Saturday, December 20, 2008

Jack In The Box


Sir John Schorne (died 1313) was rector of North Marston in the English county of Buckinghamshire. He was a very pious man and was said to have effected many miraculous cures for gout and toothache.

During a drought, he discovered a well, the waters of which were reputed to have miraculous properties. His reputation for holiness was such that he is believed to have cast the devil into a boot. He is often pictured holding a boot with a devil in it, the origin of the child's jack-in-the-box toy.