Edward Trenchard
United States Navy officer
Edward Trenchard (1785–1824) was a captain of the United States Navy, who saw service in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, the War of 1812, and the Second Barbary War. He was the father of Rear Admiral Stephen Decatur Trenchard.
Biography
Early life and background
Trenchard was born in Salem, New Jersey, the son of Curtis Trenchard. The family were descendants of George Trenchard (1655–1712) from the village of Wolverton in Dorset, who had come to America with William Penn in 1682. Edward's grandfather, also George, (1706–1780), was the Attorney-General of West New Jersey in 1767-1775 and commanded the Salem Light Horse during the Revolutionary War. Edward was initially apprenticed as an engraver under his uncle, James Trenchard, the editor of the Columbian Magazine, and a distinguished designer and an engraver of book-plates. However, a sea voyage to England at the age of 16 turned his mind to a military career, and on his return, he obtained a midshipman's warrant on April 30, 1800.
War service
He was appointed to the frigate Adams for a cruise in the West Indies during the Quasi-War with France. A strong friendship sprang up between Trenchard and a junior lieutenant, Stephen Decatur, so much so that Trenchard later named his son, Stephen Decatur Trenchard.
After the French war the Adams was ordered to the Mediterranean, and participated in the operations off Tripoli in 1803.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5345641. VIAF identifies the subject as 65738141. The Library of Congress control number is n96060363. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1785, 1824, 1812 and 1655.
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