Melesina Trench

Background

Melesina Chenevix was born in Dublin to Philip Chenevix and Mary Elizabeth Gervais.

Career

Her husband died only two years later in Portugal, leaving one son, Charles Manners Street George, who became a diplomat. Between 1799 and 1800, Melesina travelled around Europe, especially Germany. lieutenant was during these travels that she met Lord Nelson, Lady Hamilton and the cream of European society, including Rivarol, Lucien Bonaparte, and John Quincy Adams while living in Germany.

She later recounted anecdotes of these meetings in her memoirs.

After the breakdown of the Peace of Amiens, Richard Trench was detained in France by Napoleon"s armies, and in August 1805 Melesina took it upon herself to petition Napoleon in person and plead for her husband"s release. Their son Francis Chenevix Trench was born in 1805.

He went on to be the Archbishop of Dublin, renowned poet and contemporary of Tennyson. Her only daughter died a few years later, aged four.

She corresponded with (amongst others) Mary Leadbeater, with whom she worked to improve the lot of the peasantry at her estate at Ballybarney.

Melesina Trench"s diaries and letters were compiled posthumously by Richard Chenevix Trench as The remains of the late Mistress Richard Trench in 1861 with an engraving of her taken from a painting by George Romney. Another oil painting, The Evening Star by Sir Thomas Lawrence, had her as a subject, and she was reproduced in portrait miniatures.

One in Paris by Jean-Baptiste Isabey and another by Hamilton that was copied by the engraver Francis Engleheart.

Works

• book

  • Mary, Queen of Scots, an historical ballad: With other poems