Sir John Trevor

Sir John Trevor (1638 - 1717) allowed the house to be used as a boarding house for boys of the 700 year old Ruthin School which was first established in the cloisters of St. Peter's church and which even today has a school house named after it.

He became a judge in 1661, was knighted in 1671, entered parliament 1673 and in the violent elections of 1681 became MP for Denbighshire having to fight a duel with the losing candidate as a consequence. In 1685 he was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons and Master of the Rolls and a Privy Councillor.

The portrait above is reproduced by courtesy of the Palace of Westminster collection (Sir John Trevor, Speaker 1685-95 attributed to Johann Closterman) and hangs in the House of Commons today.