Tupper’s Tale Wove Magna Carta Fact With The Myth Of The Silent Pool

Published on: 15 Jun, 2015
Updated on: 15 Jun, 2015

By David Rose

Surrey proudly claims the location at Runnymeade where, 800 years ago on June 15, 1215, King John placed his seal on the Magna Carta.

Contained within the 13th century ‘great charter’, that basically limited King John’s powers, were liberties granted to the English of freedom, dignity and peace. Over the years these have been used by many countries around the world in their constitutions.

Today (June 15, 2015), at Runnymede Meadow near Egham sees the national celebration of the event taking place with the Queen and other members of the royal family in attendance.

Martin Tupper’s book about the Magna Carta, King John, Archbishop Stephan Langton and much more besides.

Go back 157 years and a writer from Albury near Guildford had a book published that took the true story of ‘wicked’ King John, the barons, and Archbishop Stephan Langton, who all forced the king to endorse the Magna Carta, but added a large dollop of fiction that focused on Guildford and the local area.

Born in 1810, Martin Tupper was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, was called to the Bar, but became a writer instead and lived with his family at Albury Park.

For nearly 50 years he was a household name in Britain and the USA through his book Proverbial Philosophy, a collection of reflections and maxims in vaguely rhythmical form. His book Stephan Langton: or The Days of King John, A Romance of the Silent Pool, was published in 1858.

Emma, the woodsman’s daughter in Tupper’s book, is seen bathing in the Silent Pool. King John can be seen on his steed emerging through the trees.

The book contained a fanciful story of King John causing the death by drowning of a pretty young girl in the Silent Pool. Tupper’s tale told of how John, while riding his steed, came upon a pool and discovered a local lass bathing naked in the crystal clear waters. He tried to entice her out but naturally afraid of him she swam out of her depth and drowned.

All good stuff, but as the years passed and the book became mostly forgotten, the story of the drowning incident at the Silent Pool however was remembered and began to be told orally as if it had actually happened.

The villian has even been changed to that of King Charles II!

The Silent Pool today.

While living in Surrey, Tupper got to know the immediate countryside well and in all probability it inspired his historical novel that centred on Archbishop Langton and his feuds with King John.

Tupper places Langton’s birth at Friday Street near Dorking, but it is generally assumed that he was actually born in Lincolnshire.

Tupper died in 1889, and by the turn of the 20th century more and more visitors were coming to enjoy the Surrey countryside. With the advent of the motor-car and the motor-bus, not to mention hoards of cyclists, many made their way to places such as Newlands Corner, Shere and the Silent Pool.

Early 20th century picture postcard telling the ‘legend of the Silent Pool’. Trouble is the wording begins: ‘Wicked King John, so historians, say, had heard of the Silent Pool by the Pilgrim’s Way, and when to his castle in Gilford Town, on a hunting visit he traveled down….. People seem to have believed the story as if it actually happened.

Picture postcards were eagerly bought and kept as mementoes of an enjoyable day out, or to send to friends and relatives telling them what a great time they’d had.

The chances are, most of those Edwardian day trippers would not have known of Tupper’s book, but some may have heard a ‘true’ story about a king and a naked girl in the Silent Pool.

Anyone visiting the Silent Pool and looking down through the clear waters to the chalky bottom may find it easy to believe, or want to believe the tale.

Tupper certainly knew how to tell a good story. Then there are the graceful beech trees that dip their branches and nearly touch the water – just like one that the young girl desperately clung on to before she sank down under the water.

Vault beside Albury Old Church in which Martin Tupper was interred in 1889.

And a further legend has emerged. It’s said the poor girl who drowned now haunts the place!

If you can find a copy, Tupper’s book it is worth a read. It ran to many editions. It was first printed by Hurst & Blackett, followed by a ‘railway book’ by Ward & Look – presumably to be read while travelling by train. Later editions in Tupper’s lifetime were printed by Frank Lasham of Guildford. I have twenty-second edition copy that was printed and published by Biddles of Guildford. I am not sure of the date but it was priced four shillings.

Image of the Magna Carta from Guildford Cathedral’s website.

Currently, Guildford Cathedral has on display a facsimile copy of the Magna Carta and King John’s seal loaned by Salisbury Cathedral. It can be viewed in the Cathedral Treasury until August 8.

The cathedral is also hosting a number of Magan Carta 800 anniversary events and talks. For details click here for Guildford Cathedral’s website.

Martin Tupper’s Myths is a chapter in the book Guildford Our Town by David Rose and published by Breedon Books in 2001. Details from that chapter have been used for the basis of this feature.