Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from History of the British Turf, Vol. 2 of 2: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day
During the period up to and including the Sixteenth century, Epsom seems to have been a quiet country village, not distinguished from scores of other Surrey villages by anything of interest. But early in the seventeenth century an event occurred which contri buted enormously to the fame and prosperity of the village, and likewise made its name one Of ill-savour with English youth from John O' Groat's to Land's End. In 1618, the mineral spring impregnated with the extremely disagreeable saline matter, so well known as Epsom salts, was discovered - by accident, it is said, like many other great discoveries of ancient and modern times. One Henry Wicker, a herdsman, having his eyes about him, observed during a summer of unusual drought water in a small hole on the common, between Ashstead and Epsom; whereupon Wicker, who was at his wit's ends to get water for his cows, proceeded to his farmyard and returned with a spade. He then set vigorously to work, overjoyed at having found water in the midst of what had been before an arid plain, and widened the area of his spring until it was a.
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