Henry Spry Explained

Henry Thomas Augustus Spry (bapt. 2 July 1834 – 17 February 1904)^[1] was an English playwright and pantomime performer who co-wrote and appeared in nearly 50 productions with George Conquest at the Surrey Theatre and elsewhere.

Early life

Henry Spry was born in 1834 in Bloomsbury, London to Charles and Sarah Maria Spry.

Family

Spry married Eliza Sarah Hassan in 1859.^[2] Their daughter Alice was an actress.^[3]

Career

Spry was a playwright and pantomime performer who co-wrote and appeared in nearly 50 productions with George Conquest at the Surrey Theatre and elsewhere.^{[4] [5] [6]}

He died in 1904 in Islington, aged 69.^[7]

Works with George Conquest

• Spitz-Spitz the Spider Crab; or The Pirate of Spitsbergen. Grecian Theatre, 1875.
• The Grim Goblin; or, Harlequin Octopus, the Devil Fish, and the Fairies of the Flowery Dell. Grecian Theatre, 1876.
• Jack and the Beanstalk, which grew to the moon; or, the Giant, Jack Frost and the Ha-Ha Balloon. Surrey Theatre, 1886. Starring Dan Leno and wife.
• Sinbad and the Little Old Man of the Sea; or, The Tinker, the Tailor, the Soldier, the Sailor, Apothecary, Ploughboy, Gentleman Thief. Surrey Theatre, 1887. Starring Dan Leno and wife.

Notes and References

1. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
2. England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
3. Web site: Marriages . 28 September 1895 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription.
4. "Conquest family" in Book: Law . Jonathan . The Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre . 2011. Bloomsbury. London. 978-1-4081-3148-0. 124.
5. Book: David . Pickering . John . Morley . amp . 1993 . Encyclopedia of Pantomime . Andover . Gale Research International . 978-1-873477458.
6. Book: Stephens, John Russell . The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900. 2006. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 978-0-521-03443-2. 9.
7. News: Obituary . 12 February 2019 . The Stage . 31 March 1904 . 11 . subscription.