Charles Trelawny
Encyclopedia
Major-General Charles Trelawny (1653 – 24 September 1731) was a British Army
officer of Cornish
descent, the fourth son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet
.
Trelawny entered the army in 1672, receiving a commission in the Royal English Regiment of Foot, raised by the Duke of Monmouth
, which served in the French Army in the Third Anglo-Dutch War
. He was present at the invasion of the Dutch Republic
and the Siege of Maastricht
(1673), transferring as captain
into the second battalion of the regiment, under Bevil Skelton
, on 16 March 1674. He probably fought at Enzheim that year, and was at Altenheim the next, returning to England
in 1677.
Trelawny was commissioned captain-lieutenant of the Duke of Monmouth's Regiment of Foot in 1678 and was promoted major
on 1 November 1677. On 13 July 1680, he was appointed major of the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Foot, raised as part of the Tangier Garrison
. (Trelawny's eldest brother, John
, a captain, was killed at Tangier in May of that year.) He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the regiment on 27 November 1680, succeeding Percy Kirke
, and succeeded Kirke as colonel
on 23 April 1682. He returned to England upon the evacuation of Tangier in 1684, where part of the regiment fought at Sedgemoor
the following year. Trelawny was also returned to the House of Commons
that year, as Tory
Member of Parliament
for East Looe
, a seat he retained until 1699.
One of the army conspirators against James II
, Trelawny, with his lieutenant-colonel Charles Churchill
, and part of his officers and men, deserted to William of Orange
in November 1688 from Warminster
. Dismissed by James, he was re-appointed by William on 31 December 1688 and the regiment renamed The Queen Consort's Regiment of Foot. Trelawney was promoted brigadier-general on 6 March 1689, and led a brigade
in Ireland
, crossing at Slanebridge to attack the Jacobite
left wing at the Battle of the Boyne
in 1690. He served under Marlborough
that September during his campaigns, and was promoted major-general on 2 December 1690. However, he resigned the command of his regiment (which went to his brother Henry
) in 1692 to protest William's preferential treatment of foreign officers.
By this time, Trelawny had obtained an estate at Hengar by marriage (1 May 1690) to the heiress and widow Anne Morice (d. 1691). He was considered for appointment as colonel of the Coldstream Guards
in 1694, but was thought too obnoxious to Whig
sensibilities; it went instead to John Cutts
. He was made Governor of Plymouth in 1696, and was returned as member for Plymouth
in 1698, holding the seat until 1713. He married again on 25 June 1699, to Elizabeth Mitchell, by whom he had one daughter. Trelawny left the governorship of Plymouth in 1722 and died at Hengar on 24 September 1731.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer of Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
descent, the fourth son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet
Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet
Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet , of Trelawny in Cornwall, was an English Member of Parliament.He was the fourth child and eldest son of Sir John Trelawny, 1st Baronet, High Sheriff of Cornwall, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 16 February 1664.He entered Parliament in 1660 as member for East...
.
Trelawny entered the army in 1672, receiving a commission in the Royal English Regiment of Foot, raised by the Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
, which served in the French Army in the Third Anglo-Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
. He was present at the invasion of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
and the Siege of Maastricht
Siege of Maastricht
The Siege of Maastricht was one of the key elements in King Louis XIV's plans to attack the Netherlands, in order to revenge the humiliating conditions enforced on him by the Triple Alliance when he tried to fully conquer the Spanish Netherlands...
(1673), transferring as captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
into the second battalion of the regiment, under Bevil Skelton
Bevil Skelton
Bevil Skelton was a British foreign envoy and diplomat.Probably descended from the Skeltons of Armthwaite Castle, Cumberland, Bevil Skelton began his career as a colonel in the British Army, eventually rising to the position of Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal English Regiment in France from 1672...
, on 16 March 1674. He probably fought at Enzheim that year, and was at Altenheim the next, returning to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1677.
Trelawny was commissioned captain-lieutenant of the Duke of Monmouth's Regiment of Foot in 1678 and was promoted major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 1 November 1677. On 13 July 1680, he was appointed major of the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Foot, raised as part of the Tangier Garrison
Tangier Garrison
English Tangier was a colony of the Kingdom of England and a military and naval base in Tangier, held by the English from 1661 to 6 February 1684, when it returned to being part of Morocco.-English take possession:...
. (Trelawny's eldest brother, John
John Trelawny (d. 1680)
Captain John Trelawny was an English army officer of Cornish descent, the eldest son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet....
, a captain, was killed at Tangier in May of that year.) He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the regiment on 27 November 1680, succeeding Percy Kirke
Percy Kirke
Lieutenant General Percy Kirke , English soldier, was the son of George Kirke, a court official to Charles I and Charles II.In 1666 Kirke obtained his first commission in the Lord Admiral's regiment, and subsequently served in the Blues...
, and succeeded Kirke as colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 23 April 1682. He returned to England upon the evacuation of Tangier in 1684, where part of the regiment fought at Sedgemoor
Battle of Sedgemoor
The Battle of Sedgemoor was fought on 6 July 1685 and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerset, England.It was the final battle of the Monmouth Rebellion and followed a series of skirmishes around south west England between the forces of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and the...
the following year. Trelawny was also returned to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
that year, as Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for East Looe
East Looe (UK Parliament constituency)
East Looe was a parliamentary borough represented in the House of Commons of England from 1571 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1797 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1832. It elected two Members of Parliament ...
, a seat he retained until 1699.
One of the army conspirators against James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, Trelawny, with his lieutenant-colonel Charles Churchill
Charles Churchill (British army officer)
General Charles Churchill was an English army officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession.-Life:...
, and part of his officers and men, deserted to William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
in November 1688 from Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
. Dismissed by James, he was re-appointed by William on 31 December 1688 and the regiment renamed The Queen Consort's Regiment of Foot. Trelawney was promoted brigadier-general on 6 March 1689, and led a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, crossing at Slanebridge to attack the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
left wing at the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
in 1690. He served under Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
that September during his campaigns, and was promoted major-general on 2 December 1690. However, he resigned the command of his regiment (which went to his brother Henry
Henry Trelawny
Brigadier-General Henry Trelawny was a British Army officer of Cornish descent, the seventh and youngest son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet and Mary Seymour.He married Rebecca Hals , by whom he had children, including:...
) in 1692 to protest William's preferential treatment of foreign officers.
By this time, Trelawny had obtained an estate at Hengar by marriage (1 May 1690) to the heiress and widow Anne Morice (d. 1691). He was considered for appointment as colonel of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
in 1694, but was thought too obnoxious to Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
sensibilities; it went instead to John Cutts
John Cutts, 1st Baron Cutts
Lieutenant-General John Cutts, 1st Baron Cutts PC , British soldier and author, came from an Essex family.After a short university career at Catharine Hall, Cambridge, he inherited the family estates, but showed a distinct preference for the life of court and camp...
. He was made Governor of Plymouth in 1696, and was returned as member for Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
in 1698, holding the seat until 1713. He married again on 25 June 1699, to Elizabeth Mitchell, by whom he had one daughter. Trelawny left the governorship of Plymouth in 1722 and died at Hengar on 24 September 1731.