ELIZABETH CRAVEN AND HER WORLD

I am very grateful to Jill Kamp for sending me this fascinating and little-known picture of an entertainment at Benham Park, the Berkshire home of Elizabeth Craven, in 1805.          It is a drawing done by one of Elizabeth Craven's friends, John Nixon, a keen amateur actor who appeared in many of her productions at Brandenburgh House. This picture shows that she sometimes put on  theatrical entertainments at Benham as well. The date, January 7th 1805, is very close to Twelfth Night and this must have been part of the Christmas fun that Craven loved to organize for her house-parties. The singers and actors were all guests of hers, and quite likely many of the musicians were too.        John Gay's operetta The Beggars' Opera was written in 1728, so it was already a classic by the time Craven decided to revive it. The story is all about thieves, cut-throats, bawds and whores, so the choice indicates Craven did not care a hoot about ...

The little parish church of St Mary the Virgin at Speen, Berkshire is the closest church to Benham Place, and it was at this tiny ancient Norman church that the Craven family used to attend services when they were in residence on the estate. When Elizabeth Craven returned to Benham with her second husband, the Margrave of Ansbach, they would also attend church, in the correct expected manner. The Margrave was a good Protestant and there was no problem with him fitting in. The church has many fine memorials that testify to the history of the parish.  This wonderful Tudor monument is the tomb of Sir John Castillion, the lord of the manor in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He lies on it in full armour, indicating his rank as knight, though his services to the crown lay more in the direction of teaching Italian and later acting as an ambassador. Elizabeth Craven studied Italian herself, like the Tudor Princess, and even translated Italian poetry into English. This ...

Benham House, sometimes called Benham Place or Benham Park, at Speen near Newbury in Berkshire, is a Georgian country mansion that was built in 1774-6 for William, 6th Baron Craven, husband of Elizabeth Craven the author. The Cravens owned several estates in Berkshire and their name has been given to many streets - and pubs - in the Newbury area. William, 6th Baron Craven painted by James Northcote                       Elizabeth was deeply attached to Benham House because it was built to her taste and wishes. The Craven family had owned the estate at Benham, originally called Benham Valence, since 1620, when the first Lord Craven bought it from Sir Francis Castillion. His father, Giovannie-Battista Castiglione, received the manor of Benham Valence as a gift from Queen Elizabeth I, to whom he had been tutor in the Italian language.     The Tudor house burnt down in 1774 and was replaced with one in the...