ELIZABETH CRAVEN AND HER WORLD

Newbury Theatre from the Theatric Tourist 1804 Under the Patronage of Her Serene Highness the Margravine of Anspach, by Whose Permission an Engraving of Her Elegant Theatre Will be Given as a Frontispiece to the Publication, this Day (December 1, 1804) is Published, No. 4, of a Work Never Before Presented to the Public, Entitled The Theatric Tourist being a genuine collection of correct views, with brief and authentic historical accounts of all the principal provincial theatres in the United Kingdom / by a theatric amateur. London : T. Woodfall, 1805....printed for Sylvester, Clement Chapple, Edward Kerby, William Lindsell, Henry Delahoy Symonds, Thomas Woodfall, Vernon and Hood. The Theatre at Richmond in Yorkshire. J ames Winston (1773 or 79-1843) was an English actor, artist and sometimes architect who started as a strolling player and became manager of the Drury Lane Theatre in London by 1819. He is thought to have written one play "Perseverance" (1802) and he co...

 "A French Dentist Shewing a Specimen of His Artificial Teeth and False Palates", drawing by Thomas Rowlandson, 1811. Did Georgians clean their teeth at all? The answer is yes... well at any rate they tried to. People were already aware that keeping teeth clean made them look and feel better and slowed down the onset of decay. Doctors recommended doing so and books and magazines offered advice. People who could afford it resorted to all sorts of methods to avoid toothache, early tooth loss, and dental misery. Toothpicks and mouth-washes were widely used in polite society and we also find references to tooth-brushes at quite an early date. In 1746, Medicina Brittanica by Thomas Short M.D. offered this advice: "Wash the Mouth often with a Decoction of Mouse-ear in small Beer; often snuff up the Nose Vinegar, wherein Primrose roots were infused ... To fasten the Teeth, chew often Roots of Brook-lime ; or rinse the Mouth often with a Decoction of Wild Tan...

The Silver Tankard, or, The Point of Portsmouth ,  was a musical after-piece by Elizabeth Craven performed in 1781. An "after-piece" was a short, one-act play or entertainment performed after another play that was considered too short. Craven wrote this to celebrate the bravery and heroism of the British Navy, in which her brother was a rising captain. The whole play, including the songs, has a nautical theme. Elizabeth wrote all of the words, and the music for one song. Dr Samuel Arnold, a celebrated composer, wrote most of the music, including a rousing overture on themes from sea-shanties which was applauded. The full text was never published but the Prologue and two songs from the play were printed in  The London Magazine, Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, in August 1781.  When Nancy sings  My heart admired the gallant strife, But throbb'd and trembled for your life! And 'mid the fancied cannon's roar I wish'd Tom Splice...