Part 4

Grainge was an eminent and careful historian, and he has written a number of valuable works. He had the acumen to see that Sir William Slingsby could not possibly have been the discoverer in 1571, and it is fairly certain that if he had had access to Deane's work, he would have rectified the error as regards Sir William, instead of questioning the accuracy of Deane's statement.

Little has been added to the account of Mr. William Slingsby as given by Deane, but it has been shown at any-rate that the facts of his life fit in perfectly with that account.

The medicinal qualities of the Tuewhit Well having been discovered by Mr. William Slingsby in or about the year 1571, this gentleman did "drink the water every yeare after all his life time" and averred that "it was much better, and did excell the tart fountaines beyond the seas." Much pains were taken to bring the waters into notoriety in the interests of humanity, and by reason of a pardonable national pride that the country could boast of a health resort in every way comparable with the famous German health resort of Spa. Chief among these early advocates of this home fountain was Dr. Timothy Bright, who is responsible for naming the well the "English Spa," which name was apparently adopted by the gentry partaking of the water, whereas the common folk still cling to the ancient name of Tuewhit Well.

Timothy Bright has had a varied literary history. For about three centuries he was almost entirely forgotten, and some of his works even ascribed to purely imaginary authors. In recent years full justice has been done to his name as the "father of shorthand" following the publication by J.H. Ford in 1888 of the tercentenary edition of his work entitled "Characterie," and since that year there has been much written of him. The curious may therefore consult the works mentioned in the footnote, but it will suffice for my purpose to give a brief sketch of his life, not as the "father of shorthand," but as one of the fathers of Harrogate.

Timothy Bright was born in Cambridge in the year 1551, matriculated in Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1565, and took his B.A. in 1567-8. He then went to Paris to study medicine, and in 1572 narrowly escaped the Massacre at Paris on St. Bartholomew's Eve by taking shelter at the house of Sir Francis Walsingham, the English ambassador. Returning to England he graduated M.B. in 1574 and M.D. in 1579. In 1584 he was well launched on his medical career, for he was the physician at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. By this time he had achieved some reputation as a writer and had obtained the friendship of the powerful Cecil Lord Burghley, Sir Francis Walsingham and Sir Philip Sidney, which probably explains how his now famous work "Characterie" was in 1588 dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. His connection with these powerful personages led to a change in his profession and incidentally to his connection with Harrogate, for on July 5th, 1591, the Queen presented him to the Rectory of Methley in Yorkshire, and on the 30th of Dec., 1594, also to the Rectory of Barwick in Elmet in the same county. He held both these livings till his death, which took place in 1615. By his Will he left his body "to be buried when and where it shall please God." He was no mean linguist for he bequeathed his Hebrew Bible and a Syriac Testament as well as Greek, Latin and Italian works to his brother. His books of Phisick and Philosophie he bequeathed to his sonne Titus Bright, M.D. He was fond of music and possessed the standard work on harmony by Joseph Zarlino. This he left, along with some instruments of music, a Theorbo and an Irish harp, "which I most usuallye played upon" to his brother.

In spite of the fact that he took holy orders, it is evident from "Spadacrene Anglica" that he was held in high esteem as a physician (albeit non-practising) by his contemporaries in Yorkshire, and his travel abroad in Germany well fitted him for the post of advocate, which from humane and patriotic motives he assumed on behalf of the English Spa.

Deane states that Bright first gave the name of English Spaw "about thirty years since, or more," that is, in 1596 or earlier. This would seem to indicate that Bright's association with Harrogate began shortly after he was presented to the Rectory of Barwick in Elmet in 1594.

Dr. Bright was a prolific writer and the names of his works are given in a footnote. Some of his books passed through several editions. Burton's "Anatomy of Melancholy" is said to have been suggested by his "Treatise of Melancholy," and Shakespere was evidently acquainted with his book, "Characterie, an Arte of shorte, swifte and secrete Writing by Character."

"This is not my writing, Though, I confess, much like the character"

Twelfth Night. Act V, Sc. 1.

"All my engagements I will construe to thee, All the characterie of my sad brows."

Julius Cæsar. Act ii, Sc. 1.

Hargrove appears also to be the earliest to assert that Bright was the first writer on Harrogate. In his "History of Knaresborough" it is merely stated "soon after its discovery Dr. Bright wrote on its virtues and uses." There is no authority for that assertion in any of the works of Dr. Bright mentioned in the footnote, and the only evidence in support of Hargrove is that given by Wheater, who writes:--

"Dr. Bright was first to rush into description and he acquits himself with true Elizabethan flavour. He observes regarding the water that 'It occasions the retention of nothing that should be evacuated and by relaxation evacuates nothing that should be retained. It dries nothing but what's too moist and flaccid, and heats nothing but what's too cold, and e contra: that though no doubt there are some accidents and objections to the contrary, it makes the lean fat, the fat lean, cures the cholic and the melancholy, and the vapours: and that it cures all aches speedily and cheereth the heart.' Such a recommendation," &c.

This quotation, which is apparently the only evidence in support of Hargrove's assertion that Bright wrote the first account of the English Spa, is not taken from Bright's writings at all, but from Dr. Short's summary of "The Yorkshire Spaw." "The Yorkshire Spaw" was a treatise written by Dr. John French in 1652, and so far therefore from being written by Dr. Bright, was actually written thirty-seven years after Bright's death.

It is perhaps only fair to the memory of both Hargrove and Wheater to state that neither of them would have fallen into this error if they had had the privilege of reading Deane's dedication to "Spadacrene Anglica," in which he states that Dr. Bright intended to write an account "in case hee had longer lived." No edition after the original edition contains this dedication, for, as will be shown later, this very important part of Deane's work was omitted by John Taylor in the second edition and was not restored in any of the later. Moreover it is quite clear from the dedication of Taylor's edition, in 1649 that copies of the original edition were even then unobtainable, owing probably to the commotions which had accompanied the civil war.

I may here therefore emphasise the good service that has been done to restore the true history of the medicinal waters of Harrogate, by the reprinting of the original edition of "Spadacrene Anglica" by my friend Dr. Rutherford.

Before passing to the Bibliography of "Spadacrene Anglica," a brief mention must be made of Michael Stanhope, Esquire, whose two books did much to add to the celebrity of the English Spa, and were afterwards associated with the later editions of "Spadacrene Anglica." His first work was published towards the end of 1626, and is entitled,

"Newes out of Yorkshire, or an account of a journey, in the true discovery of a sovereigne Minerall, Medicinal Water in the West-Riding of Yorkeshire, neere an Ancient Towne called Knaresbrough, not inferior to the Spa in Germany. Also a taste of Other Minerall Waters of severall natures adjoyning" By M.S.

Ecclest. 38. 4. The Lord hath created Medicines out of the Earth: he that is wise will not despise them.

A large extract has already been given from this book, which was dedicated "To the Right Honourable, the Vertuous, and Religious Lady, the Lady Katherine Stanhope, wife to the Lord Philip Stanhope, Baron of Shelford."

Stanhope's other work was entitled,

"Cures without Care, or, a summons to all who finde little or no help by the use of ordinary physick to repaire to the Northerne Spa. Wherein by many Presidents of a few late yeares, it is evidenced to the world, that infirmities in their own nature desperate and of long continance have received perfect recovery in the west Riding of Yorkshire. Also a description of the said water, and of other rare and usefull springs adjoyning, the nature and efficacie of the Mineralls contained in them, with other not impertinent notes. Faithfully collected for the publique good by M. St."

Tibul. "felix quicunque dolore alterius disces posse carere tuo," London, 1632.

Stanhope dedicated this work "To The Right Honourable, Thomas Lord Wentworth, etc., Lord President of his Majesties Council established in the North." Lord Wentworth is better known as the Earl of Strafford, and was beheaded in 1642. In it is contained a catalogue of persons who have received either benefit or cure by the waters.

An abridgement of the two works of Stanhope was made by John Taylor and published in 1649 under the title "Spadacrene Anglica ... Treatise of the learned Dr. Deane and the sedulous observations of the ingenious Michael Stanhope, Esquire." The ingenious Michael Stanhope, Esquire, also appears in the 1654 edition, but in that published in 1736, Stanhope appears as Dr. Stanhope. Short seems to have been the first to make Stanhope a member of the medical profession. His opinion was soon adopted by others, and has apparently never been questioned. After a perusal of "Newes out of Yorkshire" and "Cures without Care," it is difficult to understand how Short arrived at his conclusion, for the internal evidence is entirely opposed to it. Even in the extract from "Newes out of Yorkshire" already quoted, it is obvious that Stanhope dissociates himself from the physicians with the party, for he writes, "then the physitians began to try their experiments," "three other physitians of allowable knowledge," and he refers to Deane as "one who is far from the straine of many of his profession." This extract was selected for an entirely different purpose, yet it is clearly not the language of a fellow-physician in practice in York. Short himself partially recognizes this. He only summarised "Cures without Care," and he justly remarks of the cures therein related that "some whereof are perhaps the greatest and most remarkable in the Authentic Records of Physic down from Hippocrates to this day." Short writes fully a century after "Cures without Care" was published, whereas Taylor was a Apothecary in York and a contemporary of both Deane and Stanhope there, and is accordingly the best authority on the status of Stanhope.

Sir Michael Stanhope, Knt.,-+ had a grant of Shelford | Manor: beheaded in 1552 | | | +-----------------+------------------------------+ | | | Sir Thomas Stanhope-+ Sir Edward Stanhope Other of Shelford, Knt., | of Grimston, 2nd son,-+ issue died 1596 | M.P. for Co. York | | | +-------------+----+ +------------+-----+---------+ | | | | | Sir John Stanhope-+ Other George Michael Other of Elvaston | issue Stanhope, D.D. Stanhope issue | Precentor of York, | Buried 26/7/1644 | +----------+---------------------------------------------+ | | Sir Philip Stanhope, Knt. ----+-Katherine, daur. of Other Cr. Baron of Shelford, 7/11/1616 | Francis, Lord Hastings issue and Earl of Chesterfield, 4/8/1628 | Died 1656, Aged 71 | |

A clue to the identity of Stanhope offers itself in the dedication of "Newes out of Yorkshire" to Lady Katherine Stanhope, wife to the Lord Philip Stanhope, afterwards the Earl of Chesterfield. An outline of the pedigree of the Stanhope family was obtained from the College of Arms and is here partly reproduced to show the relationship of Stanhope to Lady Katherine Stanhope.