Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Craven, Henry Thornton
CRAVEN, HENRY THORNTON, whose real name was Henry Thornton, (1818–1905), dramatist and actor, born in Great Poland Street, London, on 26 Feb. 1818, was son of Robert Thornton, a school-master in Holborn. Starting life as a publisher's clerk in Paternoster Row, Henry subsequently acted as amanuensis to Bulwer Lytton, and began writing for 'Bentley's Miscellany.' Ambitious to become a dramatist, he took to the stage, making his first appearance at York in 1840 and his London debut soon after at Fanny Kelly's theatre, Dean Street, Soho. In 1841 he was acting on the Sunderland circuit, and in 1842 his first play, 'Bertram the Avenger,' was produced at North Shields. Craven produced his second play, 'Miserrimus,' at Portsmouth late in 1843. In the spring of 1844 he joined the Keeleys at the Lyceum, and after both acting and writing for the stage of the smaller theatres he was in 1850 engaged at Drury Lane, where, on the occasion of Macready's farewell on 28 Feb. 1851, he played Malcolm to the tragedian's Macbeth. On 12 June following his operetta, 'The Village Nightingale' was produced at the Strand, with himself in one of the characters. Eliza (1827–1908), daughter of Sydney Nelson [q. v.], the composer, took the leading female role. In November 1851 the two were engaged by Lloyd of Edinburgh for the Theatre Royal stock company, Craven as principal stage director. In that city they were married on 12 May 1852 and simultaneously transferred their services to the Adelphi.
In October 1854 Mr. and Mrs. Craven landed at Sydney, where they fulfilled a successful engagement at the Victoria Theatre. In partnership with the actor W. H. Stephens, Craven then built the little Lyceum Theatre in the same city, which they opened in 1855. In April 1857 Mr. and Mrs. Craven appeared at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, in several of Craven's own pieces. No marked success either as dramatist or actor attended his reappearance in London. His first notable success as a dramatist came when Robson produced and played in Craven's domestic drama, 'The Chimney Corner,' at the Olympic on 21 Feb. 1861. For Robson, Craven also designed the title-character in 'Milky White,' which was first produced at the Prince of Wales's, Liverpool, on 20 June 1864. Robson's sudden death altered Craven's plans (6 Aug. 1864), and he himself sustained the title-role when the piece was brought out at the Strand on 28 Sept. following. 'Milky White' enjoyed a run and a revival at the Strand and was subsequently popular in the provinces. In the dual role of actor and dramatist Craven scored again at the new Royalty on 17 Oct. 1866, when 'Meg's Diversion' was produced, with himself as Jasper, the play running 330 nights. In 1873 he made his last provincial tour. His last play, an historical drama, 'Too True,' was produced at the Duke's on 22 Jan. 1876, and in this he made his final appearance on the stage.
Craven was a capable writer of rural domestic drama, but his incident was illogically theatrical, and like most actor-playwrights he relied on puns and catch-phrases to raise a laugh. As an actor he imitated Robson. Many of his numerous plays were published by Duncombe, Lacy, and French. In 1876 he published a novel, 'The Old Tune.'
Craven died at his residence, Thorntonville, Clapham Park, on 13 April 1905, and his widow at Eastbourne on 20 March 1908. Both are buried in Norwood cemetery. Two of their four children survived them, a daughter and a son, Mr. Tom Sidney Craven (b. 1864), dramatist and actor.
[Pascoe's Dramatic List; Dibdin's Annals of the Edinburgh Stage; W. Davenport Adams's Dict. of the Drama; Henry Morley's Journal of a London Playgoer; Lawrence's Life of G. V. Brooke; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Michael Williams's Some London Theatres; Dramatists of the Present Day, 1871; Joseph Knight's Theatrical Notes; Daily Telegraph, 14 April 1905; private information.]