St Michael's Well, Edinburgh

Very little is known about the early history of St Michael's Well, particularly regarding the origin of its patronage. I have been unable to find any record of there historically being a chapel or church dedicated to St Michael anywhere in Edinburgh, let alone in the vicinity of the well.

What is known, however, is that the well was extant as early as the 1540s, and that the site was used for religious purposes. In 1543, it is recorded that an act of penance was performed "in via vaccaria, vulgo at Sanct Michaellis Well in ye Cowgait, in publica placea". "In via vaccaria, vulgo" translates roughly to "in Cowgate, publicly"; this is the earliest known record of the location of St Michael's Well.

The only other references that I have been able to find to the well exist in the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, parts of which were published in the 1860s by the Scottish Burgh Records Society. From these accounts, it appears that the well was, at least by the late 16th century, no longer used for religious purposes, although it was clearly one of the city's main water supplies. It also seems that the well may have been a deep well, which would indicate that it may not have historically been a holy well, but that it gained the name of "St Michael's" later on, perhaps during the early 16th century. Below, I have reproduced some of the extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh that mention the well:

29th of July, 1556: The prouest baillies and counsale foirsaid deputtis Dauid Symmer to be oursear of the well callit Sanct Michaellis well, and Johne Loch to the Mvs well, to caus tham be maid depar and preparit for watter gaddering.

16th of December, 1556: The prouest baillies and counsale ordanis the thesaurar Alexander Park to reperell the wellis callit Sanct Michaellis well, the Mws well, and the Stok well, and to begyn thairto at Sanct Mongois day nixt tocum, and ordanis Maister Johne Pirstoun to be oursear to Sanct Michaelis well, Johne Loch to the Mws well, and Alexander Barroun to the said Stok well, and quhat expens he makis thairon salbe allowit to him.

4th of September, 1559: The bailies ordanis maister James Lindesay thesaurar to vpbig and reparell the Muse Well now fallin doun, als substantiuslie and honestlie as the samin wes befoir the doun falling thairof; and als ordanis the said thesaurar to payment the brayis of the Stok Well and Sanct Michaellis Well with substantius flaggis.

17th of July, 1568: The baillies and counsall ordanis the thesaurer to caus theik and cover the Stok wall, Muse wall, and Sanct Michaellis wall, and ordanis the kepar of the West port to keip the said Stok wall, the portar of the Greyfreir port the Muse wall, the porter of the Kirk of Feild the new wall, and the porter of the Cowgait port Sanct Michaellis wall; and thes wallis tilbe oppinit for seruing of the nychtbouris at fyve houris in the mornyng and tua efter none in somer, to be closit at xij houris opinit at tua and cloisit at four for all nycht.

3rd of March, 1584/5: In respect of the greitt abusing of the commoun wellis be the burnemen, watter berers, and the kepars of the keyis, directis ilk bailyie to tak ordour with the said wells in his quarter for keping of the same, viz., James Nicholl for St. Michaellis well, Henry Nesbet for the new well, William Nesbet, bailyie, and in his absence Jhonn Wat for the Mwse well; ilk persoun vnder the payne of xx s. that failyeis to do his dewtie thairinto; and the thesaurer as of before to mak and furneis new lokis and keyis.

It is not clear when exactly St Michael's Well was destroyed, but it certainly still existed in 1712, although it was in a bad state of repair. It is recorded in the Records of the Burgh that the well was, then, "ruinous", "unusefull" [sic] and "unwholesome", and that it simply served as an obstruction. The well does not appear to have been filled in, however: it was decided, upon the request of the Royal College of Physicians, that it would be repaired and cleaned. It is quite likely that the well was filled in during the early 19th century, perhaps during a cholera outbreak, which would explain why the site was never marked on Ordnance Survey maps.