Sir John Trelawny, MP, 4th Baronet

Family and Education b. 26 July 1691, 1st s. of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 3rd Bt., bp. of Winchester, and bro. of Edward Trelawny. m. Agnes, da. of Thomas Blackwood of Scotland, s.p. educ. Ch. Ch. Oxf. 1708. suc. fa. as 4th Bt. 19 July 1721.

Offices Held

Groom of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales 1714-?17.

Biography Trelawny was descended from Sir Jonathan Trelawny (d. 1604), who purchased Trelawne near the Looes in 1599.1 His family’s long-standing parliamentary influence reached its peak in the time of his father, the bishop of Winchester, who when Trelawny came of age, made over to him the Cornish estates and the management of the electoral interest,2 comprising control of four seats at East and West Looe, as well as an interest at Liskeard. Returned as a Whig for Liskeard in 1715, he voted with the Government in all the recorded divisions of that Parliament, giving up a place in the household of the Prince of Wales when the Prince went into opposition in 1717. Transferring to West Looe in 1722 and East Looe in 1727, he voted for the Hessians in 1730 but was absent from other recorded divisions.

Trelawny did not stand in 1734, when he was already in deep financial difficulties, making over his estates and parliamentary interest the following year to his brother, Edward, in return for the payment of his debts.3 According to John Buller he received from the Government ‘an allowance of £500 a year, and a present of £1,000 the year of the general election’,4 the Trelawny seats being placed at Walpole’s disposal. On the death of his brother Edward in 1754 he recovered Trelawne until his death on 2 Feb. 1756, when it passed to another branch of the family.5

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754 Author: Eveline Cruickshanks Notes 1. Cam. Misc. ii (5), p. 3. 2. HMC Portland, v. 193. 3. PCC 60 Pinfold; Add. 19030, f. 350. 4. Namier, Structure, 321. 5. PCC 60 Pinfold