Edward John Trelawny
Encyclopedia
Edward John Trelawny was a biographer, novelist and adventurer who is best known for his friendship with the Romantic poets
Percy Bysshe Shelley
and Lord Byron. Trelawny was born in England to a family of modest income but extensive ancestral history. Though his father became wealthy while he was a child, Edward had an antagonistic relationship with him. After an unhappy childhood, he was sent away to a school. He was assigned as a volunteer in the Royal Navy
shortly before he turned thirteen.
Trelawny served on multiple ships as a naval volunteer while in his teen years. He travelled to India and saw combat during engagements with the French Navy
. He did not care for the naval lifestyle, however, and left at nineteen years of age without becoming a commissioned officer. After retiring from the Navy he had a brief and unhappy marriage in England. He then moved to Switzerland and later Italy where he met Shelley and Byron. He became friends with the two poets, and helped teach them about sailing. He soon constructed elaborate stories about his time in the navy, and claimed to have deserted and became a pirate in India. After Shelley's death, Trelawny identified his body and arranged the funeral and burial.
Trelawny then travelled to Greece with Lord Byron in order to fight in the Greek War of Independence
. Byron and Trelawny split up near Greece and Trelawny travelled into Greece to act as the agent of Lord Byron. After Byron died, Trelawny oversaw the preparations for funeral and the return of his body to England. He also wrote his obituaries. Trelawny joined the cause of the Greek Warlord
Odysseas Androutsos
and helped to provide him with additional arms. He also married Odysseas' sister Teritza. After Odysseas fell out of favour with the Greek government and was arrested, Trelawny took control of his mountain fortress. During this time, Trelawny survived an assassination attempt. After leaving Greece, he divorced Teritza and returned to England. In England he was well received by members of London Society. He then wrote a memoir titled Adventures of a Younger Son. After the book was published he travelled to America for two years before returning to England. He then became politically active but soon remarried and moved to the English countryside.
He then lived the life of a country squire for 12 years and raised a family with his third wife. They eventually separated and he moved back to London with a mistress. He then wrote a well received book about Shelley and Byron. He soon became friends with several prominent artists and writers in London. He was able to share his firsthand experience with Romantic Era writers with the leading Victorian writers of the day. He later retired to Sompting
where he led an ascetic
lifestyle. He died in Sompting at the age of 88, having outlived almost all of his friends from the Romantic era.
. Some of his biographers have contended that he was actually born in London. His father, Charles Brereton Trelawny, was a British military officer who retired after reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His mother, Maria Hawkins, was of Cornish descent. She had inherited a small sum of money from her father, but the family soon spent most of the inheritance. When Edward was six years of age, his father inherited a large sum of money from one of his wealthy cousins. The family soon used the inheritance to move to London where they lived in a large house. As a condition of receiving the inheritance, his father was required to adopt the last name "Brereton". His cousin, Owen Brereton, wished to have his last name continued along with his wealth. They lived in Cheshire
while Edward was a young man.
Although he was christened Edward John, his family generally referred to him as John when he was young. He later began referring to himself as Edward, which was the name most of his friends referred to him as. Later in his life he referred to himself as "John Edward" for several years. Edward later recalled that his father had a fierce temper. He described his father's disposition as often "tyrannical". His father also tried to calculate the financial worth of all his relatives and kept detailed records of the numbers. In addition to his father, many of Edward Trelawny's other ancestors had strong tempers, as well. His elder uncle on his mother's side was also wealthy. He held a seat in the House of Commons
and in 1810 Trelawny's father also became a Member of the British Parliament. As a child, he was often told of the long history and adventures of his ancestors in the Trelawny family. As an adult, he was very proud of having such prestigious ancestors. The recorded history of his family dated back to the reign of Edward the Confessor
and included many prominent citizens.
Edward had five siblings who survived to adulthood and several who died as children. Edward shared a disdain for his father with his siblings. Though he hated his father, Edward was very close with his mother. His mother worked very hard to find wealthy husbands for her daughters, to the extent that her actions were satirised by some. In addition, many people found her to be a very disagreeable person as she grew older. Trelawny's parents regarded their children as potential sinners and frequently used very harsh measures to try to instill a sense of discipline in them. He resented being treated in this manner.
Edward only had one brother, Harry Trelawny. They were close in age and were very close friends during their childhood. Harry was very quiet and reserved, which sharply contrasted with Edward's extroverted and confrontational personality.
As an adult, Edward Trelawny often told stories about his childhood that focused on his early willingness to take confrontational positions and conceal things from others. One often used story described the time that he killed a vicious Raven which had belonged to his father. He cited this event as an example of his habit of accepting offences up to a certain point before later taking revenge as the offences mounted. He later described the Raven incident in his autobiography, Adventures of a Younger Son. In the book he described the fight with the raven as the "most awful duel" that he ever had.
at that time. Trelawny later claimed that his father had resisted sending him to the school for some time due to its cost, but decided to enroll him after he caught him stealing apples from an orchard in the back yard. Trelawny hated the school and was very angry at his father for sending him there. He often complained that the school served terrible food and subjected him to frequent flogging as a form of punishment. In addition to flogging, one of his classmates recorded that canning was a frequent method of punishment there, as well. The school's treatment of its students was actually comparable to many other schools of that time. He was also bullied and treated cruelly by other students there.
The schoolmaster there frequently condemned the French Revolution
. These condemnations may have given Trelawny an early sympathy with revolutionary ideals. He was expelled from the school after two years due to violent behaviour towards teachers as well as starting fires after being confined in his room as punishment.
Charles Brereton had originally hoped that his sons would attend Oxford. He became disappointed by the slow pace of Edward's learning as a child. In October 1805, shortly before his thirteenth birthday, he enrolled Edward in the Royal Navy as a first class volunteer. The younger sons of the gentry
traditionally entered the military at that time. His family enrolled him as early as they could because seniority was crucial to career advancement at that time.
Trelawny's name was entered on the books of HMS Superb as volunteer first class in October 1815. His first experiences in the Navy were serving on ships that had returned from the Battle of Trafalgar with many badly wounded sailors. In November he was transferred to the Temeraire and then to the Colossus. He later attended a naval school in Portsmouth
. In 1806 he served aboard the HMS Woolwich. While serving on the Woolwich he travelled to the Cape of Good Hope
and to St. Helena. In 1808 he moved to the frigate Resistance, and in 1809 to the frigate Cornelia. While serving aboard the Cornelia he travelled to Bombay.
Trelawny was initially happy to have joined the navy and enjoyed the rough lifestyle there. He often exaggerated his age while he was in the Navy. Some biographers believe he commanded a vessel as a midshipman in an engagement with the French at Mauritius
in 1810. Some also believe that he was wounded engaging the French in Java
in August 1811. He left the Navy in 1815 at the age of 19. He had grown to resent the discipline of the Navy due in part to the frequent punishment that he experienced. He was often sent to the masthead
for several hours at a time. During that time, he frequently entertained fantasies of mutiny
and desertion
. Some biographers believe that Trelawny was inspired by hearing accounts of the French pirate Robert Surcouf
. He was never commissioned as a lieutenant, though many of his contemporaries were. This disappointed him, although he began referring to himself as Lieutenant Trelawny anyway.
and was a skilled Pianist
. Though both of their families disapproved of the match they were not dissuaded. Trelawny's father was particularly infuriated by his son's disobedience. They were married in May 1813 and first lived in London
before moving to Bristol
. After their first daughter was born in 1814 they experienced financial difficulties that forced Trelawny to ask his father for money. Although he had a mutually disdainful relationship with his father, he was able to secure extra funds. Edward and Caroline soon became unhappy, causing Edward to begin leaving home often to spend time with his friends or to travel to the theatre by himself. Their second child was born in 1816.
Caroline soon began having an affair with a much older man, a naval Captain named Coleman. They successfully hid the affair from Trelawny for some time, he discovered it long after many others had known. Although he dearly wished to fight a duel with Coleman, he simply filed for divorce instead. The proceedings were well covered in many of London’s "penny press" tabloid papers. This publicity caused Trelawny tremendous frustration and humiliation. The divorce order was granted in July 1817, but was not finalised until 1819. Caroline was granted custody of the elder child and Edward kept the younger.
, but he refused to consider joining the army. His father was furious at his refusal, leading to their estrangement. Brereton became estranged with Harry around the same time, due to a marriage that he entered into against his father's wishes. Edward began staying with a former landlord whom he had befriended. She helped him find someone to take care of his child. Trelawny then began using the name "Edward" rather than "John".
Due in part to the short time he spent in school, Trelawny struggled with spelling as a young man. He often spelled phonetically. This caused him significant difficulties when he tried to correspond with his friends. His spelling indicated a strong Cornish accent
. His parents were very concerned about this, particularly his habit of occasionally misspelling his own name. His problem with spelling might have been due to spelling dyslexia, evidence for which has been provided by one of Trelawny’s biographers. After he left the Navy he read voraciously. He often read Shakespeare's Plays
and attended the theatres in Convent Garden. He began incorporating references to Shakespeare in his personal letters. He also enjoyed reading the works of Lord Byron, including Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
. During this time he also accompanied his mother and sisters on a trip to Paris.
, he decided to move to Switzerland
. In Switzerland he was not directly affected by the inflation
that was occurring in England. After moving to Geneva
he soon became bored by the city and spent much of his time hunting and fishing expeditions. In the summer of 1820, while staying in Lausanne
, Trelawny befriended a local bookseller. The bookseller soon recommended to him that he read Queen Mab
by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This was the first time that he had heard of Percy Shelley. He read Queen Mab and he greatly enjoyed the work.
He soon met Edward Ellerker Williams
and Thomas Medwin
at the home of a friend in Geneva
. He had served on the same ship as Williams in the navy, although not at the same time. They also introduced him to the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley.
In the fall of 1820 Trelawny learned that his father had died and returned to England from Switzerland. After arriving in England he learned that he only had received a much smaller inheritance than he had expected. He was sorely disappointed and soon returned to Switzerland.
to meet Edward Ellerker Williams
and his wife Jane
, Thomas Medwin, Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley, and Lord Byron. Trelawny greatly enjoyed meeting Percy and Mary Shelley after having looked forward to meeting them for some time. He also met Mary's half-sister Claire Clairmont
. Trelawny began spending much of his time with Mary Shelley. He often accompanied her to parties because Percy Shelley hated to do so.
Trelawny had many similarities to Percy Shelley, including the fact that he had the same class, age, and preferences. He began to emulate Shelley in some additional ways, such as his attitudes toward authority figures. Mary Shelley enjoyed his company, as well and was fascinated by the stories that Trelawny told of his naval career. Lord Byron was initially surprised by the resemblance Trelawny bore to some of the pirates that he had written about, and once described Trelawny as the "personification of my Corsair". In some ways, Trelawny did not fit in with his new friends due to his lack of wealth and education. He had had more adventurous experiences than his friends by that time, however. He often exaggerated these experiences in conversation, especially when discussing the details of his naval career.
Trelawny constructed an elaborate story of his activities as a teenager. The story featured him deserting from the Navy and travelling throughout Asia. During this time he claimed to have formed a band of pirates who fought against the British Navy. His descriptions of his adventures often included duels and romance, such as his claim of marrying an Arab girl name Zella who was later poisoned by a jealous rival. These stories were often violent, but his friends found them very exciting. Trelawny often used real events as the baseline for his stories, and then greatly embellished the events that actually took place. His biographers have been divided as to whether he intentionally exaggerated to create a persona or if he really came to believe the stories that he created.
Trelawny greatly enjoyed his time in Pisa. He was very active during his time there and often practised boxing or fencing with his friends. He frequently attended theatres with them at night. He also enjoyed listening to Jane Williams sing and play songs with the guitar that Shelley had given to her.
In March Trelawny was involved in a high-profile confrontation that took place while he was travelling with Byron, Shelley, and some of their friends. The incident began when an Italian soldier confronted Count John Taafe, who was travelling with Shelley, Trelawny, Byron, and Byron's entourage. Although Shelley was slightly wounded as he fell from his horse chasing after the soldier, one of Byron's servants later caught the soldier and wounded him severely. The incident was very controversial and received a significant amount of publicity in Pisa. This was in part due to the anti-English sentiment that existed there at that time. After a lengthy investigation by the Italian authorities, Trelawny and his friends were cleared of all charges that had been pending against them.
Shelley and Edward Williams had wanted to begin sailing for some time, and Trelawny used his naval experience to help them make plans. Together they decided have an American style schooner
constructed; he had often observed this type of boat during his time in the navy. After Shelley and Williams had constructed their boat, the Don Juan, Trelawny was hired by Byron to be the Captain of his vessel, the Bolivar. Trelawny also moved into a room in Byron's mansion at that time. Trelawny's friend Daniel Roberts
designed and supervised the construction of both vessels. The construction of the Bolivar cost £750, a sum which Byron found irritatingly high.
Trelawny had planned to accompany the Don Juan in the Bolivar during the voyage in which the Don Juan sank. He was held back by the Port Authority
because he was not carrying his port clearance with him, though he had sailed without bringing his clearance several times in the past. After Shelley and Williams did not return to their home by the time that they were expected, Jane Williams and Mary Shelley informed Trelawny that their husbands were missing. He began making urgent inquiries and attempted to find news about them. For the next several days, he frequently met with members of the Italian Coast Guard and promised them rewards if they were able to find the boat.
After Shelley's body was found, Trelawny was able to confirm the identity of the body. He then notified their wives and escorted Mary and Jane to Pisa for the funeral. Trelawny made the arrangements for the cremation and oversaw the ceremony. After Shelley's body was cremated, Trelawny removed what he thought was Shelley's unburned heart from the fire. He later wrote a full account of the funeral. He also arranged to have a memorial built at Shelley's final resting place in Rome. Trelawny then reserved a spot for himself in the same cemetery.
After the funeral, Trelawny went on a hunting trip with Daniel Roberts. After he returned, he soon developed tension with Byron, in part due to Byron's habit of leaving bills unpaid. This often put Trelawny in a difficult position as the captain of his boat. Byron sold the Bolivar for 400 guinea
s in late 1822. This left Trelawny unemployed. He split his time between Genoa
and Albaro
and hunted often. He began spending much of his time with Mary Shelley and he supplied the funds for her to return to England. Trelawny soon fell in love with Claire Clairmont
. She ultimately spurned his proposals, however. He decided to move after his mother found his address and began sending him letters.
before he died. In June 1823 Byron decided to go to Greece to fight for independence, and Trelawny enthusiastically accompanied him. Byron chartered a boat known as The Hercules to transport them there. During the voyage, Trelawny and Byron sometimes irritated each other. Trelawny's lack of cleanliness particularly bothered Byron, but they still were able to enjoy each other's company at times. They often practised swimming, boxing, fencing together during the trip. They also practised their aim by shooting ducks for target practice. They initially spent much time together because the rest of Byron's entourage suffered from seasickness and were unable to participate in their activities.
After they arrived in the Ionian Islands
, Byron decided to stay there for a while in order to consult with the London Greek Committee and other experts regarding the political situation in Greece before proceeding further. They then left him in Kefalonia
and travelled to Greece. Byron approved of Trelawny's plan to travel deeper into Greece and presented him with a sword and a letter of introduction shortly before he departed. Byron also asked them to soon return to him with more information.
After initially staying with a shepherd after they arrived in Greece, they travelled to Tripoli
. Trelawny wore authentic Souliote
dress on the journey. After arriving in Tripoli, Trelawny met with Alexandros Mavrokordatos whom he soon came to strongly dislike. He also met Theodoros Kolokotronis
, whom he later came to admire. They travelled together to Salamis
, on the journey Trelawny viewed the sites of previous battles. He recorded that he could see the bones of those who had been slain there. He spoke with many Greek leaders after arriving in Salamis. He was well respected as the agent of the Lord Byron, whom they held in high esteem. He frequently corresponded with Lord Byron and encouraged him to come to Greece. He was disappointed when Byron did not come for some time, and that when he did come he came to territory that was overseen by Mavrokordatos. Trelawny, however, greatly enjoyed Corinth
and Athens
. Rumours later emerged that he purchased a harem
of twelve to fifteen women while in staying in Athens. However, some have maintained that he may have actually redeemed the women from slavery.
He soon left on a raiding expedition with the warlord Odysseas Androutsos, who controlled included much of Eastern Greece. Trelawny thought very highly of Odysseus, describing him as a brother and comparing him to George Washington
and Simón Bolívar
. During this time Trelawny commanded a group of twenty five Albania
n soldiers. In the winter of 1823–24, Odysseas and his men fought several battles with the Turks and destroyed villages in the Euboea
region. Trelawny lobbied Byron to send them more arms, but Byron decided to wait before shipping any to consider the political implications. Some have called into question the effectiveness of Odysseas' campaign and many view Byron's delay as a polite refusal.
After Byron died in April 1824, Trelawny returned from an expedition with Odysseas. Trelawny claimed that upon arriving in Messolonghi
, he began overseeing the funeral preparations. In the days before his death, Byron often said he wished Trelawny would return to him. Trelawny then wrote several accounts of Byron's last years and sent them to papers in England. In these accounts he often exaggerated the role he played in Byron's life. Shortly after Byron died, Trelawny reported he took the opportunity to view his deformed foot with a servant of Byron's.
Trelawny then began lobbying members of the London Greek Committee to fully support Odysseas. He also lobbied for a Greek Congress and criticised Mavrokordatos. In a letter to Mary Shelley Trelawny described Mavrokordatos as a "miserable Jew" and said that he hoped to see him beheaded. Trelawny was able to transfer some portions of weapons shipments from London to Odysseas. This was a controversial move among Greek leaders and the London Greek Committee, many of whom saw it as a foolish move. He also suggested that the Greek authorities should hire privateer
s to harass Turkish ships.
In May 1824 Trelawny brought a load of guns to the fortified cave in which Odysseas was based. He arrived with a British military officer, Whitcomb, and a military engineer, Fenton. Trelawny recorded that Odysseas commanded a force of 5,000 men, who killed over 20,000 people during their campaign. Odysseas and his men retired to Parnassus after they learned the Greek government would not give them more funds. The Greek Government had decided to try to raise a regular army and take power away from the warlords. The size of his force soon diminished.
Trelawny hoped to convince Odysseas to leave with him for the Ionian islands, but Odysseas refused. He also helped Odysseas hide some valuable antiquities, they were never found. Some sources claim that Odysseas was attempting to strike a deal with the Turks at that time. Trelawny soon married Teritza, the half-sister of Odysseas. She was much younger than him, and was probably a teenager. Some have speculated that their wedding was performed by a local Greek Orthodox priest. Teritza then lived with him in the cave. At this point Trelawny's life had actually began to resemble many of the stories that he had previous constructed about his past. Word soon spread to England that Trelawny was working for the Turks with Odysseas now. Trelawny again tried to convince Odysseas to escape with him to the Ionian Islands in order to prevent the Greek government from arresting him. Odysseas was caught on his way to find a boat. He was charged with treason and imprisoned in Athens. Trelawny administered the cave in his absence.
While practicing shooting with the two Englishmen Trelawny was shot in the back. Fenton was quickly shot and killed by a soldier of Odysseas. Seeing this, Whitcomb tried to flee but was captured by soldiers. The soldiers initially hung Whitcomb off a cliff by his ankles as punishment, but Trelawny asked them to stop and they imprisoned the man. There was no doctor available and Trelawny lived on a diet of raw eggs that was suggested by his wife, who attended to him there. He needed to have a musket ball removed, however. His men soon kidnapped a Klept
doctor and forced him to operate at gunpoint. The doctor's efforts were unsuccessful. Although Trelawny was in poor condition for several weeks he eventually recovered. His living assailant was later released. The soldiers wanted to roast Whitcomb alive, but Trelawny insisted on releasing him.
Trelawny was bedridden for five weeks after he was shot. After word spread to England that Trelawny had survived, many of his relatives unsuccessfully lobbied the British government to extract him from Greece. The British Army Major D'Arcy Bacon learned of his situation and came to an agreement with Mavrokordatos to allow Trelawny to leave Greece. Bacon went searching for Trelawny and was captured by some of Odysseas' soldiers. They had mistook him for a doctor and hoped that he would operate on Trelawny. A British Corvette
sailed to Corinth to pick him up, Teritza accompanied him. His story was widely published in English newspapers then. Some biographers believe that the two were bribed by Mavrokordatos to kill Trelawny and give over the cave. Bacon successfully lobbied the Greek government to allow him to leave the country. Odysseas was executed in Athens shortly before the attempt on Trelawny's life. Trelawny regained full use of his arm, but he walked with a slight hunch after recovering from his injury.
. While they were living in Zante, Teritza gave birth to their first child, Zella.
He filed for divorce from Teritza in 1827 in Kefalonia
after four years of marriage. There were later rumours that Trelawny had been abusive towards her and had forbidden her to wear non-Greek clothing. Teritza then moved into a nunnery and gave birth to their second child there. The child died at a very young age, however. Teritza was awarded a small alimony and soon left the nunnery to remarry. Her second husband was a Greek Chieftain.
Trelawny then returned to England to visit his family in Cornwall. He also visited Mary Shelley, and asked her to consider entering a romantic relationship with him. She refused his offers, however. He also briefly visited Clair in Italy in 1828. Though he was very attracted to her, she too spurned his advances.
In 1828 he began referring to himself as "John Edward Trelawny", but he returned to "Edward John Trelawny" three years later. In late 1828 he returned to England and met with Thomas Jefferson Hogg
and Jane Williams. He soon developed a strong dislike for Hogg.
Trelawny then decided to write a book about his life and friendship with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. He initially had wanted to write about Shelley but abandoned the plan after he was unable to secure the assistance of Mary Shelley. He then decided to write about himself. He discussed many actual events in his life, but greatly embellished many details. He also discussed radical politics in the book.
In 1829 Trelawny made plans to live with his three daughters in Italy. He abandoned this plan after his eldest daughter died and his finances became strained. His financial problems were caused in part by a large gift to the Medwin family after they encountered financial difficulties.
Trelawny then sent his draft to Mary Shelley to arrange publication under the title A Man's Life. Mary insisted on removing some passages from the book that could be viewed as offensive. He decided to publish it anonymously, but it was expected that many would be able to guess his identity. He did not earn as much money from the publisher as he had hoped. In Autumn 1831 his book was finally published.
In 1831 Byron's doctor wrote a critical account of Trelawny. He responded with a furious attack on the doctor, part of which implied that he was gay. His book was published anonymously but within a month it had become well known that he was the author. Most contemporary reviewers accepted the book as factual, but subsequent scholarship has demonstrated that most of the book is no more than a fictional account of his life. Writing in the Keats-Shelley Journal of 1956, Anne Hill concluded that "the proportion of truth to fiction in Adventures of a younger son turns out to be small, not more than one tenth." His biography has since been translated into French, German, Swedish, and Gaelic. Trelawny returned to England in 1832 and was famous and well received by London society and was treated like a hero. He began meeting with Godwin regularly.
, he decided to travel to the United States. He arrived in Charleston
in early 1833. He then travelled to New York in early summer. In New York he met Fenimore Cooper and Fanny Kemble. They then travelled to Niagara. Wherever they went he often talked of staying permanently. He repeatedly raised political issues and furiously argued when disagreed with. In August he decided to try to swim across the rapids below the falls. He successfully made it across, but nearly drowned on the way back. He then travelled to Saratoga, New Haven, New York, and Philadelphia. He then returned to Charleston, preferring the climate there. He was disappointed that his Atheism was poorly received in the United States. He later claimed to have travelled to California in 1833. He was bothered by the way that wealthy Americans tried to copy the habits of Europe. It is unknown exactly what he did in late 1833 early 1834, some have speculated that he made plans to build a utopian community. He travelled to Philadelphia again by autumn 1834. He was very depressed at that time, and returned to England in spring 1835.
. The group advocated left wing politics and often focused its efforts on the rights of women. Trelawny began associating with its supporters, many of whom were among the upper class members of London society. Most of London society was willing to overlook his claims of disloyalty against the British after his claimed desertion and accepted him into society. At this time many women were attracted to him, and there was frequent speculation about his sexual escapades in many London tabloids, such as The Satirist
.
He soon had a falling out with Mary Shelley. He was offended in part because she turned to Thomas Jefferson Hogg
for advice instead of asking him. He later described Mary as "the blab of blabs" in a letter to Claire Clairmont
. Trelawny and Mary Shelley also disagreed about a custody reform bill that was proposed by the Philosophic Radicals.
During this time he published short stories about piracy. In 1839 he disappeared from London society due to a controversial new romance.
. She gave birth to a son in August 1839. Her husband tracked her down, however, and filed for divorce. The divorce was granted in 1841. Trelawny married Augusta and they settled in a small country town Usk and bought a farmhouse. They had a daughter Laetitia there as well. They later moved to a large house on a 440 acre farm two miles outside Usk. He worked hard maintaining the farm and was friends with several leading citizens from the town. He lived in Usk for twelve years total, which was longer than he had ever lived in one place in his entire life. He planted trees and lawns and flower gardens. Townspeople were offended by him breaking the sabbath. In the mid-1850s he began writing a book about his memories of Byron and Shelley. His marriage split up in 1857 due to his relationship with a young woman who became his mistress and later common-law wife. The girl's name was never discovered; she is only known as Miss B. He frequently had tea with the vicar of Usk on Sunday afternoons. After he separated from his wife in Usk he sold a large amount of the furniture and books and held a well attended open house for villagers to come in and buy his possessions. After his third divorce, he criticised the institution of marriage in a letter to Claire. He frequently wrote the wrong dates on his letters.
, Joseph Boehm
, Edward Lear
, and Richard Edgcumb
. He became a friend of Rossetti as he was working on a new edition of Shelley's poems. In 1844 Robert Browning met with Trelawny in Italy.
In 1858 Trelawny published Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron. This book was better received than previous biographies of Shelley, such as The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley
. Although he had only known Shelley for six months, Trelawny was thereafter recognised as the preeminent Shelley expert. His first memoir were republished then, as well. He often edited his letters before they were published. The edits attempted to cover up some of his insecurities and defend his reputation. He frequently characterised himself as a survivor in his writings.
Trelawny was then widely received in society and met Benjamin Disraeli at a meeting that was held about possibly building a statue for Lord Byron. Though he had never met her, Trelawny was often a defender of Percy Shelley's first wife Harriet. He often shocked people by applauding Shelley's atheism and disparaging Browning and Tennyson. At the age of eighty he read On the Origin of Species and welcomed its conclusions. He greatly admired Garibaldi and John Brown
, as well.
Trelawny spoke with the painter Gerome after he began work on a portrait of Shelley. In 1878 Trelawny's memoir was reissued and edited by Rossetti under the title Records of Shelley Byron and the Author. This book contained somewhat harsher treatments of poets than the previous edition had been, some have speculated this may have been Rossetti's influence. He was particularly critical of Mary Shelley, the Godwin family and Leigh Hunt. Lady Shelley was furious, and had Trelawny's relics removed from the Shelley shrine.
As he grew older, Trelawny's guests noted that he told them amazing stories about himself that he purported to be true, such as meeting with Captain Morgan
and circumnavigating the Globe.
He often presented items to his friends and visitors that he claimed to have found on his world travels or from his days with Shelley and Byron. As an old man he lived with a much younger woman, Emma Taylor. They told people she was his niece.
He closely oversaw his sons' education and taught them foreign languages. They were sent to a military academy in Germany. Frank died as a young man while serving as a soldier in the Prussian Army. His son Edward converted to Catholicism and told people that he was the son of Sir John Trelawny. They later became estranged. Zella became a housewife in London. Trelawny outlived four of his seven children. The only child that he enjoyed good relations with was Laetitia, who also lived with him in Sompting. Late in his life he became a sober vegetarian.
In 1874 he sat as a model for John Everett Millais
as he painted the picture The North West Passage. This picture depicted an old sailor declaring that England would find a way through the Northwest Passage
. Millais had seen Trelawny at the funeral of John Leech years before and decided that he would make the perfect figure for the drawing. Trelawny initially liked the picture, but he was angered when he saw that Millais had included a glass of grog in the picture. It was ultimately well received by critics.
Trelawny was able to visit with Augusta Draper in 1874. He also visited with Jane Williams in 1872. Williams was the only close friend of Percy Shelley to outlive Trelawny. In August 1881 he suffered a fall while out on a walk. He was bedridden and died two weeks later.
His ashes were buried in Rome
in a plot of ground adjacent to Percy Bysshe Shelley
’s grave. He had purchased this plot in 1822, at the time he had arranged for Shelley’s ashes to be reburied in a more suitable site within the Protestant Cemetery. At his request, from one of Shelley's poem "Epitaph".
Trelawny has been credited with helping Byron and Shelley become recognised as celebrities after their deaths. Jonathan Bate
has described him as one of the "key makers of modern celebrity". He was the last major figure of the Romantic Era living in Victorian England.
Born - 1792 (13 November) Born in London or Cornwall, younger son of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Trelawny.
12 --- 1804 To Portsmouth where he joins the Royal Navy
13 --- 1805 (15 October) His name is entered on the books of H.M.S. Superb as ‘volunteer first class’. In November transferred to the HMS Temeraire and a few days later to the Colossus, then to a naval school near Plymouth.
14 --- 1806 Aboard H.M.S. Woolwich. (Serves under Capt. Francis Beaufort, who devised the well-known wind force scale.) Returns to England via the Cape and St. Helena.
16 --- 1808 Brief stop in Plymouth, then aboard the frigate Resistance.
17 --- 1809 Returns to England, transfers to the frigate Cornelia, bound for Bombay.
18 --- 1810 (29 November) Aboard the Cornelia (with the British invasion force off Mauritius). Returns to India, and after refitting, the ship is renamed H.M.S. Akabar.
19 --- 1811(August 22 or 23) Java, where he was wounded; transfers to H.M.S. Piedmontaise.
19 --- 1812 (12 August) Arrives back in England. Leaves the navy; his family takes him down to Cornwall to recuperate.
21 --- 1813 Married to Caroline Julia Addison. Takes up lodging in London, soon moves to Bristol.
22 --- 1814 A daughter is born.
23 --- 1815 Receives final pay settlement from the navy. His father gives his an allowance of £300 per annum.
24 --- 1816 Wife Caroline elopes with Captain Coleman. Divorce proceedings start.
25 --- 1817 (9 July) Wins case for damages against Captain Coleman.
26 --- 1818-1819 Final divorcee from Caroline. Period of self-education reading Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, etc. Accompanies mother and sisters to Paris.
28 --- 1820-1821 (July 1820) His mother returns to England. He moves on to Switzerland, meeting up with friend Daniel Roberts. Purchases a copy of Shelley's Queen Mab
. Meets Edward E. Williams. Receives news of his father's death and leaves for England. Returns to Geneva after learning inheritance is limited to a life income of £300 per annum.
29 --- 1822 (14 January - July 7) Arrives in Pisa; meets the Shelleys and Byron and Claire Clairmont. (The happiest days of his life.)
29 --- 1822 (8 July) Sees Shelley and Williams sail off in the Don Juan. Later that day they are drowned when their boat is swamped in a freak storm.
29 --- 1822 (17 and 18 July) Bodies of Shelley and Williams are found.
29 --- 1822 (15 August) Orchestrates the cremation of Shelley.
29 --- 1822 Falls in love with Claire.
30 --- 1823 (July) Sails with Byron to join the Revolution in Greece. Becomes an associate of Odysseus.
31 --- 1824 (19 April) Byron dies in Missolonghi.
32 --- 1824 (26 May) Moves into Odysseus's cave on Mount Parnassus.
32 --- 1825 Marries Tersitsa, Odysseus's half sister.
33 --- 1825 In the cave, assassination attempt on his life; he is badly wounded. In Athens, Odysseus is found strangled.
34 --- 1826 Recovers from his wounds. Tersitsa give birth to a girl (Zella).
35 --- 1827 Divorced from Tersitsa.
36 --- 1828 Returns to Cornwall. (November) Visits with Mary Shelley. Brief meeting with Claire in Italy.
37 --- 1829 Moves to Florence. Charles Armitage Brown
, Walter Savage Landor
and Joseph Severn
enter his life. Begins writing autobiography.
38 --- 1831 Adventures of a Younger Son is published; it becomes a "best-seller" providing much needed funds.
39 --- 1832 (5 January) Departs London for Liverpool and then ships off to the United States.
40 --- 1833 Swims the Rapids below Niagara Falls, almost drowns.
41 --- 1834 Travels throughout the United States.
42 --- 1834 Spending time with Fanny Kemble. In December decides to return to England.
43 --- 1835 Into politics (The Philosophical Radicals
) and the social scene.
44 --- 1836 Regular correspondence with Claire. Severs relationship with Mary Shelley.
47 --- 1839 Contributes short story, Sahib Tulwar to a publication of Lady Blessington. Leaves London for Putney with Augusta Goring, his new found love.
48 --- 1839-1858 Retirement in Monmouthshire. After eighteen years of marriage, including the birth of three children, the marriage ends. Moves back to London, Augusta moves to Italy. Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron is published.
67 --- 1859-1869 Living in London. Resumes correspondence with Claire. After being the center of attention, retires to the south coast of England.
78 --- 1870 Enjoying retirement in the village of Sompting. Daughter by Augusta is living with him. Many letters to and from Claire.
82 --- 1874 Sits as a model for the old man in Millais' painting, ‘’The North West Passage’’.
83 --- 1875 Correspondence with Claire continues.
84 --- 1876 Correspondence to and from Claire appears to come to an end.
85 --- 1878 Rewrite of ‘’Recollections’’ is published as Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author.
86 --- 1879 (19 March) Death of Claire.
88 --- 1881 After suffering a fall while out walking, takes to his bed and a few days later (13 August) quietly passes away. His ashes are buried in a plot next to Shelley's grave in Rome.
(This chronology was constructed by Trelawny biographer Donald Prell
)
Romantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
and Lord Byron. Trelawny was born in England to a family of modest income but extensive ancestral history. Though his father became wealthy while he was a child, Edward had an antagonistic relationship with him. After an unhappy childhood, he was sent away to a school. He was assigned as a volunteer in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
shortly before he turned thirteen.
Trelawny served on multiple ships as a naval volunteer while in his teen years. He travelled to India and saw combat during engagements with the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
. He did not care for the naval lifestyle, however, and left at nineteen years of age without becoming a commissioned officer. After retiring from the Navy he had a brief and unhappy marriage in England. He then moved to Switzerland and later Italy where he met Shelley and Byron. He became friends with the two poets, and helped teach them about sailing. He soon constructed elaborate stories about his time in the navy, and claimed to have deserted and became a pirate in India. After Shelley's death, Trelawny identified his body and arranged the funeral and burial.
Trelawny then travelled to Greece with Lord Byron in order to fight in the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. Byron and Trelawny split up near Greece and Trelawny travelled into Greece to act as the agent of Lord Byron. After Byron died, Trelawny oversaw the preparations for funeral and the return of his body to England. He also wrote his obituaries. Trelawny joined the cause of the Greek Warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Odysseas Androutsos
Odysseas Androutsos
Odysseas Androutsos ; was a hero of the Greek War of Independence.-Early life:He was born in Ithaca in 1788, however his family was from the village of Livanates in Phthiotis prefecture...
and helped to provide him with additional arms. He also married Odysseas' sister Teritza. After Odysseas fell out of favour with the Greek government and was arrested, Trelawny took control of his mountain fortress. During this time, Trelawny survived an assassination attempt. After leaving Greece, he divorced Teritza and returned to England. In England he was well received by members of London Society. He then wrote a memoir titled Adventures of a Younger Son. After the book was published he travelled to America for two years before returning to England. He then became politically active but soon remarried and moved to the English countryside.
He then lived the life of a country squire for 12 years and raised a family with his third wife. They eventually separated and he moved back to London with a mistress. He then wrote a well received book about Shelley and Byron. He soon became friends with several prominent artists and writers in London. He was able to share his firsthand experience with Romantic Era writers with the leading Victorian writers of the day. He later retired to Sompting
Sompting
Sompting is a village and civil parish in the Adur District of West Sussex, England, located between Lancing and Worthing, at the foot of the southern slope of the South Downs. Twentieth century development has linked it to Lancing. The civil parish covers an area of 10.35 square kilometres and has...
where he led an ascetic
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
lifestyle. He died in Sompting at the age of 88, having outlived almost all of his friends from the Romantic era.
Early life
Trelawny's birthplace is unknown, although he claimed that he was born in CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Some of his biographers have contended that he was actually born in London. His father, Charles Brereton Trelawny, was a British military officer who retired after reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His mother, Maria Hawkins, was of Cornish descent. She had inherited a small sum of money from her father, but the family soon spent most of the inheritance. When Edward was six years of age, his father inherited a large sum of money from one of his wealthy cousins. The family soon used the inheritance to move to London where they lived in a large house. As a condition of receiving the inheritance, his father was required to adopt the last name "Brereton". His cousin, Owen Brereton, wished to have his last name continued along with his wealth. They lived in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
while Edward was a young man.
Although he was christened Edward John, his family generally referred to him as John when he was young. He later began referring to himself as Edward, which was the name most of his friends referred to him as. Later in his life he referred to himself as "John Edward" for several years. Edward later recalled that his father had a fierce temper. He described his father's disposition as often "tyrannical". His father also tried to calculate the financial worth of all his relatives and kept detailed records of the numbers. In addition to his father, many of Edward Trelawny's other ancestors had strong tempers, as well. His elder uncle on his mother's side was also wealthy. He held a seat in the House of Commons
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
and in 1810 Trelawny's father also became a Member of the British Parliament. As a child, he was often told of the long history and adventures of his ancestors in the Trelawny family. As an adult, he was very proud of having such prestigious ancestors. The recorded history of his family dated back to the reign of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
and included many prominent citizens.
Edward had five siblings who survived to adulthood and several who died as children. Edward shared a disdain for his father with his siblings. Though he hated his father, Edward was very close with his mother. His mother worked very hard to find wealthy husbands for her daughters, to the extent that her actions were satirised by some. In addition, many people found her to be a very disagreeable person as she grew older. Trelawny's parents regarded their children as potential sinners and frequently used very harsh measures to try to instill a sense of discipline in them. He resented being treated in this manner.
Edward only had one brother, Harry Trelawny. They were close in age and were very close friends during their childhood. Harry was very quiet and reserved, which sharply contrasted with Edward's extroverted and confrontational personality.
As an adult, Edward Trelawny often told stories about his childhood that focused on his early willingness to take confrontational positions and conceal things from others. One often used story described the time that he killed a vicious Raven which had belonged to his father. He cited this event as an example of his habit of accepting offences up to a certain point before later taking revenge as the offences mounted. He later described the Raven incident in his autobiography, Adventures of a Younger Son. In the book he described the fight with the raven as the "most awful duel" that he ever had.
Education
At the age of eight Charles Brereton decided to send Edward to live at the Seyer school, which was located two miles from their home in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
at that time. Trelawny later claimed that his father had resisted sending him to the school for some time due to its cost, but decided to enroll him after he caught him stealing apples from an orchard in the back yard. Trelawny hated the school and was very angry at his father for sending him there. He often complained that the school served terrible food and subjected him to frequent flogging as a form of punishment. In addition to flogging, one of his classmates recorded that canning was a frequent method of punishment there, as well. The school's treatment of its students was actually comparable to many other schools of that time. He was also bullied and treated cruelly by other students there.
The schoolmaster there frequently condemned the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. These condemnations may have given Trelawny an early sympathy with revolutionary ideals. He was expelled from the school after two years due to violent behaviour towards teachers as well as starting fires after being confined in his room as punishment.
Naval career
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
traditionally entered the military at that time. His family enrolled him as early as they could because seniority was crucial to career advancement at that time.
Trelawny's name was entered on the books of HMS Superb as volunteer first class in October 1815. His first experiences in the Navy were serving on ships that had returned from the Battle of Trafalgar with many badly wounded sailors. In November he was transferred to the Temeraire and then to the Colossus. He later attended a naval school in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. In 1806 he served aboard the HMS Woolwich. While serving on the Woolwich he travelled to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and to St. Helena. In 1808 he moved to the frigate Resistance, and in 1809 to the frigate Cornelia. While serving aboard the Cornelia he travelled to Bombay.
Trelawny was initially happy to have joined the navy and enjoyed the rough lifestyle there. He often exaggerated his age while he was in the Navy. Some biographers believe he commanded a vessel as a midshipman in an engagement with the French at Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in 1810. Some also believe that he was wounded engaging the French in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in August 1811. He left the Navy in 1815 at the age of 19. He had grown to resent the discipline of the Navy due in part to the frequent punishment that he experienced. He was often sent to the masthead
Masthead
-Media:* the masthead , a list, usually found on the editorial page of a newspaper or other periodical, listing the publisher, editorial board, advertising rates, etc....
for several hours at a time. During that time, he frequently entertained fantasies of mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
and desertion
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
. Some biographers believe that Trelawny was inspired by hearing accounts of the French pirate Robert Surcouf
Robert Surcouf
Robert Surcouf was a famous French corsair. During his legendary career, he captured 47 ships and was renowned for his gallantry and chivalry, earning the nickname of Roi des Corsaires .- Youth :...
. He was never commissioned as a lieutenant, though many of his contemporaries were. This disappointed him, although he began referring to himself as Lieutenant Trelawny anyway.
First marriage
Trelawny returned to England in 1812. Soon after he arrived he fell in love with Caroline Addison. She was several years younger than him but as well educated and had studied FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and was a skilled Pianist
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Though both of their families disapproved of the match they were not dissuaded. Trelawny's father was particularly infuriated by his son's disobedience. They were married in May 1813 and first lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before moving to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. After their first daughter was born in 1814 they experienced financial difficulties that forced Trelawny to ask his father for money. Although he had a mutually disdainful relationship with his father, he was able to secure extra funds. Edward and Caroline soon became unhappy, causing Edward to begin leaving home often to spend time with his friends or to travel to the theatre by himself. Their second child was born in 1816.
Caroline soon began having an affair with a much older man, a naval Captain named Coleman. They successfully hid the affair from Trelawny for some time, he discovered it long after many others had known. Although he dearly wished to fight a duel with Coleman, he simply filed for divorce instead. The proceedings were well covered in many of London’s "penny press" tabloid papers. This publicity caused Trelawny tremendous frustration and humiliation. The divorce order was granted in July 1817, but was not finalised until 1819. Caroline was granted custody of the elder child and Edward kept the younger.
Studies
Trelawny's father soon attempted to purchase him a commission in the British ArmyBritish 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...
, but he refused to consider joining the army. His father was furious at his refusal, leading to their estrangement. Brereton became estranged with Harry around the same time, due to a marriage that he entered into against his father's wishes. Edward began staying with a former landlord whom he had befriended. She helped him find someone to take care of his child. Trelawny then began using the name "Edward" rather than "John".
Due in part to the short time he spent in school, Trelawny struggled with spelling as a young man. He often spelled phonetically. This caused him significant difficulties when he tried to correspond with his friends. His spelling indicated a strong Cornish accent
West Country dialects
The West Country dialects and West Country accents are generic terms applied to any of several English dialects and accents used by much of the indigenous population of South West England, the area popularly known as the West Country....
. His parents were very concerned about this, particularly his habit of occasionally misspelling his own name. His problem with spelling might have been due to spelling dyslexia, evidence for which has been provided by one of Trelawny’s biographers. After he left the Navy he read voraciously. He often read Shakespeare's Plays
Shakespeare's plays
William Shakespeare's plays have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and in Western literature. Traditionally, the 37 plays are divided into the genres of tragedy, history, and comedy; they have been translated into every major living language, in addition to being...
and attended the theatres in Convent Garden. He began incorporating references to Shakespeare in his personal letters. He also enjoyed reading the works of Lord Byron, including Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is a lengthy narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. It was published between 1812 and 1818 and is dedicated to "Ianthe". The poem describes the travels and reflections of a world-weary young man who, disillusioned with a life of pleasure and revelry, looks...
. During this time he also accompanied his mother and sisters on a trip to Paris.
Switzerland
Even though they often quarrelled, Charles Brereton continued to provide Trelawny with an allowance. He received an allowance of £300 pounds a month, which was roughly the same amount as retired captains received as a pension at that time. He began to present himself as Captain Edward Trelawny, Royal Navy, Retired. He decided to leave England to find a cheaper place to live. After initially considering a move to Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, he decided to move to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In Switzerland he was not directly affected by the inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
that was occurring in England. After moving to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
he soon became bored by the city and spent much of his time hunting and fishing expeditions. In the summer of 1820, while staying in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Trelawny befriended a local bookseller. The bookseller soon recommended to him that he read Queen Mab
Queen Mab
Queen Mab is a fairy referred to in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. She also appears in other 17th century literature, and in various guises in later poetry, drama and cinema...
by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This was the first time that he had heard of Percy Shelley. He read Queen Mab and he greatly enjoyed the work.
He soon met Edward Ellerker Williams
Edward Ellerker Williams
Edward Ellerker Williams was a retired army officer who became friends with Percy Bysshe Shelley in the final months of his life and died with him. - Early life :...
and Thomas Medwin
Thomas Medwin
Thomas Medwin was an early 19th century English poet and translator, who is chiefly known for his biographies of his cousin Percy Bysshe Shelley and his recollections of his close friend Lord Byron.-Early life:...
at the home of a friend in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. He had served on the same ship as Williams in the navy, although not at the same time. They also introduced him to the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley.
In the fall of 1820 Trelawny learned that his father had died and returned to England from Switzerland. After arriving in England he learned that he only had received a much smaller inheritance than he had expected. He was sorely disappointed and soon returned to Switzerland.
Pisa
In early 1822 he travelled to PisaPisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
to meet Edward Ellerker Williams
Edward Ellerker Williams
Edward Ellerker Williams was a retired army officer who became friends with Percy Bysshe Shelley in the final months of his life and died with him. - Early life :...
and his wife Jane
Jane Williams
Jane Williams may refer to:*Jane Williams *Jane Williams Subject of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley*Jane Williams , Welsh writer*Jane Williams, Baroness Williams of Elvel...
, Thomas Medwin, Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley, and Lord Byron. Trelawny greatly enjoyed meeting Percy and Mary Shelley after having looked forward to meeting them for some time. He also met Mary's half-sister Claire Clairmont
Claire Clairmont
Clara Mary Jane Clairmont , or Claire Clairmont as she was commonly known, was a stepsister of writer Mary Shelley and the mother of Lord Byron's daughter Allegra.-Early life:...
. Trelawny began spending much of his time with Mary Shelley. He often accompanied her to parties because Percy Shelley hated to do so.
Trelawny had many similarities to Percy Shelley, including the fact that he had the same class, age, and preferences. He began to emulate Shelley in some additional ways, such as his attitudes toward authority figures. Mary Shelley enjoyed his company, as well and was fascinated by the stories that Trelawny told of his naval career. Lord Byron was initially surprised by the resemblance Trelawny bore to some of the pirates that he had written about, and once described Trelawny as the "personification of my Corsair". In some ways, Trelawny did not fit in with his new friends due to his lack of wealth and education. He had had more adventurous experiences than his friends by that time, however. He often exaggerated these experiences in conversation, especially when discussing the details of his naval career.
Trelawny constructed an elaborate story of his activities as a teenager. The story featured him deserting from the Navy and travelling throughout Asia. During this time he claimed to have formed a band of pirates who fought against the British Navy. His descriptions of his adventures often included duels and romance, such as his claim of marrying an Arab girl name Zella who was later poisoned by a jealous rival. These stories were often violent, but his friends found them very exciting. Trelawny often used real events as the baseline for his stories, and then greatly embellished the events that actually took place. His biographers have been divided as to whether he intentionally exaggerated to create a persona or if he really came to believe the stories that he created.
Trelawny greatly enjoyed his time in Pisa. He was very active during his time there and often practised boxing or fencing with his friends. He frequently attended theatres with them at night. He also enjoyed listening to Jane Williams sing and play songs with the guitar that Shelley had given to her.
In March Trelawny was involved in a high-profile confrontation that took place while he was travelling with Byron, Shelley, and some of their friends. The incident began when an Italian soldier confronted Count John Taafe, who was travelling with Shelley, Trelawny, Byron, and Byron's entourage. Although Shelley was slightly wounded as he fell from his horse chasing after the soldier, one of Byron's servants later caught the soldier and wounded him severely. The incident was very controversial and received a significant amount of publicity in Pisa. This was in part due to the anti-English sentiment that existed there at that time. After a lengthy investigation by the Italian authorities, Trelawny and his friends were cleared of all charges that had been pending against them.
Shelley and Edward Williams had wanted to begin sailing for some time, and Trelawny used his naval experience to help them make plans. Together they decided have an American style schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
constructed; he had often observed this type of boat during his time in the navy. After Shelley and Williams had constructed their boat, the Don Juan, Trelawny was hired by Byron to be the Captain of his vessel, the Bolivar. Trelawny also moved into a room in Byron's mansion at that time. Trelawny's friend Daniel Roberts
Daniel Roberts
Daniel Roberts, born 1969, in New York City, is a playwright, editor and educator.-Early life and career:Daniel graduated with a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. He edited the literary magazine Press from 1995–2001...
designed and supervised the construction of both vessels. The construction of the Bolivar cost £750, a sum which Byron found irritatingly high.
Port authority
In Canada and the United States a port authority is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure.Port authorities are usually governed by boards or...
because he was not carrying his port clearance with him, though he had sailed without bringing his clearance several times in the past. After Shelley and Williams did not return to their home by the time that they were expected, Jane Williams and Mary Shelley informed Trelawny that their husbands were missing. He began making urgent inquiries and attempted to find news about them. For the next several days, he frequently met with members of the Italian Coast Guard and promised them rewards if they were able to find the boat.
After Shelley's body was found, Trelawny was able to confirm the identity of the body. He then notified their wives and escorted Mary and Jane to Pisa for the funeral. Trelawny made the arrangements for the cremation and oversaw the ceremony. After Shelley's body was cremated, Trelawny removed what he thought was Shelley's unburned heart from the fire. He later wrote a full account of the funeral. He also arranged to have a memorial built at Shelley's final resting place in Rome. Trelawny then reserved a spot for himself in the same cemetery.
After the funeral, Trelawny went on a hunting trip with Daniel Roberts. After he returned, he soon developed tension with Byron, in part due to Byron's habit of leaving bills unpaid. This often put Trelawny in a difficult position as the captain of his boat. Byron sold the Bolivar for 400 guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
s in late 1822. This left Trelawny unemployed. He split his time between Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and Albaro
Albaro
Albaro is a residential neighbourhood of Genoa, Italy, which covers a wide area on a hill east of the city centre, once the old comune of San Francesco d'Albaro, included in the city of Genoa in 1873....
and hunted often. He began spending much of his time with Mary Shelley and he supplied the funds for her to return to England. Trelawny soon fell in love with Claire Clairmont
Claire Clairmont
Clara Mary Jane Clairmont , or Claire Clairmont as she was commonly known, was a stepsister of writer Mary Shelley and the mother of Lord Byron's daughter Allegra.-Early life:...
. She ultimately spurned his proposals, however. He decided to move after his mother found his address and began sending him letters.
Greece
Shelley had been very supportive of the idea of Greek independence from the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
before he died. In June 1823 Byron decided to go to Greece to fight for independence, and Trelawny enthusiastically accompanied him. Byron chartered a boat known as The Hercules to transport them there. During the voyage, Trelawny and Byron sometimes irritated each other. Trelawny's lack of cleanliness particularly bothered Byron, but they still were able to enjoy each other's company at times. They often practised swimming, boxing, fencing together during the trip. They also practised their aim by shooting ducks for target practice. They initially spent much time together because the rest of Byron's entourage suffered from seasickness and were unable to participate in their activities.
After they arrived in the Ionian Islands
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
, Byron decided to stay there for a while in order to consult with the London Greek Committee and other experts regarding the political situation in Greece before proceeding further. They then left him in Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
and travelled to Greece. Byron approved of Trelawny's plan to travel deeper into Greece and presented him with a sword and a letter of introduction shortly before he departed. Byron also asked them to soon return to him with more information.
After initially staying with a shepherd after they arrived in Greece, they travelled to Tripoli
Tripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
. Trelawny wore authentic Souliote
Souliotes
Souliotes were a warlike community from the area of Souli, in Greece, who became famous across Greece for their resistance against the local Ottoman Pashalik of Yanina ruled by the Muslim Albanian Ali Pasha...
dress on the journey. After arriving in Tripoli, Trelawny met with Alexandros Mavrokordatos whom he soon came to strongly dislike. He also met Theodoros Kolokotronis
Theodoros Kolokotronis
Theodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek Field Marshal and one of the leaders of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire....
, whom he later came to admire. They travelled together to Salamis
Salamis Island
Salamis , is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile off-coast from Piraeus and about 16 km west of Athens. The chief city, Salamina , lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf...
, on the journey Trelawny viewed the sites of previous battles. He recorded that he could see the bones of those who had been slain there. He spoke with many Greek leaders after arriving in Salamis. He was well respected as the agent of the Lord Byron, whom they held in high esteem. He frequently corresponded with Lord Byron and encouraged him to come to Greece. He was disappointed when Byron did not come for some time, and that when he did come he came to territory that was overseen by Mavrokordatos. Trelawny, however, greatly enjoyed Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Rumours later emerged that he purchased a harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of twelve to fifteen women while in staying in Athens. However, some have maintained that he may have actually redeemed the women from slavery.
He soon left on a raiding expedition with the warlord Odysseas Androutsos, who controlled included much of Eastern Greece. Trelawny thought very highly of Odysseus, describing him as a brother and comparing him to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
. During this time Trelawny commanded a group of twenty five Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n soldiers. In the winter of 1823–24, Odysseas and his men fought several battles with the Turks and destroyed villages in the Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
region. Trelawny lobbied Byron to send them more arms, but Byron decided to wait before shipping any to consider the political implications. Some have called into question the effectiveness of Odysseas' campaign and many view Byron's delay as a polite refusal.
After Byron died in April 1824, Trelawny returned from an expedition with Odysseas. Trelawny claimed that upon arriving in Messolonghi
Messolonghi
Missolonghi is a town of 12,225 people in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania and is also its third largest town. It is the seat of the municipality of Iera Poli Mesolongiou . Missolonghi is linked to, although bypassed since the 1960s by, GR-5/E55...
, he began overseeing the funeral preparations. In the days before his death, Byron often said he wished Trelawny would return to him. Trelawny then wrote several accounts of Byron's last years and sent them to papers in England. In these accounts he often exaggerated the role he played in Byron's life. Shortly after Byron died, Trelawny reported he took the opportunity to view his deformed foot with a servant of Byron's.
Mountain fortress
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s to harass Turkish ships.
In May 1824 Trelawny brought a load of guns to the fortified cave in which Odysseas was based. He arrived with a British military officer, Whitcomb, and a military engineer, Fenton. Trelawny recorded that Odysseas commanded a force of 5,000 men, who killed over 20,000 people during their campaign. Odysseas and his men retired to Parnassus after they learned the Greek government would not give them more funds. The Greek Government had decided to try to raise a regular army and take power away from the warlords. The size of his force soon diminished.
Trelawny hoped to convince Odysseas to leave with him for the Ionian islands, but Odysseas refused. He also helped Odysseas hide some valuable antiquities, they were never found. Some sources claim that Odysseas was attempting to strike a deal with the Turks at that time. Trelawny soon married Teritza, the half-sister of Odysseas. She was much younger than him, and was probably a teenager. Some have speculated that their wedding was performed by a local Greek Orthodox priest. Teritza then lived with him in the cave. At this point Trelawny's life had actually began to resemble many of the stories that he had previous constructed about his past. Word soon spread to England that Trelawny was working for the Turks with Odysseas now. Trelawny again tried to convince Odysseas to escape with him to the Ionian Islands in order to prevent the Greek government from arresting him. Odysseas was caught on his way to find a boat. He was charged with treason and imprisoned in Athens. Trelawny administered the cave in his absence.
While practicing shooting with the two Englishmen Trelawny was shot in the back. Fenton was quickly shot and killed by a soldier of Odysseas. Seeing this, Whitcomb tried to flee but was captured by soldiers. The soldiers initially hung Whitcomb off a cliff by his ankles as punishment, but Trelawny asked them to stop and they imprisoned the man. There was no doctor available and Trelawny lived on a diet of raw eggs that was suggested by his wife, who attended to him there. He needed to have a musket ball removed, however. His men soon kidnapped a Klept
Trachis
Trachis was a region in ancient Greece. Situated south of the river Spercheios, it was populated by the Malians.Its main town was also called Trachis until 426 BC, when it became Heraclea Trachinia. It is located to the west of Thermopylae. Trachis is located just west of the western-most tip of...
doctor and forced him to operate at gunpoint. The doctor's efforts were unsuccessful. Although Trelawny was in poor condition for several weeks he eventually recovered. His living assailant was later released. The soldiers wanted to roast Whitcomb alive, but Trelawny insisted on releasing him.
Trelawny was bedridden for five weeks after he was shot. After word spread to England that Trelawny had survived, many of his relatives unsuccessfully lobbied the British government to extract him from Greece. The British Army Major D'Arcy Bacon learned of his situation and came to an agreement with Mavrokordatos to allow Trelawny to leave Greece. Bacon went searching for Trelawny and was captured by some of Odysseas' soldiers. They had mistook him for a doctor and hoped that he would operate on Trelawny. A British Corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
sailed to Corinth to pick him up, Teritza accompanied him. His story was widely published in English newspapers then. Some biographers believe that the two were bribed by Mavrokordatos to kill Trelawny and give over the cave. Bacon successfully lobbied the Greek government to allow him to leave the country. Odysseas was executed in Athens shortly before the attempt on Trelawny's life. Trelawny regained full use of his arm, but he walked with a slight hunch after recovering from his injury.
Return to England
Trelawny moved to Zante in May 1826 and stayed there for a year. There he lived next to the house of Thomas GordonThomas Gordon (British Army officer)
Major-General Thomas Gordon was a British army officer and historian. He is remembered for his role in the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s and 1830s and his History of the war published in 1833.- Early career :...
. While they were living in Zante, Teritza gave birth to their first child, Zella.
He filed for divorce from Teritza in 1827 in Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
after four years of marriage. There were later rumours that Trelawny had been abusive towards her and had forbidden her to wear non-Greek clothing. Teritza then moved into a nunnery and gave birth to their second child there. The child died at a very young age, however. Teritza was awarded a small alimony and soon left the nunnery to remarry. Her second husband was a Greek Chieftain.
Trelawny then returned to England to visit his family in Cornwall. He also visited Mary Shelley, and asked her to consider entering a romantic relationship with him. She refused his offers, however. He also briefly visited Clair in Italy in 1828. Though he was very attracted to her, she too spurned his advances.
In 1828 he began referring to himself as "John Edward Trelawny", but he returned to "Edward John Trelawny" three years later. In late 1828 he returned to England and met with Thomas Jefferson Hogg
Thomas Jefferson Hogg
Thomas Jefferson Hogg was a British barrister and writer best known for his friendship with the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Hogg was raised in County Durham, but spent most of his life in London. He and Shelley became friends while studying at University College, Oxford, and remained close...
and Jane Williams. He soon developed a strong dislike for Hogg.
Trelawny then decided to write a book about his life and friendship with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. He initially had wanted to write about Shelley but abandoned the plan after he was unable to secure the assistance of Mary Shelley. He then decided to write about himself. He discussed many actual events in his life, but greatly embellished many details. He also discussed radical politics in the book.
In 1829 Trelawny made plans to live with his three daughters in Italy. He abandoned this plan after his eldest daughter died and his finances became strained. His financial problems were caused in part by a large gift to the Medwin family after they encountered financial difficulties.
Adventures of a Younger Son
Trelawny wrote Adventures of a younger son in Arcetti while staying in a room that he rented from Charles Armitage Brown. Brown was irritated that Trelawny burned furniture for firewood, but agreed to copy edit the book for him. He began work on the book in 1829 but did not finish it until 1831. He was likely dyslexic and his draft required extensive editing by Brown.Trelawny then sent his draft to Mary Shelley to arrange publication under the title A Man's Life. Mary insisted on removing some passages from the book that could be viewed as offensive. He decided to publish it anonymously, but it was expected that many would be able to guess his identity. He did not earn as much money from the publisher as he had hoped. In Autumn 1831 his book was finally published.
In 1831 Byron's doctor wrote a critical account of Trelawny. He responded with a furious attack on the doctor, part of which implied that he was gay. His book was published anonymously but within a month it had become well known that he was the author. Most contemporary reviewers accepted the book as factual, but subsequent scholarship has demonstrated that most of the book is no more than a fictional account of his life. Writing in the Keats-Shelley Journal of 1956, Anne Hill concluded that "the proportion of truth to fiction in Adventures of a younger son turns out to be small, not more than one tenth." His biography has since been translated into French, German, Swedish, and Gaelic. Trelawny returned to England in 1832 and was famous and well received by London society and was treated like a hero. He began meeting with Godwin regularly.
America
His younger daughter by his first wife was adopted by a British General and his youngest daughter was adopted by an Italian family. Trelawny's financial condition became much better around then. In 1832, while on a visit to LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, he decided to travel to the United States. He arrived in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
in early 1833. He then travelled to New York in early summer. In New York he met Fenimore Cooper and Fanny Kemble. They then travelled to Niagara. Wherever they went he often talked of staying permanently. He repeatedly raised political issues and furiously argued when disagreed with. In August he decided to try to swim across the rapids below the falls. He successfully made it across, but nearly drowned on the way back. He then travelled to Saratoga, New Haven, New York, and Philadelphia. He then returned to Charleston, preferring the climate there. He was disappointed that his Atheism was poorly received in the United States. He later claimed to have travelled to California in 1833. He was bothered by the way that wealthy Americans tried to copy the habits of Europe. It is unknown exactly what he did in late 1833 early 1834, some have speculated that he made plans to build a utopian community. He travelled to Philadelphia again by autumn 1834. He was very depressed at that time, and returned to England in spring 1835.
Philosophical Radicals
Upon his return to England, Trelawny became very politically active with a group known as the Philosophical RadicalsPhilosophical radicals
The Philosophical Radicals is a term used to designate a philosophically-minded group of English political radicals in the nineteenth century inspired by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill...
. The group advocated left wing politics and often focused its efforts on the rights of women. Trelawny began associating with its supporters, many of whom were among the upper class members of London society. Most of London society was willing to overlook his claims of disloyalty against the British after his claimed desertion and accepted him into society. At this time many women were attracted to him, and there was frequent speculation about his sexual escapades in many London tabloids, such as The Satirist
The Satirist
The Satirist, or the Censor of the Times was a controversial 19th century British newspaper which featured reports of scandals involving well known residents of London. It was published by Barnard Gregory, who faced multiple libel charges and was later imprisoned due to its articles...
.
He soon had a falling out with Mary Shelley. He was offended in part because she turned to Thomas Jefferson Hogg
Thomas Jefferson Hogg
Thomas Jefferson Hogg was a British barrister and writer best known for his friendship with the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Hogg was raised in County Durham, but spent most of his life in London. He and Shelley became friends while studying at University College, Oxford, and remained close...
for advice instead of asking him. He later described Mary as "the blab of blabs" in a letter to Claire Clairmont
Claire Clairmont
Clara Mary Jane Clairmont , or Claire Clairmont as she was commonly known, was a stepsister of writer Mary Shelley and the mother of Lord Byron's daughter Allegra.-Early life:...
. Trelawny and Mary Shelley also disagreed about a custody reform bill that was proposed by the Philosophic Radicals.
During this time he published short stories about piracy. In 1839 he disappeared from London society due to a controversial new romance.
Third marriage
He moved into a villa on Putney Hill that was owned by John Temple Leader, a political friend of his. His affair with Augusta Goring began shortly after he returned to England. She claimed to have been badly treated by her husband, who was a member of Parliament. Many people in London society believed that he was practising a strict aesthetic routine there. Trelawny then eloped with Augusta. After she separated from her husband she began using a pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
. She gave birth to a son in August 1839. Her husband tracked her down, however, and filed for divorce. The divorce was granted in 1841. Trelawny married Augusta and they settled in a small country town Usk and bought a farmhouse. They had a daughter Laetitia there as well. They later moved to a large house on a 440 acre farm two miles outside Usk. He worked hard maintaining the farm and was friends with several leading citizens from the town. He lived in Usk for twelve years total, which was longer than he had ever lived in one place in his entire life. He planted trees and lawns and flower gardens. Townspeople were offended by him breaking the sabbath. In the mid-1850s he began writing a book about his memories of Byron and Shelley. His marriage split up in 1857 due to his relationship with a young woman who became his mistress and later common-law wife. The girl's name was never discovered; she is only known as Miss B. He frequently had tea with the vicar of Usk on Sunday afternoons. After he separated from his wife in Usk he sold a large amount of the furniture and books and held a well attended open house for villagers to come in and buy his possessions. After his third divorce, he criticised the institution of marriage in a letter to Claire. He frequently wrote the wrong dates on his letters.
Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron
Trelawny became friends with several artists are writers, including Algernon Charles SwinburneAlgernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
, Joseph Boehm
Joseph Boehm
Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, RA was a medallist and sculptor, best known for the Jubilee head of Queen Victoria on coinage, and the statue of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner.-Biography:...
, Edward Lear
Edward Lear
Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author, and poet, renowned today primarily for his literary nonsense, in poetry and prose, and especially his limericks, a form that he popularised.-Biography:...
, and Richard Edgcumb
Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe PC , styled Viscount Valletort between 1789 and 1795, was a British politician and writer on music.-Background:...
. He became a friend of Rossetti as he was working on a new edition of Shelley's poems. In 1844 Robert Browning met with Trelawny in Italy.
In 1858 Trelawny published Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron. This book was better received than previous biographies of Shelley, such as The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley
The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley
The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley is an unfinished posthumous biography of the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley that was written by his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg. The first two of the four planned volumes were released in 1858 to largely unfavourable reviews...
. Although he had only known Shelley for six months, Trelawny was thereafter recognised as the preeminent Shelley expert. His first memoir were republished then, as well. He often edited his letters before they were published. The edits attempted to cover up some of his insecurities and defend his reputation. He frequently characterised himself as a survivor in his writings.
Trelawny was then widely received in society and met Benjamin Disraeli at a meeting that was held about possibly building a statue for Lord Byron. Though he had never met her, Trelawny was often a defender of Percy Shelley's first wife Harriet. He often shocked people by applauding Shelley's atheism and disparaging Browning and Tennyson. At the age of eighty he read On the Origin of Species and welcomed its conclusions. He greatly admired Garibaldi and John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
, as well.
Trelawny spoke with the painter Gerome after he began work on a portrait of Shelley. In 1878 Trelawny's memoir was reissued and edited by Rossetti under the title Records of Shelley Byron and the Author. This book contained somewhat harsher treatments of poets than the previous edition had been, some have speculated this may have been Rossetti's influence. He was particularly critical of Mary Shelley, the Godwin family and Leigh Hunt. Lady Shelley was furious, and had Trelawny's relics removed from the Shelley shrine.
As he grew older, Trelawny's guests noted that he told them amazing stories about himself that he purported to be true, such as meeting with Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is a brand of rum produced by alcohol conglomerate Diageo. It is named after the 17th-century, Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan...
and circumnavigating the Globe.
Retirement
Trelawny then adopted a more ascetic life and moved to Sompting. There he lived near William Rossetti. As he grew old he remained very active and did not hire a house keeper until he was very old. He regularly swam, chopped wood and dug in his gardens. He remained active into his eighties. He made his garden into a bird sanctuary and did allow hunters onto his property. He was very friendly with the neighbourhood children and often gave them candy. He corresponded with Claire regularly from 1859 until 1876. He unsuccessfully tried to persuade Claire to write a biography of him.He often presented items to his friends and visitors that he claimed to have found on his world travels or from his days with Shelley and Byron. As an old man he lived with a much younger woman, Emma Taylor. They told people she was his niece.
He closely oversaw his sons' education and taught them foreign languages. They were sent to a military academy in Germany. Frank died as a young man while serving as a soldier in the Prussian Army. His son Edward converted to Catholicism and told people that he was the son of Sir John Trelawny. They later became estranged. Zella became a housewife in London. Trelawny outlived four of his seven children. The only child that he enjoyed good relations with was Laetitia, who also lived with him in Sompting. Late in his life he became a sober vegetarian.
In 1874 he sat as a model for John Everett Millais
John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Early life:...
as he painted the picture The North West Passage. This picture depicted an old sailor declaring that England would find a way through the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
. Millais had seen Trelawny at the funeral of John Leech years before and decided that he would make the perfect figure for the drawing. Trelawny initially liked the picture, but he was angered when he saw that Millais had included a glass of grog in the picture. It was ultimately well received by critics.
Trelawny was able to visit with Augusta Draper in 1874. He also visited with Jane Williams in 1872. Williams was the only close friend of Percy Shelley to outlive Trelawny. In August 1881 he suffered a fall while out on a walk. He was bedridden and died two weeks later.
His ashes were buried in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in a plot of ground adjacent to Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
’s grave. He had purchased this plot in 1822, at the time he had arranged for Shelley’s ashes to be reburied in a more suitable site within the Protestant Cemetery. At his request, from one of Shelley's poem "Epitaph".
Reception
There have been six biographies written about Trelawny. The characterisation of him vary greatly. Several of the authors were very negative in their portrayal of him, others presented a very favourable romantic portrait of him, and some have presented a mixed picture of his character. The authors of the biographies conducted varying amounts of scholarship and often contradicted each other about some details of Trelawny's life.Trelawny has been credited with helping Byron and Shelley become recognised as celebrities after their deaths. Jonathan Bate
Jonathan Bate
Jonathan Bate CBE FBA FRSL is a British academic, biographer, critic, broadcaster, novelist and scholar of Shakespeare, Romanticism and Ecocriticism...
has described him as one of the "key makers of modern celebrity". He was the last major figure of the Romantic Era living in Victorian England.
Chronology
Age—YearBorn - 1792 (13 November) Born in London or Cornwall, younger son of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Trelawny.
12 --- 1804 To Portsmouth where he joins the Royal Navy
13 --- 1805 (15 October) His name is entered on the books of H.M.S. Superb as ‘volunteer first class’. In November transferred to the HMS Temeraire and a few days later to the Colossus, then to a naval school near Plymouth.
14 --- 1806 Aboard H.M.S. Woolwich. (Serves under Capt. Francis Beaufort, who devised the well-known wind force scale.) Returns to England via the Cape and St. Helena.
16 --- 1808 Brief stop in Plymouth, then aboard the frigate Resistance.
17 --- 1809 Returns to England, transfers to the frigate Cornelia, bound for Bombay.
18 --- 1810 (29 November) Aboard the Cornelia (with the British invasion force off Mauritius). Returns to India, and after refitting, the ship is renamed H.M.S. Akabar.
19 --- 1811(August 22 or 23) Java, where he was wounded; transfers to H.M.S. Piedmontaise.
19 --- 1812 (12 August) Arrives back in England. Leaves the navy; his family takes him down to Cornwall to recuperate.
21 --- 1813 Married to Caroline Julia Addison. Takes up lodging in London, soon moves to Bristol.
22 --- 1814 A daughter is born.
23 --- 1815 Receives final pay settlement from the navy. His father gives his an allowance of £300 per annum.
24 --- 1816 Wife Caroline elopes with Captain Coleman. Divorce proceedings start.
25 --- 1817 (9 July) Wins case for damages against Captain Coleman.
26 --- 1818-1819 Final divorcee from Caroline. Period of self-education reading Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, etc. Accompanies mother and sisters to Paris.
28 --- 1820-1821 (July 1820) His mother returns to England. He moves on to Switzerland, meeting up with friend Daniel Roberts. Purchases a copy of Shelley's Queen Mab
Queen Mab
Queen Mab is a fairy referred to in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. She also appears in other 17th century literature, and in various guises in later poetry, drama and cinema...
. Meets Edward E. Williams. Receives news of his father's death and leaves for England. Returns to Geneva after learning inheritance is limited to a life income of £300 per annum.
29 --- 1822 (14 January - July 7) Arrives in Pisa; meets the Shelleys and Byron and Claire Clairmont. (The happiest days of his life.)
29 --- 1822 (8 July) Sees Shelley and Williams sail off in the Don Juan. Later that day they are drowned when their boat is swamped in a freak storm.
29 --- 1822 (17 and 18 July) Bodies of Shelley and Williams are found.
29 --- 1822 (15 August) Orchestrates the cremation of Shelley.
29 --- 1822 Falls in love with Claire.
30 --- 1823 (July) Sails with Byron to join the Revolution in Greece. Becomes an associate of Odysseus.
31 --- 1824 (19 April) Byron dies in Missolonghi.
32 --- 1824 (26 May) Moves into Odysseus's cave on Mount Parnassus.
32 --- 1825 Marries Tersitsa, Odysseus's half sister.
33 --- 1825 In the cave, assassination attempt on his life; he is badly wounded. In Athens, Odysseus is found strangled.
34 --- 1826 Recovers from his wounds. Tersitsa give birth to a girl (Zella).
35 --- 1827 Divorced from Tersitsa.
36 --- 1828 Returns to Cornwall. (November) Visits with Mary Shelley. Brief meeting with Claire in Italy.
37 --- 1829 Moves to Florence. Charles Armitage Brown
Charles Armitage Brown
Charles Armitage Brown was born in Lambeth on 14 April 1787.He was a very close friend of the poet John Keats, as well as being a friend of artist Joseph Severn, Leigh Hunt, Thomas Jefferson Hogg, Walter Savage Landor and Edward John Trelawny...
, Walter Savage Landor
Walter Savage Landor
Walter Savage Landor was an English writer and poet. His best known works were the prose Imaginary Conversations, and the poem Rose Aylmer, but the critical acclaim he received from contemporary poets and reviewers was not matched by public popularity...
and Joseph Severn
Joseph Severn
Joseph Severn was an English portrait and subject painter and a personal friend of the famous English poet John Keats...
enter his life. Begins writing autobiography.
38 --- 1831 Adventures of a Younger Son is published; it becomes a "best-seller" providing much needed funds.
39 --- 1832 (5 January) Departs London for Liverpool and then ships off to the United States.
40 --- 1833 Swims the Rapids below Niagara Falls, almost drowns.
41 --- 1834 Travels throughout the United States.
42 --- 1834 Spending time with Fanny Kemble. In December decides to return to England.
43 --- 1835 Into politics (The Philosophical Radicals
Philosophical radicals
The Philosophical Radicals is a term used to designate a philosophically-minded group of English political radicals in the nineteenth century inspired by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill...
) and the social scene.
44 --- 1836 Regular correspondence with Claire. Severs relationship with Mary Shelley.
47 --- 1839 Contributes short story, Sahib Tulwar to a publication of Lady Blessington. Leaves London for Putney with Augusta Goring, his new found love.
48 --- 1839-1858 Retirement in Monmouthshire. After eighteen years of marriage, including the birth of three children, the marriage ends. Moves back to London, Augusta moves to Italy. Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron is published.
67 --- 1859-1869 Living in London. Resumes correspondence with Claire. After being the center of attention, retires to the south coast of England.
78 --- 1870 Enjoying retirement in the village of Sompting. Daughter by Augusta is living with him. Many letters to and from Claire.
82 --- 1874 Sits as a model for the old man in Millais' painting, ‘’The North West Passage’’.
83 --- 1875 Correspondence with Claire continues.
84 --- 1876 Correspondence to and from Claire appears to come to an end.
85 --- 1878 Rewrite of ‘’Recollections’’ is published as Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author.
86 --- 1879 (19 March) Death of Claire.
88 --- 1881 After suffering a fall while out walking, takes to his bed and a few days later (13 August) quietly passes away. His ashes are buried in a plot next to Shelley's grave in Rome.
(This chronology was constructed by Trelawny biographer Donald Prell
Donald Prell
Donald B. Prell is a venture capitalist and futurist who created Datamation, the first magazine devoted solely to the computer hardware and software industry.-Early life:...
)