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Coffee, tea, dinners, the best wines.* Another advertisement 
tells that there, in,— 
The air serene, tabours play, 
We breakfast, dance, and dine, 
And, with innocence, crown the day, 
Midst flasks of noble wine.t 
But success does not seem to have come as on 6th May 1773 was 
offered for sale in the parish of Widcombe and Lyncombe a 
valuable spring of mineral water and the Wicksteed machine and 
Bagatelle &c as let to Messrs. Wicksteed and Bowers.t It may 
be just further noted that Mr. Bowers box keeper at Drury Lane 
theatre took his benefit 11 May 1767.§ As there are no existing 
parochial records for the time that Sheridan resided at Bath 
those of the nearest date available may be examined for any 
further possible clue. Looking up the earliest rate books, in 
1775 Mr. William Bowers paid poor rate for his house in 
Kingsmead St eight shillings and nine pence ; and for his garden 
in Kingsmead St six pence, and for his garden in James St one 
shilling and six pence ; and in the same year he paid a water rent 
in New King St. Houses were not usually numbered at this time. 
Thus there was advertised for sale|| a house described as,— 
situated in the parish of Lyncomb and Widcomb next the centre 
house in the row called Claverton street on the left hand beyond 
Gibbs’s mill leading to Claverton Down. Some others may be 
noted, as—To be lett a house in the Circus elegantly furnished 
being the seventh door on the right hand going up from Gay St.@ 
Another was at the south east corner of the south east division 
of the Circus next Gay St,1% and again another in the lower part 
of Gay St the fifth door from the square.™1 A tradesman'’s 
* Journal, 6 Apl 1772, p 4, col 2. + Journal, 20 Apl 1772, p 4, col 1. 
+ Chronicle, p 2, col 3. § Public Advertiser, p 1, col 2. 
Bath Chronicle, 23 Aug 1770, p 3, col 4. % Journal, 31 Dec 1770. 
qY Chronicle, 24 Oct 1771, p 2, col 4. 
"5 Chronicle, 12 March 1772, p 3, col 2. 
