Edward John Trelawny - Switzerland

Switzerland

Even though they often quarrelled, Charles Brereton continued to provide Trelawny with an allowance. He received an allowance of £300 pounds a month, which was roughly the same amount as retired captains received as a pension at that time. He began to present himself as Captain Edward Trelawny, Royal Navy, Retired. He decided to leave England to find a cheaper place to live. After initially considering a move to Buenos Aires, he decided to move to Switzerland. In Switzerland he was not directly affected by the inflation that was occurring in England. After moving to Geneva he soon became bored by the city and spent much of his time hunting and fishing expeditions. In the summer of 1820, while staying in Lausanne, Trelawny befriended a local bookseller. The bookseller soon recommended to him that he read Queen Mab by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This was the first time that he had heard of Percy Shelley. He read Queen Mab and he greatly enjoyed the work.

He soon met Edward Ellerker Williams and Thomas Medwin at the home of a friend in Geneva. He had served on the same ship as Williams in the navy, although not at the same time. They also introduced him to the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley.

In the fall of 1820 Trelawny learned that his father had died and returned to England from Switzerland. After arriving in England he learned that he only had received a much smaller inheritance than he had expected. He was sorely disappointed and soon returned to Switzerland.