ho inspired the lines was an
eccentric genius named Claudius Phillips {88}, on whose memorial tablet
in the porch of Wolverhampton Church were engraved the said lines,
attributed to Dr. Wilkes, who strangely enough is described as "of
Trinity College, Oxford and Rector of Pitchford, Salop"--a clergyman
whose name was John, and who lived a century previously. We are further
informed that our Willenhall worthy is spoken of by Browne Willis in the
"History of Mitred Abbies," Vol. II. p. 189--Browne Willis being one of
the most notable antiquarians of that period, and an eccentric individual
withal.

All this points to the fact that Dr. Richard Wilkes was well known as a
writer, and acknowledged as an authority.

[Picture: Decorative flower]

XVII.--Willenhall "Spaw."

It is difficult to imagine Willenhall as a health resort; yet it was no
fault of Dr. Richard Wilkes that his native spot did not become a
fashionable inland watering place.

It should be explained that during the eighteenth century there was
almost a mania to discover and exploit wells and springs, and to regard
them as fountains of health to which the fashionable and the well-to-do
might be attracted. Before the newer fashion of sea bathing was
introduced--which was early in the next century--there was a great number
of these newly-invented places of inland resort. For instance, Dudley
had its charming Spa on Pensnett Chace; and to show that Wolverhampton
was not behindhand, we take the liberty of quoting from the MSS. of Dr.
Wilkes:

"A medical spring has lately been discovered at Chapel Ash, in the
south-west part of this town, which purges moderately and without the
least uneasiness. A brown ocre, or absorbent earth, remains after
evaporation, mixt with salt and sulphur; so that it seems to promise
relief in all kinds of disorders proceeding from costiveness, and
alcaline, fiery, and acid humours in the stomach and bowels, attended
by a flow of feverish heat, eruptions on the skin called scorbutic,
headaches, giddiness, flatulency, sour eructations, flying pains
called nervous and rheumatic, the hemorrhoids or piles, asthma, and
many other disorders which seem incurable by the most powerful
medicines."

Truly the Doctor might have earned a good living nowadays by writing the
advertisements for modern quack specifics.

Shaw's description of the Willenhall Spa says that