Edward John Trelawny
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Edward John Trelawny (November 13, 1792–August 13, 1881), biographer, entered the Royal Navy, from which, however, he deserted, after which he wandered about in the East and on the Continent. In Switzerland he met Byron and Shelley, and was living in close friendship with the latter when he was drowned, and was one of the witnesses at the cremation of his remains.
Trelawny took part in the Greek War of Independence, and married the sister of one of the insurgent chiefs. In 1833 he travelled to America and tried to swim across Niagara Falls, almost drowning during the attempt. After various such adventures he settled in London, where he was a distinguished figure in society, and enjoyed the reputation of a picturesque, but somewhat imaginative, conversationalist.
He wrote The Adventures of a Younger Son (1831), a work of striking distinction, and the intensely interesting Records of Shelley, Byron, and the Author (1858), much of which has since been shown to be fabricated. The last survivor of that brilliant group, he was buried by the side of Shelley in the Protestant Cemetery, Rome.
[edit] References
- Armstrong, Margaret, Trelawny, A Man's Life, Robert Hale, London, 1941
- St Clair, William, Trelawny, The Incurable Romancer, Vanguard Press, New York, 1977
- Crane, David, Lord Byron's Jackal, The life of Edward John Trelawny, Harper Collins Publishers, London, 1998
This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.
[edit] External links
- Trelawny Recovers Shelley's Body. Trelawny's account of searching for Shelley and his companions after the storm in which they perished.
- Trelawny Burns Shelley's Body. Trelawny's account of overseeing the exhumation and burning of Shelley's body.
- Dan Roberts Raises Shelley's Boat. Trelawny receives letters from his friend, Captain Dan Roberts, describing the recovery of Shelley's boat and his theories about how it went down.
- Find-A-Grave biography
