John Schorne

Who was John Schorne?

Sir John Schorne 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, whose waters 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, which was thought to be the origin of the child's jack-in-the-box toy. However, the toy did not come about until over 500 years after Schorne's time. When he died, his shrine in the church at North Marston became a popular place of pilgrimage and he was regarded by many as a saint, although he was never canonised. His remains were later moved to St George's Chapel, Windsor. The Holy Well was renovated in 2004/2005 and may still be seen in North Marston.

There was a rector in Princes Risborough called John de Schorne in circa 1289, according to the list of rectors in the front of the parish register. It is likely to be the same person, though this is difficult to confirm for certain.