Thomas Holcroft

Miriam Wallace (New College of Florida)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

Born 10 Dec 1745
Died 23 Mar 1809
Activity 1765-1809

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Novelist
Playwright / Dramatist

Resources

Born in Leicester Fields, London to a shoemaker and his wife, Thomas Holcroft was a well-known playwright, author, translator, and reformer. In 1794 he was tried and acquitted of Treason for his membership in radical political associations. He is best known for his close friendship with William Godwin, as arguably the first “Jacobin” novelist, and as the playwright who brought melodrama to the British stage.

Early life

Holcroft's early life was marked by his family's poverty and the experiences of labouring-class London and its surrounding countryside. His father lost his cobbling shop in London around 1751, and the family turned to peddling for a period. Thus, Holcroft had little formal education. He …

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1761 words

Citation: Wallace, Miriam. "Thomas Holcroft". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 April 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2174, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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