Edward John Trelawny - Recollections of The Last Days of Shelley and Byron

Recollections of The Last Days of Shelley and Byron

Trelawny became friends with several artists and writers, including Algernon Charles Swinburne, Joseph Boehm, Edward Lear, and Richard Edgcumb. He became a friend of Rossetti as he was working on a new edition of Shelley's poems. In 1844 Robert Browning met with Trelawny in Italy.

In 1858 Trelawny published Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron. This book was better received than previous biographies of Shelley, such as The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Although he had only known Shelley for six months, Trelawny was thereafter recognised as the preeminent Shelley expert. His first memoir were republished then, as well. He often edited his letters before they were published. The edits attempted to cover up some of his insecurities and defend his reputation. He frequently characterised himself as a survivor in his writings.

Trelawny was then widely received in society and met Benjamin Disraeli at a meeting that was held about possibly building a statue for Lord Byron. Though he had never met her, Trelawny was often a defender of Percy Shelley's first wife Harriet. He often shocked people by applauding Shelley's atheism and disparaging Browning and Tennyson. At the age of eighty he read On the Origin of Species and welcomed its conclusions. He greatly admired Garibaldi and John Brown, as well.

Trelawny spoke with the painter Gerome after he began work on a portrait of Shelley. In 1878 Trelawny's memoir was reissued and edited by Rossetti under the title Records of Shelley Byron and the Author. This book contained somewhat harsher treatments of poets than the previous edition had been, some have speculated this may have been Rossetti's influence. He was particularly critical of Mary Shelley, the Godwin family and Leigh Hunt. Lady Shelley was furious, and had Trelawny's relics removed from the Shelley shrine.

As he grew older, Trelawny's guests noted that he told them amazing stories about himself that he purported to be true, such as meeting with Captain Morgan and circumnavigating the Globe.