Dunstable and District Local History Society: How a cure for gout inspired the Jack in the Box toy

John Schorne, a man of some medical ability, was appointed Rector of North Marston in 1290. He arrived there during a time of great drought and was disgusted to find that the villagers were drinking from a shallow pond which was also used by oxen.

He organised the digging of a well to provide pure water. Local people’s health subsequently improved so dramatically that visitors began to journey to the village hoping that they, too, would be miraculously cured of their ailments. Money provided by the “health tourism” made North Marston Church very wealthy.

In particular, the well water was found to relieve the extremely painful symptoms of gout, whose symptoms had given rise to illustrations of a tiny devil gnawing at toes inside a boot. The modern explanation for the “cure” was that the North Marston water contains many helpful iron compounds. But medieval folk believed that John Schorne had managed to conjure out devils. Pictures were painted showing the black figures emerging from a sufferer’s footware.

Schorne died in 1314 and was buried before the high altar of North Marston church. But over the years the reputation of his holiness grew and his body was removed on the authority of the Pope to be reburied at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Schorne’s image was painted showing him holding a boot with a devil popping out of the top. Souvenir models of the sight have developed into the children’s Jack In The Box toy.

Stephen Williams described how Dunstable’s Priory monastery became involved in the story. The Priory needed money to repair its buildings and petitioned King Edward I to allow the Priory to “appropriate” the Long Marston church and its income. The king agreed to this in August 1306.

The history society’s next meeting will be at 7.45 on Tuesday February 11 in Dunstable Methodist Church hall where Dave “The Thatch” Underwood will provide anecdotes about old Dunstable with illustrations from his large photo collection. Entrance fee for non-members is £3.