Guide to the Edward John Trelawny Collection

Finding aid created by Sarah Jaques-Ross, 2009

Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont University Consortium 2009

Libraries of The Claremont Colleges

800 N. Dartmouth Avenue

Claremont, CA 91711

Phone: (909) 607-3977

Fax: (909) 621-8681

Email: spcoll@libraries.claremont.edu

URL: http://libraries.claremont.edu/sc/default.html

Descriptive Summary

Title: Guide to the Edward John Trelawny Collection

creator: Prell, Donald B.

Dates: 1821-2008

Extent: 3 feet (2 boxes) (1 oversized box)

Repository: Claremont Colleges. Honnold/Mudd Library.

800 N. Dartmouth Avenue

Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library

Claremont University Consortium

Claremont, California 91711

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 1821 to 2008.

Collection Number: h2007.7

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Physical Location: Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library. Claremont University Consortium.

Information for Researchers

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact Special Collections Library staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Edward John Trelawny Collection. Special Collections, Honnold Mudd Library, Claremont University Consortium.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Donald B. Prell.

Processing Information

Arranged and Processed by Sarah Jaques-Ross

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.

Accruals

Additions to the collection are anticipated.

Biography of Edward John Trelawny (1792-1881)

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.

Biography of Donald B. Prell (1924- )

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 has served on the Boards of Directors of over fifteen foreign and domestic corporations. Currently he is 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." (Source: the appraisal of Donald Prell's collection by Charles A. Goldsmid - located in the collection's vertical file).

Scope and Contents of the Collection

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 1821 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 the present. 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.

Series Arrangement

Series 1: Primary Sources

Subseries 1.1: Correspondence

Subseries 1.11: To/From Trelawny (alphabetical by author)

Subseries 1.12: Referencing Trelawny (chronological)

Subseries 1.2: Journals and Manuscripts (chronological)

Subseries 1.3: Images (chronological)

Series 2: Secondary Sources

Subseries 2.1: Authored by Donald B. Prell (chronological)

Subseries 2.2: Authored by others (chronological)

Subject Headings

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection

Prell, Donald B.

Trelawny, Edward John, 1792-1881

Trelawny, Edward John, 1792-1881--Correspondence

Trelawny, Edward John, 1792-1881--Friends and associates

Authors, English -- 19th century

Williams, Edward Ellerker, 1793-1822

Williams, Edward Ellerker, 1793-1822--Diaries

Clairmont, Clara Mary Jane, 1798-1879

Clairmont, Clara Mary Jane, 1798-1879--Correspondence

Clairmont, Clara Mary Jane, 1798-1879--Relations with men

Authors--Correspondence

Series: 1 Primary Sources, 1821-1909

Subseries: 1.1 Correspondence

Subseries: 1.11 To/From Trelawny (alphabetical by author)

Box 1, Folder 1

Copy of printed letter from Charles Armitage Brown to Trelawny, 1838

Box 1, Folder 2

Copy of handwritten letter from Trelawny to Lord Byron with transcription, 1822

Box 1, Folder 3

Copies of handwritten and printed versions of letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont, 1822

Box 1, Folder 4

Copies of handwritten and printed versions of letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont, 1822-1823

Box 1, Folder 5

Copies of handwritten and printed versions of letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont, 1822-1829

Box 1, Folder 6

CD containing images of handwritten letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont (jpeg file format), 1822-1829

Box 1, Folder 7

Copy of handwritten letter from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont taken from Letters of Edward John Trelawny, 1825

Box 1, Folder 8

Copies of handwritten and transcribed letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont; includes repository information and copyright restrictions, 1829-1873

Box 1, Folder 9

CD containing images of handwritten and printed letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont(tif file format), 1829-1873

Box 1, Folder 10

Copies of three printed letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont; published as The Relations of Percy Bysshe Shelley with His Two Wives, Harriet and Mary, 1857-1920

Box 1, Folder 11

Copies of four handwritten letters from Trelawny to Claire Clairmont; includes commentary by Prell, 1870-1875

Box 1, Folder 12

Copy of handwritten letter from C. Cruger to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1834

Box 1, Folder 13

Copy of handwritten letter from J.H. Dillon to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1864

Box 1, Folder 14

Copy of handwritten letter from Richard Edgcumbe to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1876

Box 1, Folder 15

Copy of handwritten letter from Alfred Eluzer to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1834

Box 1, Folder 16

Copy of handwritten letter from Henry Buxton Forman to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1880

Box 1, Folder 17

Copies of two handwritten letters from Edward Garnett to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1889-1890

Box 1, Folder 18

Copy of handwritten letter from Wilson James Grant to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1878

Box 1, Folder 19

Typescript of letter from Trelawny to Leigh Hunt; includes printout of online finding aid from University of Delaware Library, 1822

Box 1, Folder 20

Copy of handwritten letter from John B. Irving to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1834

Box 1, Folder 21

Copy of handwritten letter from H. LaLuberne to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1879

Box 1, Folder 22

Original letter from Walter Savage Landor to Trelawny; Prell's notes are included, [1835-1858]

Box 1, Folder 23

Copies of two handwritten letters from June D. Lynch to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1835

Box 1, Folder 120

Copies of two handwritten letters: one from Captain Daniel Roberts to Trelawny and one from Trelawny to Shelley regarding the Don Juan; images of the boat with notations by Prell are included, 1822

Box 1, Folder 121

CD containing images of two handwritten letters: one from Captain Daniel Roberts to Trelawny and one from Trelawny to Shelley regarding the Don Juan; images of the boat are included as well as copyright restrictions from the British Library, (jpeg format) 1822

Box 1, Folder 24

Color copy of handwritten letter from Trelawny to J.A. Roebuck; Prell's transcription is included along with some supporting material, 1846

Box 1, Folder 25

Copies of handwritten letter from William Michael Rossetti to Trelawny; includes transcription and 2007 article, "The Truth about Shelley's Cremation," by Rachel Goldberg, 1887

Box 1, Folder 26

Copy of handwritten letter from Rutenberg to Trelawny, 1864; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1864

Box 1, Folder 27

Copy of handwritten letter from Edward John Sartonis to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1879

Box 1, Folder 28

Copy of printed letter from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to Trelawny, 1831

Box 1, Folder 29

Copy of handwritten letter from Ada May Augusta Stephenson to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1878

Box 1, Folder 30

Transcription of letter from Trelawny to William Henry Fox Talbot; includes information on the William Henry Fox Talbot Correspondence Project, University of Glasgow and DeMontfort University, 1826

Box 1, Folder 31

Copy of portion of handwritten letter from Trelawny to unknown recipient, 1869

Box 1, Folder 32

Copy of handwritten letter from Edward Ellerker Williams to Trelawny, which Trelawny edited for publication; includes copy of published version; includes article by Prell, 1821-1858

Box 1, Folder 33

Copy of handwritten letter from Mary Wyatt to Trelawny; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1880

Subseries: 1.12 Referencing Trelawny (chronological)

Box 1, Folder 34

Copy of printed letter from Percy B. Shelley to Mary Shelley referencing Trelawny, 1822

Box 1, Folder 35

Copy of printed letter from Edward Ellerker Williams to his wife, Jane Williams, 1822

Box 1, Folder 36

Copy of transcribed letter from Joseph Severn to Charles Armitage Brown, 1823

Box 1, Folder 37

Copies of letters from The Life and Letters of Joseph Severn by William Sharp; contain references to Trelawny, 1823-1892

Box 1, Folder 38

Copies of five letters between Joseph Severn and Charles Armitage Brown and one letter to Trelawny from Brown; includes secondary material on the collection of letters, 1826-1842

Box 1, Folder 39

Copy of handwritten letter from Rebecca Rutledge to her husband, Luis Rutledge, referencing Trelawny; includes copyright restriction information, 1833

Box 1, Folder 40

Copy of printed letter from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to Maria Gisborne, 1835

Box 1, Folder 41

Copy of handwritten letter from Lewis Gaylord Clark to Mrs. Townshend Stith, 1835

Box 1, Folder 42

Copies of handwritten letters and postcards from Trelawny's daughter, Laetitia Trelawny Call, to Lucy Madox Brown Rossetti and William Michael Rossetti; includes description from repository, 1878-1909

Box 1, Folder 43

Copy of handwritten letter from Richard Edgcumbe to "Miss Taylor"; from Gotlieb Collection, Boston University, 1887

Box 1, Folder 44

Copy of printed letter from William Sharp to H. Buxton Forman referencing Trelawny, 1891

Subseries: 1.2 Journals and Manuscripts (alphabetical by author)

Box 1, Folder 45

Copies of drawings from The Literary Life and Correspondence of the Countess of Blessington by Richard R. Madden; includes corresponding Google maps and notes by Prell, 1852-1855

Box 1, Folder 46

Copy of excerpt from Claire Clairmont's diary with editor's footnote containing a reference to Trelawny, 1822

Box 1, Folder 47

Copy of Richard Garnett's notes on his transcription of Edward Ellerker Williams's journal, 1902

Box 1, Folder 48

CD containing images of Richard Garnett's notes on his transcription of Edward Ellerker Williams's journal,(jpeg file format), 1902

Box 1, Folder 49

Copies of excerpts from The Diary of Benjamin Robert Haydon containing references to Trelawny; published 1965 1835

Box 1, Folder 50

Copies of excerpts from the journal of Charles Swan referencing Trelawny, 1826

Box 1, Folder 122

Slides containing images of two narratives handwritten by Trelawny about the Don Juan a printed copy of the second narrative is included, 1822

Box 2

Copy of handwritten manuscript, Recollections of a Younger Son, (3 vols.), by Trelawny in the handwriting of Charles Armitage Brown, 1831

Box 1, Folder 51

Copies of Trelawny's handwritten additions to Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron, folders 1-3, 1858-1878

Box 1, Folder 52

Copies of Trelawny's handwritten additions to Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron, folders 4-5, 1858-1878

Box 1, Folder 53

CD containing images of Edward Ellerker Williams's journal while aboard the HMS Superb, 1807; includes information on current copyright restrictions and copies of the first few pages,(jpeg file format), 1807

Box 1, Folder 54

Copy of printed journal of Edward Ellerker Williams from Shelley and his Circle, 1773-1822; includes sketches by Williams in his journal, 1819

Box 1, Folder 55

Copy of handwritten journal of Edward Ellerker Williams, 1820-1822

Box 1, Folder 56

Two CDs containing images of handwritten journal of Edward Ellerker Williams, (pdf file format), 1820-1822

Subseries: 1.3 Images (chronological)

Box 1, Folder 57

CD containing sketches from journal of Edward Ellerker Williams, (tif and psd file formats), 1819

Box 1, Folder 58

Copies of portrait of Trelawny by Joseph Severn; includes written information from an unknown source, 1822-1823

Box 1, Folder 59

Copy of self portrait of Edward Ellerker Williams, undated

Series: 2 Secondary Sources 1810-2008

Subseries: 2.1 Authored by Donald B. Prell (chronological)

Box 1, Folder 60

History of the Trelawny Collection and Where to Start"; comprised of notes, chronology, and letter of introduction 2007

Box 1, Folder 61

"Table of Contents" for items originally located in binders labeled "Miscellaneous Documents and Photographs" 3 Vols., Undated

Box 1, Folder 62

Copies of notes on letters to, from, and about Trelawny, Undated

Box 1, Folder 63

Copies of typed notes concerning the relationship between Trelawny and Walter Savage Landor; includes information on original letter from Landor contained in the collection, 2007

Box 1, Folder 64

Copy of article "Taking Fifty-Five Years to Correct the Record," regarding Shelley's boat, "Don Juan", and Byron's boat, "Bolivar", 2007

Box 1, Folder 65

Copy of article "Byron Lifting His Veil"; includes supporting materials, 2007

Box 1, Folder 66

Copy of critical review of Anne Barton's "Introduction" to Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author; includes correspondence and supporting materials, 2008

Box 1, Folder 67

Copies of Prell's correspondence with John Crichton of The Brick Row Book Shop regarding the authenticity of a Trelawny signature in a copy of The Letters of a Conservative by Walter Savage Landor, 2008

Box 1, Folder 68

Copy of article "Edward John Trelawny: A Diagnosis of Spelling Dyslexia," [2008]

Box 1, Folder 69

Copy of article "Possible Motives of Edward Trelawny in Creatively Editing Letters Written to Him"; includes copies of original letter and the published version, Undated

Subseries: 2.2 Authored by Others (chronological)

Box 1, Folder 70

Copy of painting depicting the HMS Piedmontaise with which Trelawny was associated, 1810

Box 1, Folder 71

Copy of "Letter from Smyrna" in Natchez Gazette which mentions Trelawny and Byron, 1825

Box 1, Folder 72

Article from Natchez Gazette regarding Trelawny and Byron in Greece, 1825

Box 1, Folder 73

Copy of The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year 1825; contains obituary for Lord Byron, 1825

Box 1, Folder 74

Copy of review of Adventures of a Younger Son printed in Quarterly Review, 1832

Box 1, Folder 75

Copy of review of Adventures of a Younger Son printed in Westminster Review, 1832

Box 1, Folder 76

CD containing review of Adventures of a Younger Son printed in Westminster Review, (pdf file format), 1832

Box 1, Folder 77

Copies of images including Trelawny portraits and one photograph, 1838-1874

Box 1, Folder 78

Copy of article from The New York Times, "Byron's Maid of Athens"; includes a copy of Byron's poem, "Maid of Athens, ere we part," 1810-1875

Box 1, Folder 79

Copy of article "Mr. Trelawny on 'Byron and Shelley'" by Mathilde Blind, 1880

Box 1, Folder 80

Copy of Trelawny obituary from The New York Times, 1881

Box 1, Folder 81

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Henry E. Ward, 1881

Box 1, Folder 82

Copies of three articles from The Athenaeum by William Michael Rossetti regarding Trelawny, 1882

Box 1, Folder 83

Copies of painting Cremation of Shelley by Louis Edward Fournier, 1889

Box 1, Folder 84

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Edward Garnett, 1890

Box 1, Folder 85

Copies of pages of online version of Life and Letters of Robert Browning by Mrs. Sutherland Orr on which Trelawny is referenced, 1891

Box 1, Folder 86

Copy of portrait of Walter Savage Landor, 1897

Box 1, Folder 87

Copy of article "Trelawny at Usk" in The Athenaeum by M. B. Byrde, 1897

Box 1, Folder 88

Copy of article "Pirate Trelawny" by T.C. Down in Nineteenth Century, 1907

Box 1, Folder 89

CD containing article "Pirate Trelawny" by T.C. Down in Nineteenth Century, pdf file format), 1907

Box 1, Folder 90

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by unknown author, 1911

Box 1, Folder 91

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by unknown author, 1911

Box 1, Folder 92

Copy of Trelawny with Shelley and Byron by Joaquin Miller, 1922

Box 1, Folder 93

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Christopher Morley, 1923

Box 1, Folder 94

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by H.J. Massingham, 1930

Box 1, Folder 95

Copy of Master's thesis by Maud Bolton, "Edward John Trelawny, Adventurer and Biographer," 1931

Box 2

Microfilm containing Master's thesis by Maud Bolton, "Edward John Trelawny, Adventurer and Biographer," 1931

Box 1, Folder 96

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Edmund Blunden, 1932

Box 1, Folder 97

Copy of "Shelley and Claire Clairmont" by John Harrington Smith, 1939

Box 1, Folder 98

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Edward Sackville-West, 1950

Box 1, Folder 99

"The Poet and the Pirate: A Strange Affinity between Two Rebels" in Courier, page 41, 1963

Box 1, Folder 100

Copy of "Letter to the Editor" of New York Review of Books by James Rieger, 1967

Box 1, Folder 101

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Cecil Roberts, 1973

Box 1, Folder 102

Copy of "Edward John Trelawny: Critical Essay" by Mary Jacobus, 1974

Box 1, Folder 103

Copy of article "Captain Roberts and the Sinking of the Don Juan" by Diana Pugh from Keats-Shelley Memorial Bulletin, 1975

Box 1, Folder 104

Copy of article, "Another Source for Poe: Trelawny's The Adventures of a Younger Son," by George H. Soule, Jr. from Poe Studies, 1975

Box 1, Folder 105

Copy of "Trelawny's World" by Noel B. Gerson from Arizona Quarterly, 1978

Box 1, Folder 106

Copy of Master's thesis by Tara Walker, "'Each half a nothing, so disjoined': Mary Shelley's Vindication of Relational Identity," 1998

Box 1, Folder 107

Copy of internet article from The Guardian, "Death and Destiny" by Richard Holmes, 2004

Box 1, Folder 108

Copy of blog post, "Divine Origins?" regarding Sibyll Trelawny in Harry Potter series and the possible connection of her name to Edward Trelawny, 2004

Box 1, Folder 109

Copy of a brief biography of Augusta Goring (wife of Trelawny) by unknown author, 2005

Box 1, Folder 110

Copy of Edward John Trelawny biography from Dictionary of Literary Biography by William D. Brewer, 2005-2006

Box 1, Folder 111

Copy of Edward John Trelawny biography from Dictionary of Literary Biography by Paula R. Feldman, 2005-2006

Box 1, Folder 112

Copy of Edward John Trelawny biography from Dictionary of Literary Biography by Fiona Stafford, 2005-2006

Box 1, Folder 113

Copies of pages from English Autographs, Manuscripts, Inscribed and Annotated Books with listing of Shelley letter referencing Trelawny, 2007

Box 1, Folder 114

Copy of Wikipedia article "Walter Savage Landor," 2007

Box 1, Folder 115

Letter to Prell and information regarding the Howard Gotlieb Collection at Boston University, 2007

Box 1, Folder 116

Copy of "Shelley's Atheism" by unknown author, 2007

Box 1, Folder 117

Copy of article, "Charles Armitage Brown," from Wikipedia, 2008

Box 1, Folder 118

Copies of images and information about the Protestant Cemetery in Rome and the graves of Shelley, Trelawny, Keats, and others, Undated

Box 1, Folder 119

Copy of "Charles Armitage Brown (1787-1842) friend of Keats" by unknown author, Undated