Charles Rudolph Trefusis, 19th Baron Clinton (9 November 1791 – 10 April 1866), styled The Honourable Charles Trefusis between 1794 and 1832, was a British peer and

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

politician. He succeeded to the barony following the death of his elder brother.

Background and education

Clinton was the second son of

Robert Trefusis, 17th Baron Clinton Robert George William Trefusis, 17th Baron Clinton (1764 – 1797) of Trefusis in Cornwall and Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe in Devon, was an English peer. He was the son of Robert Cotton Trefusis and his wife, Hon. Anne St John, and great-gr ...

, and his wife Albertina Marianna Gaulis. She was the daughter of Jean Abraham Rodolph Gaulis (died 1788) of

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

, Switzerland, an important magistrate of that city. Her mother was Jeanne-Louise-Dorothée Porta, from another prominent Lausanne family. Her eldest brother, Clinton's uncle, was Abram Frederic Louis Juste Gaulis, a member of the

Grand Council of Vaud The Grand Council of Vaud (french: Grand Conseil de Vaud) is the legislature of the canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. Vaud has a unicameral legislature. The Great Council has 150 seats, with members elected every five years. The last electi ...

and the heir and custodian of the Château de Colombier-sur-Morges, near Lausanne. Another of his Swiss uncles was Charles Gaulis (died in Germany 23 August 1796), who fathered a child by Mary Jane de Vial (later Clairmont). Clinton's cousin, Charles Gaulis Clairmont, who grew up as stepbrother to

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...

, ended up as Chair of English literature at

Vienna University The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public university, public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the Geogra ...

Clinton was early orphaned: his father died in 1797 and his mother in 1798. Clinton was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

.thepeerage.com
/ref>

Political career

Clinton was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Callington Callington ( kw, Kelliwik) is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston. Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had inc ...

in 1813, a seat he held until 1818. Between 1819 and 1833 he was a Commissioner of Excise. In 1832 he succeeded his elder brother, Robert Cotton St John Trefusis, 18th Baron Clinton (1787–1832) as baron. This meant that he left the Commons and entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

Marriage and children

Lord Clinton married in 1831 Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Kerr daughter of

William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian, (4 October 1763 – 27 April 1824), was a British soldier, landowner and politician. He was the son of William Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian. He served as a representative peer from 1817 to 1824. Life Ker ...

. They had four sons and seven daughters, including: * Hon Emily born 6 September 1832 * Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton, his eldest son and heir. * Mark George Kerr Trefusis (1836–1907), his second son, who in 1852 adopted by royal licence the surname and arms of Rolle following his inheritance of a life-interest in the estate of his maternal uncle

John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750 – 3 April 1842) was a British peer who served as a Member of Parliament in general support of William Pitt the Younger and was later an active member of the House of Lords. His violent attacks on Edmu ...

(1756–1842), which made him the largest land-owner in Devon. The Rolle estate descended from him to his nephew

Charles John Robert Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton Charles John Robert Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton (18 January 1863 – 5 July 1957) was a British peer. Trefusis was the eldest son of the 20th Baron Clinton and his wife, Harriet. Educated at Oxford he played polo with ...

(1863–1957). *Colonel Hon. Walter Rodolph Trefusis (1838-1885), Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards and Companion, Order of the Bath (C.B.); one of his five daughters (no sons), Marion, married

Thomas Coke, 4th Earl of Leicester Thomas William Coke, 4th Earl of Leicester, (9 July 1880 – 21 August 1949) was a British peer and Army officer, styled Viscount Coke from 1909 to 1941. Early life Coke was the son of Thomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester, and Hon. Alice ...

. *Colonel Hon. John Schomberg Trefusis (1852-1932), commanding officer of the

4th Battalion (1st Devon Militia), Devonshire Regiment The 1st or East Devon Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was a part-time military unit in the maritime county of Devonshire in the West of England. The Militia had always been important in the county, which was vulnerable to in ...

,''Army List''. his last son and child; his son Denys married

Violet Keppel Violet Trefusis (''née'' Keppel; 6 June 1894 – 29 February 1972) was an English socialite and author. She is chiefly remembered for her lengthy affair with the writer Vita Sackville-West that both women continued after their respective marria ...

Death

He died in April 1866, aged 74, and was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton. His widow died in March 1871, aged 63.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Charles Trefusis, 19th Baron 1791 births 1866 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Callington UK MPs 1812–1818 Clinton, B19 Barons Clinton