St Lawrence's Well

Image: © Michael Dibb Taken: 4 Sep 2016

Known by several names - St Lawrence's Well, Gibson's Conduit, Gybson's Pump, Gibson's Fountain - the well is known to have existed in the time of Edward I (13th century). A scheduled ancient monument, the well was restored by the Norwich Preservation Trust. See their website: http://norwichpreservationtrust.co.uk/gybsons-conduit-westwick-st-scheduled-ancient-monument/ An entertaining history from www.georgeplunkett.co.uk/Norwich/streetfurniture.htm At the east end of Westwick St only a short distance away from another at St John Maddermarket, is an old pump known as known as Gibson's Conduit. This was for many years set into the boundary wall of Bullard's brewery facing Westwick St. After the conversion of the property into flats and offices, however, it was dismantled and re-erected on the other side of the wall, where it now faces the Anchor Quay development and is set off to much better advantage. It appears that St Lawrence's well, known to have existed here since the time of Edward I, was granted in 1547 to the parishioners, together with a lane leading to it from the street, on condition that they erected a door at the south end of the lane, to be open by day and closed at night. In 1576 this well and lane were granted to a beer brewer, Robert Gibson (Sheriff in 1596), on condition that he brought the water from the well by a pipe to the public street, there to erect a pump at his own expense. This he did two years later, and had a verse inscribed on the stonework extolling his goodness for carrying out the work. Unfortunately it seems that Gibson was an irascible person, which led him into trouble on more than one occasion. In 1590, for instance, he abused the newly elected Mayor, Thomas Pettus, both privately and in open court. Things seem to have been smoothed over, but in 1602 the Mayor, Thomas Lane, was similarly abused, and this led to Gibson being removed from the aldermanic bench. He was also disenfranchised "of and from the freedom and liberties of this city and forever henceforth to be a foreigner and so continue" - the penalty for failing to be "buxom to the Mayor". Gibson died in 1606, presumably still disenfranchised, and was buried in the chancel of St Lawrence's Church.

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