Edward John Trelawny

Edward John Trelawny 1792-1881, English adventurer. A friend of Byron and Shelley , he was at Livorno when Shelley was drowned, and later served with Byron in the Greek War of Independence. He wrote Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron (1858), and a partly autobiographical novel, The Adventures of a Younger Son (1831).

Bibliography: See biography by D. Crane (1999).

Trelawny, Edward John (1792–1881), of Cornish descent, born in London. He is remembered principally for his connection with and records of Shelley and Byron. Formerly a midshipman in the navy, he met Shelley in Pisa in 1822 and was present at Leghorn when Shelley was drowned. In 1823 he accompanied Byron to Greece. He was the author of Adventures of a Younger Son (1831), an autobiographical novel which tells the story of a handsome, romantic, buccaneering youth, a lawless daredevil, who deserts from the navy and takes to a life of wandering, wild escapades, and desperate ventures. His other publication was Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron (1858), expanded to Records of Shelley, Byron, and the Author (1878).