Robert Trelawny MP (1598 - 1643)

Born 25 Mar 1598 in Plymouth, Devon, England

Ancestors

Husband of Ann Voga — married 1623 in Megavissey, Cornwall

Descendants

Died Mar 1643 at about age 44 in London, England

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Biography

Robert Trelawny MP was born in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Robert Trelawny MP is Notable.

Birth & Parents

There has been considerable confusion/conflation regarding the members of the Trelawny Family. The Trelawny Papers (see below) have an account, as does the Visitation to Cornwall (also below). There is an incorrect reference to a marriage of Robert Trelawny MP to Elizabeth Mayne in many genealogical trees. The marriage of Elizabeth Mayne was to Robert Trelawney's father another Robert Trelawny .

The Trelawny Papers^[1] have a Robert Trelawny married firstly to Elizabeth Mayne with four or five children:

Elizabeth - born 1596 and baptised^[2] on 26 May 1596, daughter of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Robert - born March 1598 is baptised^[3] 1 Apr 1598, son of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Edward - born 1600 is baptised^[4] on 1 Sep 1600, son of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England.

John - born 1612 and baptisd^[5] on 31 Jan 1612/13, son of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England. - probably died 1616^[6]

There is also an Ellenor mentioned, but no trace of her is found at Plymouth. Ellenor may be the child of the second marriage.

The available data supports the conclusion that Robert and Elizabeth (Mayne) Trelawny had a son Robert who was born in 1598 at Plymouth, followed at least by a younger brother Edward. These details are confirmed in the extract from The Visitation to Cornwall of 1530, 1573 and 1620^[7].

Visitation to Cornwall, 1530, 1573 and 1620 - Pedigree of Telawny.

This branch of the original Cornish Trelawny Family was living in Plymouth, Devon at the end of the 1500s and Robert Trelawny was Mayor of Plymouth^[8] several times in the early part of the 17th Century (1607-1608, 1610-1612, 1616-1617 and 1627-1608. All of the baptisms and marriages occured at Plymouth: St Andrews that is shown within the old walls of Plymouth Town. The Family would have lived close by. Robert's father was a Royalist and the son followed in his footsteps.

Old Plymouth in the 17th Century showing the city church of St Andrew within the city walls.

No details are known of Roberts early life in Plymouth but it was at a time when there was major trade developing with the settlers in New England and he would have been there when the Protestant settlers from Leiden passed through on the Mayflower. He would also have seen the second boat, the Speedwell which had to return to UK in 1620 for repairs as it was leaking badly. In later years, his agent in Maine (John Winter) sailed on the Speedwell back from Richardson's Island.

Marriage

Robert Trelawny seems to have returned to Cornwall and married^[9] Ann COGA on 1 Jan 1623/24 in Mevagissey, Cornwall, England. Very few details concerning the family of Ann are available. But that Robert married Ann is confirmed later in Robert's Will where he specifically remembers Ann as his wife (not Elizabeth!). The marriage to Ann Coga is also confirmed by James Phinney Baxter on 1 May 1884 in his Introduction to the Trelawny Papers.

Robert and Ann had seven children according to the Cornish Pedigree and baptism details at Plymouth: St Andrews are reported for all of them:

Walter - born^[10] in 1624.

Robert - born^[11] in 1628 and baptised on 23 Apr 1628, son of Robert Trelaney, in Plymouth, Devon, England..

Ann - born^[12] and baptised on 13 May 1629, daughter of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England..

Samuel - born March 1630 and baptised^[13] on 31 Mar 1630, son of Robert Trelawnie, in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Elizabeth - born October 1631 and baptised^[14] 19 Oct 1631, daughter of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Judith - born^[15] baptised on 19 Sep 1632, daughter of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England..

John - born^[16] baptised on 27 Oct 1633, son of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Profesional Life

The Trelawny Papers

Papers^[1] both written by Robert Trelawny and by others to Robert Trelawny are available. As these papers represent a valuable account of early settlement in Maine, they have been republished in 2015.

The Trelawny Plantation

On 1 December 1631, the Plymouth Company granted Robert Trelawny and his partner, Moses Goodyeare, a patent for a tract of land between Spurwink River and Presumpscot River, and for Richmond's Island at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on which they created the Trelawney Plantation. The grant was made in recognition of the considerable investment that Trelawny had already made^[1] in investigating the area. The general location of the area can be seen on the Google Image (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Richmond+Island/@43.6019307,-70.3200251,18199m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4cad5fec9d49db1f:0x5bd2c0dfb820e625!8m2!3d43.5434183!4d-70.2344911!16s%2Fg%2F11bwgvhzdx?authuser=0&entry=ttu). In 1633, Robert Trelawny was responsible for the development of the Trelawny Plantation on Richardson's Island, Maine. Robert did not visit but entrusted the settlement to John Winter. He carried out significant correspondence with John Winter and his letters are a resource used in the Great Migration Studies in New England.

The Speedwell^[17] arrived from England on 26 Apr 1635 at the Trelawny Plantation on Richmond's Island. The ships Master was Narias Hawkins and Edward Trelawny - younger brother of Robert Trelawny, was a passenger. The ship departed again for England on 28 June 1635 for England with John Winter (who had established the fishing settlement there in 1632), leaving Narias Hawkins at Richardson's Island. Narias must have left his wife Marye back in England as she is not named as a passenger^[18]. In fact he writes^[19] to Robert Trelawny (Trelawny papers 59, 95 and 97)^[1] that if my wife (Marye (Barker) Hawkins) have occaison for money - I hope you will supply her with. The letter from Narias to Robert was taken back to England by John Winter. It is interesting to note that the master and crew of the Spedwell were still concerned about the boat leaking - even though it had been repaired since the initial sailings with The Mayflower in 1620.

Clearly, Robert Trelawny, Narias Hawkins and John Winter were well known to each other. The Trelawny Papers^[1] contain great detail of the establishment of the colony in Maine and make fascinating reading!

Robert built^[20] Ham House, near Plymouth, in 1639. It was at Ham House some 200 years after the building that a trunk containing The Trelawny Papers was found, These papers included a copy of the original land grant that had been destroyed in Maine.

Robert Trelawny was Mayor of Sydney between 1633 and 1635. One of the letters from Richardson's Island by John Winter on 18 June 1634 is addressed to Robert as Mayor of Plymouth and confirms the appointment that is also seen in the list of Plymouth Mayors.

Robert has many entries on the Plymouth Rate books^[21] living at Shilman Street in Plymouth. There are also many references in the Rate Books^[22] Records and Borough Records^[23].

Robert Trelawny was a Member of Parliament between 1640 and 1642. He has his own Wikipedia page^[24]. It appears that he 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. In August 1642, The First English Civil War begins - so royalist tendencies, as expressed by the tenor of Robert Trelawny's question in Parliament, were unsuprisingly questioned.

Death

Robert Trelawny died in 1643 - in prison in London. He is buried^[25] on 2 Mar 1643 at St Mary Woolchurch Haw^[26], London. His will^[27] was probated in 1644 - he was residing in Plymouth.

Detail from the Wills

Both the initial will, on 26 October 1641 and his Last Will on 27 August 1643 when he was in prison, are available in the Trelawny Papers^[1] and contain many details confirming the family.

The payments are of considerable sums of money. The family members each receive GB1000. One thousand in 1750 equates to GB273,426 in 2023. This indicates how incredibly successful Robert's activities on Richardson's Island and his trading around Europe have been.

Significantly, the first will remembers his children - each with GB1000 and his wife Ann. The will concludes with an allowance to his unborn child.

The second will makes no mention of his new child or of his wife Ann and his other children receive increased sums. This is an indication that, in all probability, his wife Ann and the unborn child died - probably at birth of the child some time early in 1642. In his second will this assumption is confirmed as he says that he wishes to be buried in Plymouth near to where his deceased wife lies.

There are many payments to the Church and Societies/Institutions in Plymouth,

Payments to Children in the Second Will

To Samuel Trelawny - Two thousand pounds

To my daughter Ann - Seventeen hundred pounds

To my daughter Elizabeth - Twelve hundred pounds

To my daughter Judith - Twelve hundred pounds

To my son John One thousand pounds and all my land in Stone in St John's Parish in Cornwall

To my son Robert and his heires for ever, all my lands at Motley in Plymouth Parish and all my lands in New England with all my cattle, hogs, corne & other things except my fish and traine. Also all my adventure for lands in Ieland. I also give my son Robert one thousand pounds.

The fact that Walter is not mentioned in the second will, but was mentioned in the first will where he received one thousand pounds and all his father's guilt plate, confirms his death in 1642.

To my brother Edward and his heirs for ever the house and garden in Stillman Street, in which Mary Nurse, widdow now lives. To my brother John payment To my sister Margaret Martin and children - payments. There is much detail to many other folk in Plymouth who received money from the Exectutors when Robert dies in 1644.

Research notes

Edward Trelawny

Robert's brother Edward was much involved with the Plantation after Robert's death.

Other Robert Trelawnys

The conflation is significant here and added to by another Sir John Trelawny, 1st Baronet (24 April 1592 – 16 February 1664) who was a Cornish baronet and soldier from Trelawne, Cornwall^[28]. He was High Sheriff of Cornwall. A Royalist MP, he fought for Charles I in the English Civil War. This Robert Trelawny can't be the father of Robert born in 1598.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} 'The Trelawny Papers (James Phinney Baxter)': Collections of the Maine Historical Society [[1]] 1884 Now Republished by Sagwan Press on 21 August 2015 (582 pages) ISBN-10 1298894042
2. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
   Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Other Transcript; File line number: 2557
   FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
   Eliza Trelawny baptism on 26 May 1596, daughter of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
3. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
   Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Extract of a Register; File line number: 404
   FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
   Robert Trelawny baptism on
4. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
   Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Other Transcript; File line number: 3570
   FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
   Edward Trelawny baptism on 1 Sep 1600, son of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
5. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
   Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Other Transcript; File line number: 5164
   FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
   John Trelawney baptism on 31 Jan 1612/13, son of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
6. ↑ Burial: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
   Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Extract of a Register; File line number: 7224
   FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
   John Trelawnye burial on 4 Nov 1616 in Plymouth, Devon, England.
7. ↑ 'The Visitation to Cornwall, 1530, 1573 and 1620' The visitation of the county of Cornwall, in the year 1620 by Saint-George, Henry, Sir, 1581-1644; Lennard, Samson, d. 1633. cn; Vivian, John Lambrick, 1830-1896, ed; Drake, Henry Holman, joint ed; College of Arms (Great Britain) cn Page 230
8. ↑ 'Past Lord Mayors of Plymouth' Plymouth City Council [[2]] accessed 16 November 2023
9. ↑ Marriage: "Cornwall Marriages"
   FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
   Robert Trelawney marriage to Ann COGA on 1 Jan 1623/24 in Mevagissey, Cornwall, England.
10. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 1470
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 9 November 2023)
    Wallter Trelawnye baptism on 29 Dec 1624, son of Robert Trelawnye, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
11. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 2308
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 9 November 2023)
    Robert Trelaney baptism on 23 Apr 1628, son of Robert Trelaney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
12. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 2586
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 9 November 2023)
    An Trelawny baptism on 13 May 1629, daughter of Robert Trelawny, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
13. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 2909
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
    Samuell Trelawnie baptism on 31 Mar 1630, son of Robert Trelawnie, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
14. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 3449
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
    Elizabeth Trelawney baptism on 19 Oct 1631, daughter of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
15. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 3699
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 9 November 2023)
    Judeth Trelawney baptism on 19 Sep 1632, daughter of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
16. ↑ Baptism: "FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
    Devon; Plymouth; St Andrew; Parish Register; File line number: 4100
    FreeReg Transcription (accessed 9 November 2023)
    John Trelawney baptism on 27 Oct 1633, son of Robert Trelawney, in Plymouth, Devon, England.
17. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Speedwell (1577 ship)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Speedwell_(1577_ship)&oldid=1178139527 (accessed November 8, 2023).
18. ↑ 'Passenger Lists' Cuberland County Main - Genealogy and History [[3]]accessed 16 November 2023
19. ↑ Book: "New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635"
    Original data: Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3; The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2496 #2293 (accessed 7 November 2023)
    Name: Narias Hawkins; Birth Date: 1609; Emigration Year: 1635; First Residence Place: Richmond Island, Cumberland, Maine, USA; Death Date: 1640;
    Household Members (Name):
    Narias Hawkins.
20. ↑ 'Ham House' Empire in your back yard - Plymouth [[4]] accessed 16 November 2023
21. ↑ 1626 Rate Book: "Plymouth & West Devon Rate Books 1598- 1933"
    Reference: 1-177
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
    First name(s): Robert; Last name: Trelawny; Occupier's first name(s): Robert; Occupier's last name: Trelawny; Street: Shilman Streete; Place: Plymouth; County: Devon; Year: 1626; Date: 1626; Event: Rental books.
22. ↑ 1626 Rate Book: "Plymouth & West Devon Rate Books 1598- 1933"
    Reference: 1-177
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
    First name(s): Robert; Last name: Trelawny; Occupier's first name(s): Robert; Occupier's last name: Trelawny; Street: Shilman Streete; Place: Plymouth; County: Devon; Year: 1626; Date: 1626; Event: Rental books.
23. ↑ 1627 Legal Record: "Devon, Plymouth Borough Records 1519-1905"
    Archive: Plymouth & West Devon Record Office; Reference: W1/46
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
    Place: Plymouth; First name(s): Robert; Last name: Trelawny; Event year: 1627; County: Devon; Country: England.
24. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Robert Trelawney," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Trelawney&oldid=1174809324 (accessed November 7, 2023).
25. ↑ Burial: "London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812"
    London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P69/Mry14/A/001/Ms07644
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1624 #7691823 (accessed 8 November 2023)
    Robert Trelawny burial (died in about 1643) on 2 Mar 1643 in "St Mary Woolchurch Haw", City of London, London, England.
26. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "St Mary Woolchurch Haw," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St_Mary_Woolchurch_Haw&oldid=1148686910 (accessed November 7, 2023).
27. ↑ Probate: "Devon Wills Index, 1163-1999"
    FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 8 November 2023)
    Robert Trelawny probate in 1644. Residence Plymouth, Devon, England. Occupation: Gentleman.
28. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sir John Trelawny, 1st Baronet," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sir_John_Trelawny,_1st_Baronet&oldid=1172192333 (accessed November 8, 2023).