TRELAWNY, John (1691-1756), of Trelawne, nr. Looe, Cornw.

Trelawny was descended from Sir Jonathan Trelawny (d. 1604), who purchased Trelawne near the Looes in 1599.1Cam. Misc. ii (5), p. 3. 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,2HMC Portland, v. 193. 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.3PCC 60 Pinfold; Add. 19030, f. 350. 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’,4Namier, Structure, 321. 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.5PCC 60 Pinfold.