Trenchard, John, 1662-1723

Trenchard was a gentleman in easy circumstances living near Bristol, who wrote controversial pamphlets advocating reform of church and state. In 1719 he met Thomas Gordon (born in Scotland in the 1690's), another reforming Whig; Gordon became his amanuensis. Together they founded the London Journal and published in it the extremely controversial and anonymous letters signed Cato from November 5, 1720 to July 27, 1723 (when the government took over the Journal in September 1722, Cato's letters were forced to move to the British Journal ). The authorship of these letters was a cause celebre of the time; one of the putative authors was Lord Molesworth. Trenchard and Gordan also produced a periodical called the Independent Whig, which began as a series of 2 pamphlets in 1719, turned into a weekly on January 20, 1720, and died on January 4, 1721. Both Cato and Independent Whig were popular (both were issued several times in book form) and distressed the government. In the summer of 1722 Trenchard was elected MP for Taunton. He died on December 17, 1723. Gordon married his widow, became a member of Walpole's government, produced new editions of Cato and Independent Whig, and classical translations.

From the guide to the Letters received by Sir William Simpson from John Trenchard, Thomas Gordon, and others., 1707-1723, (University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Department of Special Collections)