John Trenchard
Sir John Trenchard (
30 March 1640 -
27 April 1695), English politician, belonged to an old
Dorset family, his father being Thomas Trenchard (1615-1671), of Wolverton, and his grandfather Sir Thomas Trenchard (1582-1657), also of Wolverton, who was knighted by
James I in
1613. Born at Lytchett Matravers, near Poole, and educated at
New College, Oxford, John Trenchard entered parliament as member for
Taunton in
1679, and associated himself with those who proposed to exclude the
Duke of York from the throne. He attended some of the meetings held by these malcontents and was possibly concerned in the
Rye House Plot; at all events he was arrested in July
1683, but no definite evidence was brought against him and he was released. When
Monmouth landed in the west of England in June
1685 Trenchard fled from England, but was pardoned through the good offices of
William Penn and returned home two years later. Again he entered parliament, but he took no active part in the
Revolution of
1688, although he managed to secure the good will of
William III. He was knighted by the king and made chief justice of
Chester, and in
1692 he was appointed
Secretary of State. He and the government incurred much ridicule through their failure to prove the existence of a great
Jacobite plot in Lancashire and Cheshire in which they had been led to believe. Sir John died on
27 April 1695. His wife was Philippa (d. 1743), daughter of George Speke (d. 1690) of White Lackington, Somerset.