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The Maharajah's well Stoke row in England,
Mr Edward Reade, the local squire, had worked with the Maharajah of Benares ( now Varanasi) in Northern India for many years in the mid nineteenth century. One of his many deeds there was to sink a well in 1831 to aid a local community in Azimurgh. When Mr Reade finally left the area in 1860, he asked the Maharajah to ensure that the well remained available to the public.
A couple of years later the Maharajah decided on an endowment in England. He recalled Mr Reade’s generosity in 1831 and also remembered his stories of water deprivation in his home area of Ipsden. And so the well in Stoke Row duly came about. It was dug, by hand, of course – all 368 feet of it to a width of 4 feet.
The well and superstructure cost £353 13s 7d. The elephant and machinery cost a further £39 10s, the project being undertaken by the (still) local firm of Wilder in Wallingford. Finally the Well Warden's cottage cost a modest £74 14s 6d. The well remained in use for over 70 years so it was clearly money well spent.
Sourced from Stoke Row's village website www.stokerow.net
I would like to add that the well is so deep you could hide Nelson's Column down it twice.
The Maharajah also paid for a cherry orchard to be Purchased next to the well, the profits from the sale of the cherries were to pay for the upkeep of the well and the well warden's wages,
Mr Edward Reade, the local squire, had worked with the Maharajah of Benares ( now Varanasi) in Northern India for many years in the mid nineteenth century. One of his many deeds there was to sink a well in 1831 to aid a local community in Azimurgh. When Mr Reade finally left the area in 1860, he asked the Maharajah to ensure that the well remained available to the public.
A couple of years later the Maharajah decided on an endowment in England. He recalled Mr Reade’s generosity in 1831 and also remembered his stories of water deprivation in his home area of Ipsden. And so the well in Stoke Row duly came about. It was dug, by hand, of course – all 368 feet of it to a width of 4 feet.
The well and superstructure cost £353 13s 7d. The elephant and machinery cost a further £39 10s, the project being undertaken by the (still) local firm of Wilder in Wallingford. Finally the Well Warden's cottage cost a modest £74 14s 6d. The well remained in use for over 70 years so it was clearly money well spent.
Sourced from Stoke Row's village website www.stokerow.net
I would like to add that the well is so deep you could hide Nelson's Column down it twice.
The Maharajah also paid for a cherry orchard to be Purchased next to the well, the profits from the sale of the cherries were to pay for the upkeep of the well and the well warden's wages,
Image size
2348x2124px 1.15 MB
Make
SONY
Model
SLT-A37
Shutter Speed
1/80 second
Aperture
F/7.1
Focal Length
26 mm
ISO Speed
100
Date Taken
Oct 31, 2014, 3:47:43 PM
© 2015 - 2024 Jim-Steevens
Comments1
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Huh...interesting story! Of all the many things in the Victorian Era we hear about - the stories of the plight of the urban poor, the exploitation of workers, and the various Empire building endeavors, sometimes we over-look a simple tale of generosity like this one. Kind of gives a human dimension to all (as well as being a very memorable memorial!)
Also...holy cow! That well is deep!
Also...holy cow! That well is deep!