Retirement Edward John Trelawny

the north-west passage, john everett millais, 1874. trelawny sat figure of old sailor.

trelawny adopted more ascetic life , moved sompting, sussex. there lived near william rossetti. grew old remained active , did not hire house keeper until old. regularly swam, chopped wood , dug in gardens. remained active eighties. made garden bird sanctuary , did not allow hunters onto property. friendly neighbourhood children , gave them candy. corresponded claire regularly 1859 until 1876. unsuccessfully tried persuade claire write biography of him.

he presented items friends , visitors claimed have found on world travels or days shelley , byron. old man lived younger woman, emma taylor. told people niece.

he closely oversaw sons education , taught them foreign languages. sent military academy in germany. frank died young man while serving soldier in prussian army. son edward converted catholicism , told people son of sir john trelawny. later became estranged. zella became housewife in london. trelawny outlived 4 of 7 children. child enjoyed relations laetitia, lived him in sompting. had chosen name laetitia several women on sir johnathan’s side of family named laetitia. late in life became teetotal vegetarian.

in 1874 sat model john everett millais painted picture north west passage. picture depicted old sailor declaring england find way through northwest passage. millais had seen trelawny @ funeral of john leech years before , decided make perfect figure drawing. trelawny liked picture, angered when saw millais had included glass of grog in picture. received critics.

trelawny able visit augusta draper in 1874. visited jane williams in 1872. williams close friend of percy shelley outlive trelawny. in august 1881 suffered fall while out on walk. bedridden , died 2 weeks later. ashes buried in rome in plot of ground adjacent percy bysshe shelley s grave. had purchased plot in 1822, @ time had arranged shelley s ashes reburied in more suitable site within protestant cemetery. @ request grave marker bears quote shelley s poem epitaph .

trelawny s grave in protestant cemetery in rome. inscription quotes shelley s poem epitaph ,

the cane in photograph belonged trelawny biographer donald prell