Editing Thomas Holcroft (section)

==Early life==
Holcroft was born in Orange Court, [[Leicester Fields]], London. His father had a shoemaker's shop and kept riding horses for hire, but he fell into difficulties and was reduced to hawking as a pedlar. The son accompanied his parents on their travels. He obtained work as a stable boy at [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]], at the stables of [[Richard Vernon (MP)|Hon. Richard Vernon]], where he spent his evenings chiefly on miscellaneous reading and the study of music. He gradually obtained a knowledge of French, German and Italian.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

When Holcroft's job at the stables came to an end, he returned to assist his father, who had resumed his trade of shoemaker in London. Around 1765, he became a teacher in a small school in Liverpool. However, he failed in an attempt to set up a private school, and instead became the [[Prompter (theatre)|prompter]] in a [[Dublin]] theatre. He went on to act in various strolling companies until 1778, when he produced the play ''The Crisis; or, Love and Famine'', at [[Drury Lane]]. ''[[Duplicity (play)|Duplicity]]'' followed in 1781.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}