Sir Jonathan Trelawny
(1650-1721)
Jonathan Trelawny was born at Trelawne in the parish of Pelynt on 24th March 1650. He was educated at Westminster School and then went to Christ Church, Oxford at the start of the Michaelmas term of 1668 where he distinguished himself as a scholar.
A staunch royalist, he was ordained in 1673 and became a beneficed clergyman. He was appointed Rector of Southill on 4th October and of St. Ives on 12th December 1677.
In 1685, he and his brother (Major General Charles Trelawny) were active in putting down the western rebellion led by the Duke of Monmouth. This led to the brothers being known as Spiritual Dragon and Christian Turk.Shortly after this his elder brother Charles died, closely followed by his father and so Sir Jonathan inheritied the title and estates as the 3rd. Baronet.
A grateful sovereign, King James II appointed, against the advice ofArchbishop Sancroft, Sir Jonathan Bishop of Bristol (he had hoped for Exeter) for his services during the uprising. The appointment was consecrated at Lambeth on 8th November 1685.
1687 saw him acting for the crown again as the King's watchdog at that years Stannary Parliament. This was a semi-offical role where he took the 'pulse' of the Parliment and promoted the Kings views to the Senators taking part
Trelawny was one of the seven Bishops who petitioned against James II's Declaration of Indulgence, 1687 and 1688 (granting religious tolerance to the Catholics) and as a result of this he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower on charges of 'seditious libel'.
King James's commented that 'my lord Bristol was the most saucy of the Seven'. Trelawnys reply to James accusation of rebellion was one of outrage
'Rebellion, Sir! I beseech your Majesty do not say so hard a thing of us; for God's sake! Do not believe we are or can be guilty of rebellion! Your Majesty cannot but remember that you sent me to quell Monmouth's rebellion and I am as ready to do what I can to quell another. We will do our duty to your Majesty to our utmost in everything that does not interfere with our duty towards god'.
The Bishop was held for three weeks before the trial, then tried and acquitted, leading to celebrations through out the country with bells being rung in his home parish of Pelynt.
When William of Orange landed in England shortly after, James offered Sir Jonathan the bishopric of Exeter however he refused and supported William.
In gratitude William made him Bishop of Exeter in 1688 and Queen Anne elevated him to Bishop of Winchester in 1707.
Bishop Trelawny was immortalize in Hawker's ballad
'The Song of the Western Men'.
A good sword and a trust hand!
A merry heart and true
King James's men shall understand
What Cornish lads can do!
And have they fixed the where and when?
And shall Trelawny die ?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!
Out spake our Captain brave and bold
A merry wight was he;
'If London Tower were Michael's hold'
We'd set Trelawny free
'We'll cross the Tamar, land to land:
The Seven is no stay:
With 'one and all', and hand in hand;
And who shall bid us nay?.
'And when we come to London Wall,
A pleasant sight to view,
Come forth! Come forth!
Ye cowards all;Here's men as good as you
'Trelawny he's in the keep and hold:
Trelawny he may die
But here's twenty thousand Cornish bold
Will know the reason why!
by Robert Stephen Hawker composed 1825
