A Bird`s Eye view of Bath c. 1600, engraved from a drawing by physician Henry Savile. This is an amazing map as it shows a bird`s eye view on the area and has only come to light in recent years. The Abbey Gate is clearly seen, and the wall along side it still exists in Little Orchard Street. There was obviously an earlier building on the site of Minion House (no. 9 Abbey Green) and what appears to be a path to a passage under the building which lead to a knotted garden at the rear. the adjoining garden is now the site of the Crystal Palace public house. A water conduit can be seen on the corner of the garden, this feature was obviously taken into account when rebuilkding as it still justs out.Abbey Green was more extensive then as the houses against the eastern wall were not to be built until 1698. Another interesting feature is the ditch running alomg Abbey Lane. This was the outflow for the waters from the King`s Bath which went on down to the river Avon. Visitors came into the court through the great gate of the priory, which survived until 1733. John Wood described a 'middle aperture' and a 'northern postern'. Picture a large gateway vaulted high enough for heavily-laden carts and a smaller one for pedestrians, like the surviving one at Cleeve Abbey. It was served by a lay porter, who had a lodge beside it. He would have peered through a grille to check your identity before he let you in.

Harcourt Masters Map of Abbey Green 1795. This shows that Minion House has lost the passage way through it. It is shown passing through the neighbouring building (now the Crystal Palace).

The plan above shows clearly the passage way that went to the right of the entrance to 9 Abbey Green and is now a small window. It lead originally to the rear of the Three Tuns Inn on Stall Street. The building on the right is now the Crystal Palace.

Abbey green lease 1742
Conveyance from his Grace the Duke of Kingston to Elizabeth Scott of a messuage or tenement & backside opening into the Abbey Green in the City of Bath under the yearly rent of £5-0-0
This Indre made the 25th day of December in the 16th year of the Reign of our sovereign Lord George the 2nd. By the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King defender of the faith and so forth in the year of our Lord 1742 Between the noble Evelyn, Duke of Kingston upon Hull of the one part & Elizabeth Scott of the Parish of Widcombe in the  County of Somerset, Widow of the other part Witnesseth that for in consideration of a good and perfect surrender already had and made by the said Elizabeth Scott of one Indre of lease bearing date 15th August 1684 made and granted by John Hall of Bradford on Avon in the county of Wilts, Esq. since deceased unto John Wiltshire of the city of Bath in the said County of Somerset, Carpenter since also deceased of the messuage or tenement her in after mentioned for the term of four score & 19 years Determinable on the several decrees of the said John Wiltshire, John Wiltshire his Son ( both since deceased ) & William Wiltshire his brother and in consideration also of a good and perfect surrender already also had made by the said Elizabeth Scott of one other Indre of lease bearing date of the 14th September, 1734 & made & granted by the said Duke of Kingston to John Chapman Scott & Robert Robins of the same messuage for the term of four score and 19years to commence from and immediately after the end expiration or other sooner determined of the said term of four scare and 19 years. Granted by the said John Hall as aforesaid. If Sarah Scott, the daughter of the said Robert Chapman Scott should so long live and in consideration also of the sum of £35 of good and lawful money of Great Britain to the said Duke of Kingston in hand at or before the ensue long and delivery of these presented well and truly paid by the said Elizabeth Scott the receipt whereof is herby acknowledged ...
All that ruinous messuage or tenement formerly a moiety of  a ruinous messuage or tenement formerly in the possession of William Player and now of the said Elizabeth Scott her under tenants or assigns and is bounded on the north west side by a piece of ground formerly belonging to Richard Westmacott and now of Francis Cornish and adjoins a messuage formerly in the possession of one Robert Webb and now of William Hull Esq. and John Harrington Esq. Under Tenants or assigns on the North East side and adjoins a messuage in the possession of Mary Crouch, Widow her undertenants or assigns being the other moiety of the said Messuage on the South West side the the Abbey Green on the South East part therefore situated and being in the City of Bath. ..Forever paying to the Duke of Kingston the yearly rent of £5.

• 1. John Wood of the parish of Walcot Somerset, gent. and Charles Rotton of Bath, gent.
  2. John Brabant of Bath, cabinet maker and Markes Davis of Bath, cabinet maker trustee for John Brabant.
  Bargain and sale from 1 to 2 for a year of a messuage in the Circus.
  
  
• BC/6/2/9/562/1
• Former Referece Number BC153/562/1

July 22nd 1805 sum sworn for is £600
Name of Testator: John Brabant of the City of Bath, Cabinet Maker
Name of Executor: Dorothy Wither Pinke of the Parish of Lyncombe and Widcombe, Spinstet.
Name of Legatees: William Bliss and Sarah Bliss, wife of William.
Degree of kindred: Nephew
Particulars of legacy: A weekly sum of six shillings for life charged upon Testators Messuage or dwelling house situate in Abbey Green in the City of Bath.
A weekly sum of three shillings for life charged upon the aforesaid Messuage or dwelling house.
All my Monies and Securities bonds debts goods chattels personal estate and effects whatsoever not herein specifically bequeathed to hold upon trust to convert the same unto money and after paying all my past debts, funeral expense upon trust to pay the following sums.
To the said William Bliss, the sum of £5, upon Sarah Bliss the sum of £5. Unto my nephew, William Chapman the sum of £10. Unto William Bartlett, now or late of Exeter, upholsterer, the sum of £10. Unto all my great nephews and nieces, sons and daughters of three nieces, Elizabeth Davis, Widow, Mary Lamb, widow and Ann Bartlett, deceased the sum of £10. Unto my Great Niece, Mary Ann Woodman, the sum of £21in addition to the £10 already given to her as one of my great nieces. To pay the residue to my three nieces, Elizabeth Davis, are Lambe and Fanny Chapman.
To William Bliss, nephew, Wearing Apparel and Working Tools.
To Robert Woodman. All my Electrical Apparatus and Books on the subject of Electricity.
To Samuel Hallett. Smoletts History of England and the fixtures of the Kitchen Door and in the Back Parlour of my tenement at Widcombe.
To Dorothy Pinke. Remainder of my Goods, Furniture, Linen, Plate, China, Glass, printed books and other property at my said Tenement

In September 1780 John Brabant, whose wife inherited 9 Abbey Green is shown to let the property, which is described has having 17 rooms with access to the passage that went to the side of the building linking the Three Tuns in Stall Strret with Abbey Green. the small side window would have once been its entrance.