Trevor, SIR JOHN

Trevor, SIR JOHN, born in 1633, in the parliament which met on 19th May 1665 was elected Speaker of the House of Commons. 'Trevor,' says Macaulay, 'had been bred half a pettifogger and half a gambler, had brought to political life sentiments and principles worthy of both his callings, had become a parasite of Jeffreys, and could on occasion imitate not unsuccessfully the vituperative style of his patron. The minion of Jeffreys was, as might have been expected, preferred by James, was proposed by Middleton, and was chosen without opposition. In the same year he was made Master of the Rolls. He contrived to maintain his political and judicial position after the revolution of 1688, and was re-elected Speaker in 1690, on an understanding with the government that he was to take the management of the bribery department. As first commissioner of the Court of Chancery, his integrity was greatly suspected; and though he was deficient neither in learning nor in parts, his greed and venality at length became notorious. In 1695 a committee of the House of Commons reported that in the preceding session Sir John Trevor had received 1000 guineas from the city of London for expediting a local bill. When it was moved in the House that the Speaker had been guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour, he had himself to put the question, and to declare that the 'Ayes' had it. A few days afterwards he was formally expelled. He still, however, retained the Mastership of the Rolls, 'to the great encouragement' says North, 'of prudent bribery for ever after.' He died 20th May 1717.