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St James' Cemetery. Liverpool |
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In the East wall of the cemetery, opposite the Huskisson Mausoleum, there runs Liverpool's only surviving running spring. Discovered by quarry workers in 1773, it was believed to have medicinal properties. Below is a short commentary by R Saunders-Jones. |
On 1st August this year, there appeared in one of the Liverpool newspapers an interesting account of the natural spring in St. James' Cemetery. In the rock below Hope Street, issues a small jet of water from a pipe.
The spring, enclosed by a semi-circular iron railing, has now a very dilapidated appearance. It had a reputation all over Lancashire and Cheshire for curing inflammation and weakness of the eyes; and on my recent visits to the spring, several people were also drawing water.
Dr. Thomas Houlston referred to in the article, is described in Gore's Directory for 1766, as an apothecary and bookseller, living in High Street, but the houses there have all been demolished, and the site covered by the offices of the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Co. Ltd.
Through the kindness of a highly respected and well known analytical chemist in this city, I am able to give the results of his analysis of the sample of water which I took from the spring a few weeks ago for that purpose
WATER.
Total Solids dried at 212' F. 86.500 parts -per 100,000
Suspended Matter nil
Nitrogen as, free and saline Ammonia 0.0020
0.0055
Nitrogen as Alburriinoids
Nitrogen as Nitrates 0.350
Oxygen absorbed in 3 mins. at so' Fab. 0.0220
Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 8o' Fab. o.o830
Chlorine 6.390
An analysis of the Total Solids shewed it to contain the
following
Calcium Carbonate 18‑500 parts per 100,000
Sodium Carbonate 1‑325
Calcium Sulphate 23.862
Magnesium Sulphate 21.138
Sodium Sulphate nil
Calcium Chloride nil
Magnesium chloride 3.552
Sodium Chloride 6.174
Magnesium Nitrate 1.850
Silica 0.500
Water of Hydration 9‑599
86‑500
The sample is of satisfactory organic purity.
From an analysis of the Inorganic constituents, I would not class it as a medicinal water.
11th September, 1924. (Signed) G. WATSON GRAY.
The
Spring was first discovered in 1773 while work on the quarry was progressing.
A Local surgeon, James Worthington wrote a paper to the medicinal virtues of
this water, especially for:
“loss of appetite, nervous disorders, Lowness of spirit,
headache is proceeding from crudities of the stomach, Ricketts and weak eyes.”
Indeed until recently a Doctor from the nearby Rodney Street used to
visit the spring for a drink every day.
The Spring was surrounded by an iron railing with a ladle attached so people could easily fill bottles and jars from the Spa.
An interesting point about the spring was made by John Thompson in 1894. Apparently when they were widening Church Street, they had to remove some bodies from St. Peters church cemetery. Among them was the corpse of Captain David Gwin who died on the 21st July 1813 aged 76. His body was completely petrified and as hard as stone. It is believed that St. James's spring may have run in that direction, and the minerals in the water caused this remarkable result.
| Today the spring is sadly neglected, litter
is strewn around the 'pool'. Although water still flows from the rock,
it is not recommended to take the water from the Liverpool 'Spa'.
There are plans to renovate St James Cemetery, and the spring will be a
feature, so hopefully it can once again be a central attraction of the
cemetery
A small plaque above the spring bears the inscription by Cuthbert Bridgewater: |
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Christian reader view in me,
An emblem of true charity,
Who freely what I have bestow,
Though neither heard nor seen to flow,
And I have full returns from Heaven,
For every cup of water given.
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The spring has been one of the first parts
of the cemetery to benefit from the involvement of the
Friends. All the decaying rubbish has been removed, and the stones
have been replaced. Rather that the water flowing from a gash in the
rock, a copper pipe has been put in its place.
You can see some ideas for the future appearance of the spring by looking at the drawings by Dr Robert MacDonald |
I have come across a very interesting document titled 'Virtues of the Liverpool Spa' which I have made available for download in pdf format. Amongst other things it suggests the best times to take the waters and the ideal diet to benefit fully from them:
"Moderate exercise, regularity, temperance, a light simple diet, not flatulent, using but little animal food, malt liquor, tea or coffee and relaxation of the mind also contribute much to assist its operation; as does, in obstructions, the warm bath."
Click here to download the file. If you do not have the Adobe reader, you can click Here to get it