Once again you have all come up with some very interesting information.
I think that the 1884 dissolution of the partnership with Charles Sprent may have come about by Sprent's retirement. There was a chemist G. Sprent operating at 91 Broad St from 1856 at least. This may have been Charles' father. In 1881 Charles Sprent, 51, chemist and dentist, was living in Overton and his housekeeper, Lucy Cooper, later became William Biddles' wife. Certainly ties them all together. Charles' was retired by 1891.
It think your suggestions for the other abbreviations are of merit (thanks janan, groom and Rena). I'll continue to search for them but happy to go for an approximation at present.
hanes teulu, the sticky flypaper story is interesting. I remember those rather disgusting looking things hanging in the kitchens of my childhood. Amusing that my mother, who hated them passionately but used them from necessity, had no idea that her relation used to manufacture them. In the ad he claims to be a qualified chemist so there will be a record somewhere hopefully. And I am confident he is the same man. There were 3 William Byron Biddles (sometimes Biddle), all related. I haven't fully researched the others yet but haven't seen chemist mentioned so far.
Thanks to hanes teulu I see he was registered as a dentist 9 Dec 1878 although he only had that on census record in 1901 and I can't see a connection to either of the other post nominals (thanks John915, I could not remember what they were called). I have now found him on the Dentist Register until 1930 the year of his death. I've looked at the Dentist's Registers and neither of these is listed. L.D.S. Licentiates in Dental Surgery and R.C.S. appears to be Royal College of Surgeons being the most common. WBB does not appear to have had any qualifications in dentistry.
I will also look at KGarrad's suggestion of Royal College of Vets though I suspect William also learned this on the job and is probably where he began his dentistry. It is good to know that qualifications are now a requirement.
Thanks again to you all for giving me such an insight into not only one man's life but opening up new ways of finding information.
