# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Trevor, Sackvill

​TREVOR, Sir SACKVILL (fl. 1632), naval commander, third son of John Trevor of Trevalyn, Denbighshire, was probably born about 1580. His younger brother, Sir Thomas [q. v.], is noticed separately. An elder brother, Sir John, knighted in 1603, was surveyor of the navy (Dwnn, Visitations of Wales, ii. 354), and was grandfather of Sir John Trevor (1626–1672) [q. v.] In 1602 Sackvill Trevor commanded the Adventurer in the squadron on the coast of Spain under Sir Richard Leveson [q. v.] and Sir William Monson [q. v.], and, on their return to Plymouth, commanded the Mary Rose in the second expedition in the same year, under Monson. He remained behind on the coast of Spain, and took and brought in four Spanish vessels, which were condemned as prizes. Their cargo, principally naval stores, was estimated to be worth 4,500l., out of which the queen ordered him a reward of 500l. She died before it was paid, and her successor cut the amount down to 300l., which was ordered to be paid, 26 April 1605 (State Papers, Dom. James I, xiii. 77). In 1603 he commanded the Rainbow, again with Leveson and Monson. On 4 July 1604 he was knighted. In 1623 he commanded the Defiance, one of the squadron sent to Santander, under the Earl of Rutland, to escort Prince Charles and his expected bride to England. On 12 Sept. Charles arrived at Santander without the bride, and went off immediately to see Rutland on board the Prince. As he was returning to the shore after dark, it began to blow hard, and the wind and tide were sweeping the boat out to sea against the exertions of the rowers. In passing astern of the Defiance, a buoy fast to a rope was floated down to them, and the prince was thus got on board, rescued from a position of some danger (Howell, Epist. Ho-elian. § iii. 92, v. 12).
In 1626 he is named in a list of able and experienced sea captains (State Papers, Dom. Charles I, xxx. 64), and in 1627 was in command of a squadron in the North Sea, employed during the summer in blockading the Elbe, so as to prevent contraband of war being sent to Spain, as also in carrying over recruits to be landed at Bremen or Stade. In September he was at Harwich, and was ordered to go over to the Texel, there to seize, burn, or destroy three French ships which were fitting out there. On the night of 27 Sept. Trevor with his squadron went into the Texel, and, with very little resistance, took possession of one of the ships, the Saint Esprit of eight hundred tons. The captains under him wrote that the others might have been taken as easily, as they had very few men on board, but Trevor thought that in attempting the others he would lose the first, as his force was not sufficient to leave her properly guarded (ib. lxxviii. 62, lxxx. 2, 13, 26). Howell, who addressed him as ‘Noble Uncle,’ wrote that, ‘without complimenting you, it was one of ​the best exploits that was performed since these wars began’ (Epist. Ho-elian. v. 12). In April 1632 he was appointed on a commission to decide on the number of men to be allowed to the ships of the navy. As there is no further mention of him, it would seem probable that he died shortly after. He married Eleanor, daughter of Sir John Savage of Clifton, Cheshire, and widow of Sir Henry Bagnall.
J. K. L.