Martin Edward Trench (November 30, 1869 – January 6, 1927) was a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and

Governor of the United States Virgin Islands The governor of the United States Virgin Islands is the head of government of the United States Virgin Islands whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Territory addresses to the Virgin Islands Legislature, submitting ...

from 1925 until his death in 1927. He is the first Governor of the territory to have died while in office. Born the son of an immigrant farmer from Ireland in

Dennison, Minnesota Dennison is a city in Goodhue and Rice counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 212 at the 2010 census. Most of Dennison is in Goodhue County, with only a small part that extends into Rice County. History A post office calle ...

, he graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1893. He first served in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he commanded . On September 12, 1925, he was sworn in as the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. He died in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...

while spending the holidays with a friend away from the Islands. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, DC.

References

* "New Virgin Islands Governor Sworn In." Associated Press. ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Sep 13, 1925. pg. 18, 1 pgs * "VIRGIN ISLES' GOVERNOR, CAPT. TRENCH, IS DEAD." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Jan 7, 1927. pg. 10, 1 pgs

External links

1869 births 1927 deaths People from Dennison, Minnesota United States Naval Academy alumni Military personnel from Minnesota Governors of the United States Virgin Islands United States Navy officers Burials at Arlington National Cemetery {{USVirginIslands-politician-stub