Archbishop Trench of Dublin - Richard Chenevix Trench
Richard Trench married Melesina Chenevix
born circa 1774 3 Mar 1803 born circa 1768
died 1860 Paris died 27 May 1827
Richard Trench born circa 1774 sixth son of Frederick Trench was a barrister at law and married
Melesina Chenevix Melesina the widow of Col Richard St George in Paris on 3 Mar 1803.
Melesina was born in Dublin circa 1768, the daughter of Philip Chenevix and Mary Elizabeth
Gervais but was orphaned as a young child and was brought up by her Grandfather Archbishop
of Waterford, Richard Chenevix. Charles Manners St George was her son from her first marriage.
She was a writer, poet and diarist and a friend of the author Mary Leadbeather of Ballitore. They
lived at Botley Hill. Her son Richard published her diaries in 1861 ‘The remains of the late Mrs
Richard Trench’. Melesina died at Malvern, Worchester on 27 May 1827 aged 59. Richard died
in 1860.
1 Frances Chenevix Trench, only daughter died circa 1808 aged 4.
2 Francis Chenevix Trench, eldest son born circa 1805 attended Harrow and Oriel College,
Oxford. He took Holy orders and married Mary Caroline Marsh daughter of Dr William
Marsh, honorary Canon of Worcester. He was instituted to the rectory of Islip, Oxfordshire,
a post which he held till 1875. Mary died in 1886 and Francis died 3 Apr 1886 in London.
1 Richard William Francis Trench.
2 Mary Melesina Trench born 9 Feb 1848 at Reading.
3 Maria Marcia Fanny Trench.
3 Richard Chenevix Trench, second son of Richard Trench and Melesina Chenevix born
9 Sep 1807 at Dublin while his parents were on a trip to Ireland. He graduated from
Trinity College, Cambridge in 1829. He took Holy orders and and was living at Bursledon
Lodge, Hants when he married his cousin Francis Mary Trench, daughter of the late Francis
Trench of Sopwell Hall in Tipperary and Mary Mason on 31 May 1832 at the Parish Church
of Walcot near Bath in Somerset. Frances was the niece of Baron Ashtown. Richard was a
poet and produced two volumes in 1837 which brought him fame. He was first cousin
to Thomas Trench of Millicent and visited him in 1847 at the height of the famine in
Ireland. He caught ‘famine fever’ and was sick for some months. He was appointed to the
Deanery of Westminster in 1856. He was the author of ‘on the study of Words’ and as
one of the three founders of the dictionary, he expressed his vision thus: it would be 'an
entirely new Dictionary; no patch upon old garments, but a new garment throughout' . He was
appointed Archbishop of Dublin in November 1863 on the death of Archbishop Whately.
He co-founded Alexandra college in Milltown. During his term he consecrated a number of
Churches in Ireland, including St Bartholomew’s on Clyde Road. They lived at the Bishops
Palace at St Stephen’s Green. He retired in 1884 and died late of Broomfield, County
Wicklow at 33 Eaton Square in London on 28 Mar 1886 and was buried at Westminster
Abbey. He left 80K in personal estate. His executers were the son of his first cousin -
Thomas Cooke Trench of Millicent, his son Freddie and his son in law Cholmley. His left
2K to his unmarried daughter Harriet with a further 8K to be invested for her. His wife was
left the Bloomfield property at Inchappa in Ashford for her lifetime. Monteagle went to his
son Alfred, properties in Waterford were left to Alfred and Freddie and the lands at New
Affan to Charlie. His library to Freddy and manuscripts were left to Frank.
1 Francis William Trench eldest son born 1833, died 12 Jan 1841 at Botley Hill near
Southampton aged 8.
2 Melesina Mary Chenevix (Maria) Trench eldest daughter born circa 1834 married
Cholmeley Austen Leigh in 1864. She died late of the Connaught Hotel and formerly
of Boyne Tower, Tunbridge Wells in 1918. She left personal estate of 21K.
3 Richard Trench born 1836 was appointed to the Geological Survey of Ireland in 1858
and then to the Geological Survey of India. He died at Calcutta on 27 May 1861 age
25.
4 Frederic Chenevix (Freddy) Trench born 1837 joined the army and attained the rank of
Major General. He married Mary Mulville, only daughter of Captain Charles B Mulville,
2nd dragoon guards in 1873. He served in the Indian Mutiny at the siege and capture
of Delhi with Hobsons Horse, in the engagements of Gungeree, Puttialee and
Mynpoorie and at the siege and Capture of Lucknow. He acted as Military attaché in
St Petersburg from 1881 to 1886 and retired in 1887. He died at Braemar on
18 Aug 1894.
5 Charles Chenevix (Charlie) Trench born 26 Jan 1839 at Botley Hill. He was with the
1st Battalion of the 8th Foot, serving as Probationer with the 5th Gurkha Regiment. He
married Emily Mary Le Froy, eldest daughter of Major General J H Le Froy, CB, RA,
Governor and Commander in Chief at Holy Trinity Church, Hamilton, Bermuda on
14 Feb 1874. He was admitted to the Bengal Staff Corps in 1878 and attained the rank
of Major by 1881 and Lieut Col by 1883. He died in 1891.
1 Lawrence Chenevix Trench born at Shoeburyness 14 Apr 1881.
2 Godfrey Chenevix Trench, second son born at Milton, Pembroke on 24 Mar 1883.
6 Arthur Julius Trench born 5 Jul 1840 at Botley Hill joined the Royal Navy and died in the
European Hospital in Calcutta on 23 Oct 1860 after suffering injuries some 11 weeks earlier.
7 Emily Elizabeth Trench born 1842 died on December 1842 aged 11 months.
8 Philip Chenevix Trench born 1843 died 7 Jan 1848 aged 4.
9 Edith Chenevix Trench born circa 1844–1942), married Reginald Stephen Copleston, Bishop
of Colombo and later Bishop of Calcutta in 1882. Edith died in 1942.
10 Helen Emily Chenevix Trench third daughter born circa 1846 married Captain Arthur B G S
Hill of Gwedore in Donegal and son Lord George Augustus Hill and his first wife Cassandra
Jane Knight on 16 Feb 1871. Helen died in 1935.
11 Harriet Francis Chenevix Trench born circa 1847 unmarried and mentioned in her fathers
Will.
12 Rose Julia Chenevix Trench born 1848 married Samuel Henry Butcher of Trinity College
Cambridge on 8 Jun 1875 at St Andrew, Wells Street. Samuel was a staunch Unionist and
Conservative. Rose died in 1902.
13 Alfred Chenevix Trench, born 1849 married Ella Moore, youngest daughter of James Moore of
Dalchoolin, Co Down. He took a job in a linen factory and purchased his own factory two years
later. In 1878 he joined Kegan Paul publishing and took over the business a few years later.
He died at Mentone in March 1938.
14 Herbert Francis Chenevix (Frank) Trench born 1850 attended Trinity College Cambridge,
graduated and received his MA in 1873. He took Holy orders and was ordained in 1884. He
married his cousin Isabella Trench second youngest daughter of Henry Trench (1807-1881)
and Georgiana Mary Amelia Bloomfield of Cangort Park, County Offaly. He was a curate of
Liverpool and became chaplain to his father and to the Lord Lieutenant. In 1884 he was
appointed vicar of St John the Baptist, The Brook near Liverpool in 1884. He accepted the
living of the parish of Monmouth in 1892 and the living at St Peter in Thanet in 1898 where
he died in May 1900. Isabella Chenevix Trench died on 25 January 1927 and was interred with
her husband at St Peter’s Isle of Thanet, Broadstairs, Kent, England.
1 Francesca Georgiana (Cesca) Chenevix Trench born 3 Feb 1891 attended school in
Malvern in Worcestershire. She joined the Cumann na mBan and became active in the
newly formed Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild of the Church). In 1909 Margot
and Cesca attended the Irish Summer School on Achill Island. She attended the Árd Fheis
in Galway in July 1913 where Douglas Hyde won the first challenge for the presidency of
Conradh na Gaeilge. She then went to Scoil Acla with her sister to improve her Irish. She
married Diarmid Coffey on 17 Apr 1918. Diarmid was a member of the Irish Volunteers in
1914 and was secretary to Colonel Maurice Moore and assistant to the Chief of Staff,
Colonel Edmond Cotter. He participated in drills and was onboard the boat which landed
guns at Kilcoole in August 1914. In October 1918 Cesca caught what became known as
the 'Spanish flu'. She became very ill and her mother and brother Herbert were sent for
from London. The arrived at Temple Hill on 31 October to find that Cezca had died the day
before on 30 Oct 1918. She was mourned as Sadhbh Trínseach by The Fáinne an Lae and
by Sinn Féin.
Dermuid published Douglas Hyde: An Craoibhín Aoibhinn in 1917. He secondly married a
cousin of Cesca, Sheela Wilbraham Fitzjohn Trench, in 1929. The couple had two
daughters, Saive and Helen and a son, Donal. Diarmid worked in the Public Records Office
(now the National Archives of Ireland) from 1935 to 1956 and died on 7 July 1964.
2 Colonel Arthur Chenevix Trench attended Charterhouse, married Dorothy Steel in 1913.
3 Charles Reginald (Reggie) Chenevix Trench attended Charterhouse, married Clare Cecily
Howard. Reggie was killed on the Western Front on 21 Mar 1918.
4 Herbert Chenevix Trench attended Dover College.
5 Monica May Chenevix Trench died an infant.
6 Margaret Isabel (Margot) Chenevix Trench born 29 July 1889. She school at Manor
House, Brondesbury, London, Margot joined the Cumann na mBan with her sister
Cesca and became active in the newly formed Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild
of the Church). In 1909 Margot and Cesca attended the Irish Summer School Achill Island.
She attended the Árd Fheis in Galway in July where Douglas Hyde won the first challenge
to the presidency of Conradh na Gaeilge. Margot worked in Belfast with Rosamond
Stephen, an English lay missionary, who had established the Guild of Witness in 1901 as
part of the Church of Ireland Union of Prayer, and had opened Sunday Schools for the
poor of the city. Margot attended the Aonach (annual Christmas fair held in Dublin by
Sinn Féin) in December 1912 along with their new Gaelic League friends, Claud Chavasse,
Diarmid Coffey, Ella Young, Lily Williams and Agnes O’Farrelly. She then went to Scoil
Acla with her sister to improve her Irish in 1913. She died a spinster on 8 May 1936.
4 Philip Charles Chenevix Trench born circa 1810 of Botley Hill. He was with the Bengal
Civil Service and JP for the count of Hants. He died 9 Feb 1888 aged 78.
1 Philip Francis Chenevix eldest son married Frances Angel Reeves, only daughter of
Robert Reeves of 5 Fitzwilliam Place on 13 Apr 1882 at St Stephens Church.
2 R Chenevix Trench was the estate agent to Lord Penrhyn. He married Miss Maxwell
daughter of Sir John R Heron Maxwell.
3 Ellen Melesina (Ella), second daughter and of Botley Hill, Hants, married Algernon
Charles Plumptre Coote on 21 Apr 1882, at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Reading.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – September 2020
Richard Trench married Melesina Chenevix
born circa 1774 3 Mar 1803 born circa 1768
died 1860 Paris died 27 May 1827
Richard Trench born circa 1774 sixth son of Frederick Trench was a barrister at law and married
Melesina Chenevix Melesina the widow of Col Richard St George in Paris on 3 Mar 1803.
Melesina was born in Dublin circa 1768, the daughter of Philip Chenevix and Mary Elizabeth
Gervais but was orphaned as a young child and was brought up by her Grandfather Archbishop
of Waterford, Richard Chenevix. Charles Manners St George was her son from her first marriage.
She was a writer, poet and diarist and a friend of the author Mary Leadbeather of Ballitore. They
lived at Botley Hill. Her son Richard published her diaries in 1861 ‘The remains of the late Mrs
Richard Trench’. Melesina died at Malvern, Worchester on 27 May 1827 aged 59. Richard died
in 1860.
1 Frances Chenevix Trench, only daughter died circa 1808 aged 4.
2 Francis Chenevix Trench, eldest son born circa 1805 attended Harrow and Oriel College,
Oxford. He took Holy orders and married Mary Caroline Marsh daughter of Dr William
Marsh, honorary Canon of Worcester. He was instituted to the rectory of Islip, Oxfordshire,
a post which he held till 1875. Mary died in 1886 and Francis died 3 Apr 1886 in London.
1 Richard William Francis Trench.
2 Mary Melesina Trench born 9 Feb 1848 at Reading.
3 Maria Marcia Fanny Trench.
3 Richard Chenevix Trench, second son of Richard Trench and Melesina Chenevix born
9 Sep 1807 at Dublin while his parents were on a trip to Ireland. He graduated from
Trinity College, Cambridge in 1829. He took Holy orders and and was living at Bursledon
Lodge, Hants when he married his cousin Francis Mary Trench, daughter of the late Francis
Trench of Sopwell Hall in Tipperary and Mary Mason on 31 May 1832 at the Parish Church
of Walcot near Bath in Somerset. Frances was the niece of Baron Ashtown. Richard was a
poet and produced two volumes in 1837 which brought him fame. He was first cousin
to Thomas Trench of Millicent and visited him in 1847 at the height of the famine in
Ireland. He caught ‘famine fever’ and was sick for some months. He was appointed to the
Deanery of Westminster in 1856. He was the author of ‘on the study of Words’ and as
one of the three founders of the dictionary, he expressed his vision thus: it would be 'an
entirely new Dictionary; no patch upon old garments, but a new garment throughout' . He was
appointed Archbishop of Dublin in November 1863 on the death of Archbishop Whately.
He co-founded Alexandra college in Milltown. During his term he consecrated a number of
Churches in Ireland, including St Bartholomew’s on Clyde Road. They lived at the Bishops
Palace at St Stephen’s Green. He retired in 1884 and died late of Broomfield, County
Wicklow at 33 Eaton Square in London on 28 Mar 1886 and was buried at Westminster
Abbey. He left 80K in personal estate. His executers were the son of his first cousin -
Thomas Cooke Trench of Millicent, his son Freddie and his son in law Cholmley. His left
2K to his unmarried daughter Harriet with a further 8K to be invested for her. His wife was
left the Bloomfield property at Inchappa in Ashford for her lifetime. Monteagle went to his
son Alfred, properties in Waterford were left to Alfred and Freddie and the lands at New
Affan to Charlie. His library to Freddy and manuscripts were left to Frank.
1 Francis William Trench eldest son born 1833, died 12 Jan 1841 at Botley Hill near
Southampton aged 8.
2 Melesina Mary Chenevix (Maria) Trench eldest daughter born circa 1834 married
Cholmeley Austen Leigh in 1864. She died late of the Connaught Hotel and formerly
of Boyne Tower, Tunbridge Wells in 1918. She left personal estate of 21K.
3 Richard Trench born 1836 was appointed to the Geological Survey of Ireland in 1858
and then to the Geological Survey of India. He died at Calcutta on 27 May 1861 age
25.
4 Frederic Chenevix (Freddy) Trench born 1837 joined the army and attained the rank of
Major General. He married Mary Mulville, only daughter of Captain Charles B Mulville,
2nd dragoon guards in 1873. He served in the Indian Mutiny at the siege and capture
of Delhi with Hobsons Horse, in the engagements of Gungeree, Puttialee and
Mynpoorie and at the siege and Capture of Lucknow. He acted as Military attaché in
St Petersburg from 1881 to 1886 and retired in 1887. He died at Braemar on
18 Aug 1894.
5 Charles Chenevix (Charlie) Trench born 26 Jan 1839 at Botley Hill. He was with the
1st Battalion of the 8th Foot, serving as Probationer with the 5th Gurkha Regiment. He
married Emily Mary Le Froy, eldest daughter of Major General J H Le Froy, CB, RA,
Governor and Commander in Chief at Holy Trinity Church, Hamilton, Bermuda on
14 Feb 1874. He was admitted to the Bengal Staff Corps in 1878 and attained the rank
of Major by 1881 and Lieut Col by 1883. He died in 1891.
1 Lawrence Chenevix Trench born at Shoeburyness 14 Apr 1881.
2 Godfrey Chenevix Trench, second son born at Milton, Pembroke on 24 Mar 1883.
6 Arthur Julius Trench born 5 Jul 1840 at Botley Hill joined the Royal Navy and died in the
European Hospital in Calcutta on 23 Oct 1860 after suffering injuries some 11 weeks earlier.
7 Emily Elizabeth Trench born 1842 died on December 1842 aged 11 months.
8 Philip Chenevix Trench born 1843 died 7 Jan 1848 aged 4.
9 Edith Chenevix Trench born circa 1844–1942), married Reginald Stephen Copleston, Bishop
of Colombo and later Bishop of Calcutta in 1882. Edith died in 1942.
10 Helen Emily Chenevix Trench third daughter born circa 1846 married Captain Arthur B G S
Hill of Gwedore in Donegal and son Lord George Augustus Hill and his first wife Cassandra
Jane Knight on 16 Feb 1871. Helen died in 1935.
11 Harriet Francis Chenevix Trench born circa 1847 unmarried and mentioned in her fathers
Will.
12 Rose Julia Chenevix Trench born 1848 married Samuel Henry Butcher of Trinity College
Cambridge on 8 Jun 1875 at St Andrew, Wells Street. Samuel was a staunch Unionist and
Conservative. Rose died in 1902.
13 Alfred Chenevix Trench, born 1849 married Ella Moore, youngest daughter of James Moore of
Dalchoolin, Co Down. He took a job in a linen factory and purchased his own factory two years
later. In 1878 he joined Kegan Paul publishing and took over the business a few years later.
He died at Mentone in March 1938.
14 Herbert Francis Chenevix (Frank) Trench born 1850 attended Trinity College Cambridge,
graduated and received his MA in 1873. He took Holy orders and was ordained in 1884. He
married his cousin Isabella Trench second youngest daughter of Henry Trench (1807-1881)
and Georgiana Mary Amelia Bloomfield of Cangort Park, County Offaly. He was a curate of
Liverpool and became chaplain to his father and to the Lord Lieutenant. In 1884 he was
appointed vicar of St John the Baptist, The Brook near Liverpool in 1884. He accepted the
living of the parish of Monmouth in 1892 and the living at St Peter in Thanet in 1898 where
he died in May 1900. Isabella Chenevix Trench died on 25 January 1927 and was interred with
her husband at St Peter’s Isle of Thanet, Broadstairs, Kent, England.
1 Francesca Georgiana (Cesca) Chenevix Trench born 3 Feb 1891 attended school in
Malvern in Worcestershire. She joined the Cumann na mBan and became active in the
newly formed Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild of the Church). In 1909 Margot
and Cesca attended the Irish Summer School on Achill Island. She attended the Árd Fheis
in Galway in July 1913 where Douglas Hyde won the first challenge for the presidency of
Conradh na Gaeilge. She then went to Scoil Acla with her sister to improve her Irish. She
married Diarmid Coffey on 17 Apr 1918. Diarmid was a member of the Irish Volunteers in
1914 and was secretary to Colonel Maurice Moore and assistant to the Chief of Staff,
Colonel Edmond Cotter. He participated in drills and was onboard the boat which landed
guns at Kilcoole in August 1914. In October 1918 Cesca caught what became known as
the 'Spanish flu'. She became very ill and her mother and brother Herbert were sent for
from London. The arrived at Temple Hill on 31 October to find that Cezca had died the day
before on 30 Oct 1918. She was mourned as Sadhbh Trínseach by The Fáinne an Lae and
by Sinn Féin.
Dermuid published Douglas Hyde: An Craoibhín Aoibhinn in 1917. He secondly married a
cousin of Cesca, Sheela Wilbraham Fitzjohn Trench, in 1929. The couple had two
daughters, Saive and Helen and a son, Donal. Diarmid worked in the Public Records Office
(now the National Archives of Ireland) from 1935 to 1956 and died on 7 July 1964.
2 Colonel Arthur Chenevix Trench attended Charterhouse, married Dorothy Steel in 1913.
3 Charles Reginald (Reggie) Chenevix Trench attended Charterhouse, married Clare Cecily
Howard. Reggie was killed on the Western Front on 21 Mar 1918.
4 Herbert Chenevix Trench attended Dover College.
5 Monica May Chenevix Trench died an infant.
6 Margaret Isabel (Margot) Chenevix Trench born 29 July 1889. She school at Manor
House, Brondesbury, London, Margot joined the Cumann na mBan with her sister
Cesca and became active in the newly formed Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild
of the Church). In 1909 Margot and Cesca attended the Irish Summer School Achill Island.
She attended the Árd Fheis in Galway in July where Douglas Hyde won the first challenge
to the presidency of Conradh na Gaeilge. Margot worked in Belfast with Rosamond
Stephen, an English lay missionary, who had established the Guild of Witness in 1901 as
part of the Church of Ireland Union of Prayer, and had opened Sunday Schools for the
poor of the city. Margot attended the Aonach (annual Christmas fair held in Dublin by
Sinn Féin) in December 1912 along with their new Gaelic League friends, Claud Chavasse,
Diarmid Coffey, Ella Young, Lily Williams and Agnes O’Farrelly. She then went to Scoil
Acla with her sister to improve her Irish in 1913. She died a spinster on 8 May 1936.
4 Philip Charles Chenevix Trench born circa 1810 of Botley Hill. He was with the Bengal
Civil Service and JP for the count of Hants. He died 9 Feb 1888 aged 78.
1 Philip Francis Chenevix eldest son married Frances Angel Reeves, only daughter of
Robert Reeves of 5 Fitzwilliam Place on 13 Apr 1882 at St Stephens Church.
2 R Chenevix Trench was the estate agent to Lord Penrhyn. He married Miss Maxwell
daughter of Sir John R Heron Maxwell.
3 Ellen Melesina (Ella), second daughter and of Botley Hill, Hants, married Algernon
Charles Plumptre Coote on 21 Apr 1882, at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Reading.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – September 2020