Person

Greville, Henry F.

1760-1816

Henry Francis Greville was born on July 10, 1760, in Wilbury, Wiltshire, England.

He was a British military officer and impresario. In 1777, he was appointed an ensign in the Coldstream Guards, and in 1781, was promoted to Lieutenant. Deployed to North America during the American Revolutionary War, he became a prisoner of war (POW) following the British surrender at Yorktown. In May 1782, he was one of 13 POWs forced to draw lots to determine which one should be executed in retaliation for the execution of a patriot captain by Loyalists in what became known as the Asgill Affair. In 1790, he was appointed to the 4th Regiment of Dragoon Guards to serve in Ireland as Lieutenant-Colonel. While in the army, he became interested in theatricals, and after leaving the army, he tried to organize professional theatre shows. In 1801, he founded the Pic-Nic Society and began a weekly newspaper, the Pic-Nic, to report theatrical affairs. In 1803, he purchased the lease on a mansion on Little Argyll Street, where in 1806, he gave two balls. In 1807, the Lord Chamberlain granted Greville an annual license to host music, dancing, burlettas, and dramatic performances at the Argyll Rooms. The license was renewed the following year, but afterwards, it was limited to music and dancing. By 1811, Greville was ill and in deep debt. He tried to sell the Argyll Rooms in 1811. In 1812, he went abroad, possibly as a condition of his family helping with his debts. He died on January 13, 1816, in Port Louis, Mauritius.

In 1791, he married Catherine Graham (1776–1803), and in 1805, he remarried Sophia Lambert (née Whyte) (1771–1839).