i only know them (directly) from post-medieval urban & roman (in the NL) 
contexts, where they weren't on hilltops...
i saw a book listed on amazon last week (but can't find it today, 
predictably) about analysis of the water system in 19th century london; how 
some public health officials traced typhoid, etc., to their sources; it was 
linked somehow to "the great stink" & there's also a book on water in paris 
at the time, and maybe if you have a bit more patience/experience with 
amazon you can track it down
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Janice Adamson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 3:24 AM
Subject: Wells


> nursery rhyme has me wondering if anybody out there might be able to shed
> any light on the digging of wells in the 19th century