Initially he rented the premises from the Slingsby family of Scriven but, in 1916, he purchased the house and land adjacent.
Scriven was the pre-eminent engraver of his generation, with 206 portraits ascribed to him by the National Portrait Gallery.
Scriven is great-great-grandnephew of Joseph Scriven, Irish poet, best known as the writer of the poem which became the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"
Magnum Chorum has collaborated with numerous composers including Stephen Paulus, Frank Ferko, Libby Larsen, Ralph Johnson, J. Aaron McDermid, Eric Barnum, Eric Sayre, Stanford Scriven and Benjamin Simmons, and performed with conductors such as Osmo Vänskä, Anton Armstrong, René Clausen, Kenneth Jennings, Weston Noble and Dale Warland.
Scriven's work in education has influenced the work of many scholars, including that of Robert E. Stake, Ernest R. House, and Gene V Glass.
The Baronetcy of Slingsby of Scriven was created firstly on 23 October 1628 for Anthony Slingsby, Governor of Zutphen, Netherlands.
On 2 October 2008, Alwan Arab defeated Matt Scriven at a dinner show hosted by the Mayfair Sporting Club at the Café Royal, Piccadilly, and on 23 April 2009 (St George's Day), Alwan Arab defeated Paul Royston at another dinner show at the Millennium Hotel Mayfair.