Rev Thomas Milville Raven FRSE (1828–1896) was an English vicar remembered as a theological author and early calotype photographer. Some documents name him as Thomas Melville Raven.

Life

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He studied divinity at St David's College in Lampeter (now known as the University of Wales), graduating MA.

From 1856 he was experimenting with calotype photography and exhibiting photographs of the Pyrenees, Pau and towns in France.[1] In 1858 he was living in Edinburgh and joined the Scottish Photographic Society, the more formal rival to the Edinburgh Photographic Society. He was also a member of the Glasgow Photographic Society.[2]

He lived at Waldringfield Rectory in Suffolk and is presumed vicar of that parish.[3] In 1863 he moved to Scruton in Yorkshire.[4] In 1867 he became vicar of the nearby village of Crakehall also having pastoral duties in Langthorne.

In 1864 he was elected a member of the London Photographic Society.

In 1869 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposer being Andrew Coventry.[5]

He died on 13 June 1896.

Family

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He was married to Eliza.[3] His wife is thought to be the elusive E. Raven referenced in some photographs as their creator.[2][6]

They had one daughter who is thought to have died during their trip to Pau in 1857.

Publications

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  • Account of a Photographic Tour from Jersey to the Pyrenees (1857)

Photographic Works

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see[7]

References

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  1. ^ Great Photographic Journeys, John Hannavy
  2. ^ a b "Photographer - Thomas Milville Raven". Luminous-Lint.
  3. ^ a b "Catalogue description: Quitclaim: Rev. Thomas Melville Raven of Waldringfield Rectory, Suffolk and Eliza his..." 23 November 1861 – via National Archive of the UK.
  4. ^ "Catalogue description: Assignment of mortgage debt: for £500: Rev.Thomas Melville Raven, formerly of..." 11 November 1863 – via National Archive of the UK.
  5. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  6. ^ Impressed by Light: British Photographs from Paper Negatives, Roger Taylor and L J Schaaf
  7. ^ "Exhibit records from the catalogue of 1859, Glasgow, Photographic Society". peib.dmu.ac.uk.