Career
Forcer is mentioned by Hawkins as the writer of many songs, five of which may be found in Playford"s Choyce Ayres and Dialogues, (bk ii 1679, one in the edition of 1681, and two in that of 1683). Some of his music is in the Fitzwilliam Collection, Cambridge, an overture and eight tunes are in the Christ Church Library, Oxford, and a set of instrumental trios, with a jig and gavotte for organ, among the British Museum manuscripts. He was one of four stewards for the celebration of Saint Cecilia"s day of 1684.
To Miles was assigned the control of the good cheer, the building or "boarded house" becoming known as "Miles"s Music House", while the waters were advertised as "Sadler"s Wells".
The musical entertainment at such places of resort at that period was said by Hawkins to be hardly deserving the name of concert, id est (that is), concerted music, for the instruments were limited to violins, hautboys, and trumpets playing in unison, and when a bass was introduced it was merely to support a simple ballad or dance-tune. The organs and fiddles were scraping and humming,
The guests for more ale on the table were drumming.
Lady Squalb rose to sing, and "silenced the noise with her musical note", and a fierce fiddler in scarlet ran "up in alt with a hey diddle diddle, to show what a fool he could make of the fiddle". lieutenant appears that these primitive entertainments were announced "to begin at eleven, to hold until one".
Forcer obtained a license to marry Jane Taylor of Worplesdon, Surrey, on 30 July 1673.
He was then described as "of Saint Bartholomew, Exchange, London, gent., bachelor, about twenty-three". There is no mention of Sadler"s Wells, and nor was Sadler"s Wells among the property left by James Miles upon his death in 1724.