English peer (1610–1648)
John Craven, 1st Baron Craven of Ryton [clarification needed ] (baptised 10 June 1610 at St Andrew Undershaft , London – 1648), was an English peer and founder of the Craven scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge.
Background
Craven was the younger surviving son of Sir William Craven , Lord Mayor of London in 1610 and his wife Elizabeth Whitmore, daughter of William Whitmore. William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608–1697) , was his elder brother.[ 1]
Political career
Craven was elected Member of Parliament in the Long Parliament for Tewkesbury in November 1640 in an election which was declared void on 6 August 1641. In 1643 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Craven of Ryton by Charles I , who held him in high regard.[citation needed ]
Family
Lord Craven of Ryton married Elizabeth, daughter of William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton and granddaughter through her mother Penelope of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton , in 1643. He was childless and the title became extinct on his death in 1648.
Craven scholarships
Craven was noted for benevolence, and his will contained numerous charitable bequests . The most significant was the bequest of his manor of Cancerne, Sussex , for the endowment of four poor scholars, two at Oxford University and two at Cambridge University . The Craven scholarships still exist.
References