ground and trees of
Dagnam Park (Lady Neave's), and the village and park of South Weald. The
view eastward of Brentwood, Warley, and Thorndon Park (three miles) is cut off by
a higher ridge of land (300 feet), and Foxburrow (Coombe Green) Wood. The
whole scenery is charmingly diversified, a bit of rural Essex of the olden days at
present unaltered.
At the N.E, corner is a farm-house called Tyler's Hall (or Tylehurst), and a
little way south of this a halt was called at the Mineral Spring and Well; and
some notes were read by Mr. Crouch, from which the following are extracts :—
Notes on the Mineral Spring on Tyler's Common.
This spring has certainly been known as a mineral water for over 200 years
but the earliest reference I can find is that in a little 8vo volume entitled "The
Natural History of the Chalybeat and Purging Waters of England, &c.," by
Benjamin Allen,3 Med. Bac, dated 1699.
Amongst the "Chalybeat Waters" (Part I.) he mentions four in Essex :—
In a field adjoyning to the Right Hon. the Earl of Manchester's place, at
Leez in Essex ; (to whom, by the way, the volume is dedicated).
The water at Witham in Essex, in Sir Edward Southcot's ground.
Marks-Hall Water in Essex.
Felstead Water in Essex.
And in the "Purging Waters" (Part II.), containing Selenites (hydrous sulphate
of lime)—
Water at Woodham Ferrys (also a chalybeat).
Colchester Water from the North End.
The Water of Brentwood-Weal.
Upminster Water.
In the second edition (1711) which has an Epistle Prefatory to "Dr. Martin
Lister, Physitian to the Queen," the same account is given with but slight
modification, and other mineral springs are included :—at Tilbury, Hockley, and
Gidea Hall, near Romford.
A longer and more detailed account is given by Dr. W. Martin Trinder, LL.B. at
Oxford, and M.D. at the University of Leyden, in his book, "An Enquiry by
Experiments into the Properties and Effects of the Medicinal Waters in the
County of Essex," dedicated to Lord Petre, and published in 1783—a scarce
little octavo, with preface, contents, and 56 pages. Of the Upminster water he
writes :—
" This spring rises on the lower side of a common near Tyler's Hall, and not
far distant from the village of Warley. It has a taste of a weak solution of the
Epsom Salts in water, but more earthy. It is somewhat turbid, and its colour is
greenish."
He then details a series of seventeen experiments, the last being:—"When
this water was boiled away to half its quantity it became nauseously bitter, the
matter remaining after evaporation of a quart of this water weighed seventy-six
grains. It has a bitter and somewhat of a saltish taste. It will be found very
serviceable to women after fifty years old, and also to studious and sedentary
men of that age who are subject to heats, flatulencies, redundancy of blood,
loss of appetite, pains in the back, and swellings of the feet."
The concluding paragraph sums up in an amusing way its highest virtues at
that period—which, however, will not commend it specially to the members of
our Club—"After hard drinking, this water will be found to be very pleasant and
wholesome."
The learned Dr. W. Derham, F.R.S., rector of this parish for forty-six years,
in his interesting notes to the "Physico-Theology," which are mainly summaries
An interesting note on Allen (who was a friend of John Ray) by Mr. Fitch, will be found on
pp. 192-3 ante.—Ed.
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