Prell (Donald B.) Collection on Edward John Trelawny, 1807-2012 and undated
Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Donald B. Prell Collection on Edward John Trelawny
- Dates:
- 1807-2012 and undated
- Creators:
- Prell, Donald B.
- Abstract:
- This collection was compiled by Donald Prell as a result of his research on Edward John Trelawny. The collection, therefore, contains primary and secondary source information about Edward John Trelawny and his relationships with Percy B. Shelley, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, Claire Clairmont, Edward Ellerker Williams, and others of his time. The materials include copies of letters, diaries, images, and articles ranging from 1807 to 2012.
- Extent:
- 3.1 Linear Feet (1 records box, 1 flat box, 1 document box)
- Language:
- Languages represented in the collection: English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Donald B. Prell Collection on Edward John Trelawny (H.Mss.1028). Special Collections and Archives, The Claremont Colleges Library, The Claremont Colleges Services, Claremont, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection was compiled by Donald B. Prell as a result of his research on Edward John Trelawny. The collection, therefore, contains information about Edward John Trelawny and his relationships with Percy B. Shelley, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, Claire Clairmont, Edward Ellerker Williams, and others of his time. Although the collection does not contain many "original" documents, it does offer many copies of original documents and is a fairly comprehensive source of information and documents pertaining to Trelawny located in one place. The collection is divided into two series: Primary sources and Secondary sources. The series, Primary sources, contains material dating from 1807 to 1909. It consists mainly of copies (although there are two original documents) of handwritten and transcribed letters (to/from Trelawny or referencing Trelawny), journals, manuscripts, and images. This series is strong in correspondence, especially between Trelawny and Claire Clairmont. The series, Secondary sources, contains material dating from 1810 to 2012. It includes essays, articles, and documents written by the collection's creator, Donald Prell, and by others regarding Trelawny, Lord Byron, Shelley, Edward Ellerker Williams, and others in this circle. The material in this series provides a useful source of "outsider" viewpoints about Trelawny and his works during his life and up to the present.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Edward John Trelawny was an English author whose works include Adventures of a Younger Son (1831) and Records of Shelley, Byron, and the Author (1878). He was born on November 13, 1792 probably in London. He had one older brother and four younger sisters. In 1805, Trelawny joined the Royal Navy and served on various ships, including the HMS Superb. After being honorably discharged from the Royal Navy in 1812, Trelawny embarked on the first of his three marriages in May 1813 at which time he married Caroline Addison. He later divorced her in 1819. Through Edward Ellerker Williams, Trelawny met Shelley and Byron in 1822 when he visited Pisa, Italy. Trelawny accompanied Byron in 1822 on his trip to Greece for the cause of Greek independence. Trelawny married his second wife, Tersitza Androutses, during his time in Greece. Tersitza later divorced Trelawny sometime between 1826 and 1828. Between 1832 and 1835, Trelawny travelled in America meeting notables such as James Fenimore Cooper. In 1841, Trelawny married for the last time to Augusta Goring.
Trelawny's Adventures was originally published anonymously and is generally considered to be an autobiographically-based novel about his time in the Royal Navy. The work was very popular during the time as evidenced by the numerous translations and editions of the book. Trelawny lived in England, Switzerland, and Wales during his lifetime. In addition to Trelawny's notoriety as an author, his friendships with Percy B. Shelley, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Claire Clairmont also make him a notable personality in the 19th century. Trelawny arranged the funerals of both Shelley and Byron and was eventually buried near Shelley in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.
Donald Prell was born in Los Angeles in 1924. He earned a B.A. in 1948 from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a C.Phil. in 1950 from the University of London. Mr. Prell was a 2nd Lieutenant in the American Armed Forces during World War II taking part in the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured and became a German prisoner of war twice (the second time after escaping). Mr. Prell founded one of the first magazines about computers and software in 1958 called Datamation. In the 1960s, 70s and 80s he was associated with several venture capital firms, with the Union Bank of California, and was President of Imperial International Bank. He served on the Boards of Directors of over fifteen foreign and domestic corporations. He was the managing Director of Prell and Associates, a consulting firm in the field of Futurology, Program Director of the World Affairs Council of the Desert and a Councilor of the UCLA Foundation. Donald Prell passed away on July 28, 2020.
Source: The appraisal of Donald Prell's collection by Charles A. Goldsmid - located in the collection's vertical file.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Donald B. Prell.
- Processing information:
-
Arranged and Processed by Sarah Jaques-Ross (2009)
The Trelawny collection was originally housed and organized by the donor in multiple three-ring binders. In some cases, different material/document types were housed together. In an effort to properly house the materials according to standard archival practices and make the collection more intellectually accessible to scholars, the collection has been arranged as below. In cases where different materials seemed to have an important link, the original order was kept. Also in the case of copies of materials belonging to other repositories, any copyright restrictions or secondary collection information was kept with the copies. A list of the original folders with their original contents is included with the vertical file for this collection.
Processed by Clara Newkirk (2026)
The additions to the Trelawny collection was originally housed in an assortment of three-ring binders, file folders, and mylar sheets. In some cases, related materials were housed together. In other cases, unrelated materials were in the same folder and were rearranged to properly fit into the collection. Related materials were kept together in the original order.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is organized into the following series and subseries:
- Series 1: Primary sources, 1807-1909 and undated
- Subseries 1.1: Correspondence, 1821-1909 and undated
- Subseries 1.2: Journals and manuscripts, 1807-1902 and undated
- Subseries 1.3: Images, 1819-1823 and undated
- Series 2: Secondary sources, 1810-2012 and undated
- Subseries 2.1: Authored by Donald B. Prell, 2007-2012 and undated
- Subseries 2.2: Authored by others, 1810-2012 and undated
- Accruals:
-
Additions to the collection are anticipated.
- Physical location:
- Please consult repository.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- © 2026
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-05-08 10:01:23 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests for permission to reproduce or to publish must be submitted in writing to Special Collections.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Donald B. Prell Collection on Edward John Trelawny (H.Mss.1028). Special Collections and Archives, The Claremont Colleges Library, The Claremont Colleges Services, Claremont, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
800 N. Dartmouth Ave.Claremont, CA 91711, US
- Contact:
- (909) 607‑3977