Chronology
Age—Year
Born - 1792 (13 November) Born in London or Cornwall, younger son of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Trelawny.
12 --- 1804 To Portsmouth where he joins the Royal Navy
13 --- 1805 (15 October) His name is entered on the books of H.M.S. Superb as ‘volunteer first class’. In November transferred to the HMS Temeraire and a few days later to the Colossus, then to a naval school near Plymouth.
14 --- 1806 Aboard H.M.S. Woolwich. (Serves under Capt. Francis Beaufort, who devised the well-known wind force scale.) Returns to England via the Cape and St. Helena.
16 --- 1808 Brief stop in Plymouth, then aboard the frigate Resistance.
17 --- 1809 Returns to England, transfers to the frigate Cornelia, bound for Bombay.
18 --- 1810 (29 November) Aboard the Cornelia (with the British invasion force off Mauritius). Returns to India, and after refitting, the ship is renamed H.M.S. Akabar.
19 --- 1811(August 22 or 23) Java, where he was wounded; transfers to H.M.S. Piedmontaise.
19 --- 1812 (12 August) Arrives back in England. Leaves the navy; his family takes him down to Cornwall to recuperate.
21 --- 1813 Married to Caroline Julia Addison. Takes up lodging in London, soon moves to Bristol.
22 --- 1814 A daughter is born.
23 --- 1815 Receives final pay settlement from the navy. His father gives his an allowance of £300 per annum.
24 --- 1816 Wife Caroline elopes with Captain Coleman. Divorce proceedings start.
25 --- 1817 (9 July) Wins case for damages against Captain Coleman.
26 --- 1818-1819 Final divorcee from Caroline. Period of self-education reading Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, etc. Accompanies mother and sisters to Paris.
28 --- 1820-1821 (July 1820) His mother returns to England. He moves on to Switzerland, meeting up with friend Daniel Roberts. Purchases a copy of Shelley's Queen Mab. Meets Edward E. Williams. Receives news of his father's death and leaves for England. Returns to Geneva after learning inheritance is limited to a life income of £300 per annum.
29 --- 1822 (14 January - July 7) Arrives in Pisa; meets the Shelleys and Byron and Claire Clairmont. (The happiest days of his life.)
29 --- 1822 (8 July) Sees Shelley and Williams sail off in the Don Juan. Later that day they are drowned when their boat is swamped in a freak storm.
29 --- 1822 (17 and 18 July) Bodies of Shelley and Williams are found.
29 --- 1822 (15 August) Orchestrates the cremation of Shelley.
29 --- 1822 Falls in love with Claire.
30 --- 1823 (July) Sails with Byron to join the Revolution in Greece. Becomes an associate of Odysseus.
31 --- 1824 (19 April) Byron dies in Missolonghi.
32 --- 1824 (26 May) Moves into Odysseus's cave on Mount Parnassus.
32 --- 1825 Marries Tersitsa, Odysseus's half sister.
33 --- 1825 In the cave, assassination attempt on his life; he is badly wounded. In Athens, Odysseus is found strangled.
34 --- 1826 Recovers from his wounds. Tersitsa give birth to a girl (Zella).
35 --- 1827 Divorced from Tersitsa.
36 --- 1828 Returns to Cornwall. (November) Visits with Mary Shelley. Brief meeting with Claire in Italy.
37 --- 1829 Moves to Florence. Charles Armitage Brown, Walter Savage Landor and Joseph Severn enter his life. Begins writing autobiography.
38 --- 1831 Adventures of a Younger Son is published; it becomes a "best-seller" providing much needed funds.
39 --- 1832 (5 January) Departs London for Liverpool and then ships off to the United States.
40 --- 1833 Swims the Rapids below Niagara Falls, almost drowns.
41 --- 1834 Travels throughout the United States.
42 --- 1834 Spending time with Fanny Kemble. In December decides to return to England.
43 --- 1835 Into politics (The Philosophical Radicals) and the social scene.
44 --- 1836 Regular correspondence with Claire. Severs relationship with Mary Shelley.
47 --- 1839 Contributes short story, Sahib Tulwar to a publication of Lady Blessington. Leaves London for Putney with Augusta Goring, his new found love.
48 --- 1839-1858 Retirement in Monmouthshire. After eighteen years of marriage, including the birth of three children, the marriage ends. Moves back to London, Augusta moves to Italy. Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron is published.
67 --- 1859-1869 Living in London. Resumes correspondence with Claire. After being the center of attention, retires to the south coast of England.
78 --- 1870 Enjoying retirement in the village of Sompting. Daughter by Augusta is living with him. Many letters to and from Claire.
82 --- 1874 Sits as a model for the old man in Millais' painting, ‘’The North West Passage’’.
83 --- 1875 Correspondence with Claire continues.
84 --- 1876 Correspondence to and from Claire appears to come to an end.
85 --- 1878 Rewrite of ‘’Recollections’’ is published as Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author.
86 --- 1879 (19 March) Death of Claire.
88 --- 1881 After suffering a fall while out walking, takes to his bed and a few days later (13 August) quietly passes away. His ashes are buried in a plot next to Shelley's grave in Rome.
(This chronology was constructed by Trelawny biographer Donald Prell)
Read more about this topic: Edward John Trelawny