Robert Trelawney

Robert Trelawney (25 Mar 1598 - 1643) was an English merchant and colonist who settled lands in Maine USA and a politician who sat in the House of Commons of England from 1640 to 1642.

Trelawney was the son of Robert Trelawney who was three times mayor of Plymouth. He was a merchant at Plymouth and a colonist. On 1 December 1631 Trelawney and his partner Moses Goodyeare were granted a patent by the Plymouth Company for a tract of land between Spurwink River and Presumpscot River and for Richmond's Island at Cape Elizabeth, Maine.[1] In 1633 Trelawney was Mayor of Plymouth.[2] He built Ham House near Plymouth in 1639.[3]

In April 1640, Trelawney was elected Member of Parliament for Plymouth for the Short Parliament. He was re-elected in November 1640 for the Long Parliament[4] but was expelled from the House of Commons in March 1642, and committed to prison for publicly stating that the Commons had no power to appoint a guard for themselves without the King's consent.

Trelawney married Elizabeth Mayne daughter of Alexander Mayne in 1620. He was the father of Samuel Trelawney who was also MP for Plymouth.[5]

References

  1. ^ William Durkee Williamson The history of the state of Maine: from its first discovery, Volume 1
  2. ^ Plymouth Council - List of Mayors
  3. ^ This is Plymouth Ham House
  4. ^ Browne WIllis Notitia parliamentaria, or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: ... The whole extracted from mss. and printed evidences 1750 pp229-239
  5. ^ Robert Burke A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain Volume 4
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Parliament suspended since 1629		 Member of Parliament for Plymouth
1640-1642
With: John Waddon		 Succeeded by
John Waddon
Sir John Yonge, 1st Baronet