Margaret (Strode) Trevillian

Margaret was the daughter of a knight, Sir Robert Strode who possessed a fine pedigree descending from gateway English and Norman noble lines of both England and the Continent.

After the English Civil War, George Trevelyan of Nettlecombe Court received a demand from Parliament to pay £1,560 toward the costs associated with the civil war between the Protestant Parliament and Catholic King Charles I who was beheaded. Like most aristocratic landowners Trevelyan supported the crown in the war. Parliament sought to punish and disempower the crown loyalists by seizing their private property. Shortly after the Great Fire of London, Margaret travelled to London to petition Parliament, to request that they reduce the amount. She presented the details of the accounting pleading that another manor estate of similar size had only paid £40. However, the family was still required to pay the full fine of £1,560 and a pardon was granted by Parliament. Unfortunately, after paying the fee to Parliament, Margaret Strode Trevelyan never returned home. She caught smallpox and died on the return journey back to Nettlecombe Court. She left seven children without a mother.

After the restoration of the monarchy, the Trevelyan family was granted a new baronet tile of peerage as a reward for their loyalty to the crown.

George Trevelyan had preserved his estate from being plundered in the great civil war, and now he is promised his liberty if only he would at once give up his "disobedience unto the Parliament" and pay his composition money for the war.

The bargaining as to the amount of this, and then the raising and paying of it, seem to have been Margaret Strode Trevelyan's business, George meanwhile disappearing entirely into hiding to avoid being captured and imprisoned or killed by the Parliamentarians. Margaret pointed out to Parliament that a Mr. Walrond, a man of equal estate, was discharged on payment of only £40, but Uncle Luttrell replied that Walrond had played no part in the war, whereas the Parliament held George Trevelyan "for a principall malignant" for his support of the king.

Parliament settled on £1,560 for war payments from the Trevillian family, a vast sum at that time. So much coined money in those days of payments in kind was very difficult to raise, and the stock of corn in the barton had to be threshed out and sold before the sum was complete.

Then, one morning in 1641, Parliamentarians set upon Nettlecombe to seize property from the royalist supporters. Trevillian property, including all of their riding and carriage horses, were taken by Parliamentarian soldiers.

Margaret Strode Trevelyan had six farm oxen yoked to the family coach and she made her way to London to talk to them. She reached her destination, petitioned Parliament in appropriate terms of contrition for her husband's support of the king, and set out in detail the value of the estate versus other estates. Having shewn that her husband had now duly surrendered to Parliament, they agreed to make ready for the formal pardon which was to follow. Then she turned her face westwards, and it is with real pain that we learn that this brave woman never again saw the husband and the home she loved so well, and had worked so patiently and well to save. At Hounslow, Margaret Strode Trevelyan was struck down with smallpox having caught such in London, and after a few days' illness passed away.

Later, after the restoration of the monarchy, the Trevelyan Baronetcy was awarded to the family descendants for their support of the king during the civil war.

http://www.celtic-casimir.com/webtree/31/std001.htm

Spouse: George TREVILLIAN

Children:

George TREVILLIAN

John TREVILLIAN

Amos TREVILLIAN

Alexander TREVILLIAN

Francis TREVILLIAN+

Caterine TREVILLIAN

Margaret TREVILLIAN

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CORRESPONDENCE: Pass For Mrs. Margaret Trevelyan.*

        [In the original spelling,] 

Somersett. To all ConWca, Tythingmen, and Officers, to whom these presents shall come, greeting. Whereas Margarett Trevelyan, wife to the Wor11 George Trevelyan, Esqr, of Nettlecomb, hath bcene here with me this present day, and is now about to goe over into the dominyon of Wales b for the speedy raysing of money for the King and Parliament: These are therefore to pray and require you to permitt and suffer her to pass away through your watches and guards into Wales aforesaid, 'Thomas Luttrcll, of Dunster Castle, who subscribes this pass, was the uncle of the Lady to whom it was granted, and brother of Margaret Luttrell, who, in 1607, married John Trevelyan. Their son, George Trevelyan, married Margaret, daughter of Sir Robert Strode, of Purnham, Knt. In 1647, she travelled from Nettlecombe to London, in her coach drawn by six oxen (the Parliamentary forces having deprived her of horses), in order to pay at Goldsmiths' Hall the fine of £1,560, for the delinquency of her husband (as shown in extracts from the Journals of the Houses of Parliament at p. 252-3), and on her return homewards she died of the small pox, and was buried at Hounslow, in the west wall of the old Chapel of which town her monument is placed. Below the arms of Trevelyan impaling Strode, is the following inscription ;— "Heere lycth Mrs. Margaret Trevelyan, ye Wife of Gcorgo Trevelyan, of Nettle, combe, in the county of Somerset, Esq., Daughter of Sir Robert Stroud, of Parnham, in the county of Dorset, Kt. deceased Decemb. 24, 1641, leaving issue eight Sonnes & three daughters—viz. George, John, Robert, Henry, Alexander, Francis, Amyas, Anthony, Margaret, Susan, and Katherin. For hir vertuous Life and godly Death, hir Mortallity shall be made imortally glorious." b Simon Ralegh, of Nettlecomb, married Ela, daughter of Milo de Reigny, and acquired with her extensive property in Glamorgan, which descended through the Whalesburghs to John Trevelyan, who, in 1452, married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Thomas Whalesburgh. Some of these lands appear to have been sold to the Earl of Worcester in the sixteenth century, others to the Herbert family in the beginning of the seventeenth, and it was to raise money on what remained to the family, that Margaret, the wife of George Trevelyan, obtained this Pass, for the purpose of complying with some such requisition as that in p. 243, sent to her husband by Sir Thomas Bridges, for a sum of money " for the present relief of his Majesties armies." with her servants and a -trunck, without any manner of your letts, interuptions, or contradictions. Given under my hand, att the Castle of Dunstar," the three and twentyeth day of May, A0 Dm 1643. Tho: Luttrell. Ralph Honoif To George Trevelyan.

        [In the original spelling.] 

Sir,—Whereas the bearer hereof, Captayne Charles Mathewe, my kinsman, being a Captayne of my Regiment, is to raise a Company neere your parts, and for the present stands in great want of Armes and Bandeleers, I desier you to bee pleased to doe him all the favour you can in furnishing him therewithal!, in regard hee is forthwith to advaunce, wherein you shall oblige Your affectionate frend, Ralphe Hopton. Wells, this xxtb clay of June, 1643. To my worthy goode friend George Trevillian,

 Esq', at his house at Nettlecombe. 

Sir Ralph Hopton To Sir J. Berkeleyh And Others. [In the original spelling.] Gentlemen,—You will not blame us for advansinge soe farr when you are certified of the reason and successe thereof. On Frydaie last, beinge on our march from Taunton towards Exeter, uppon

• Dunster Castle was given up to the Royalists in June, 1643, and was retaken by Col. Blake in April, 1646. Thomas Luttrell died in 1647.