Major William Trent

Major William Trent, Trent’s youngest son by his marriage to Mary Coddington, led a fascinating life. He was a fur trader, military leader, and land speculator on the colonial frontier. 

William was still a child when his father died suddenly on Christmas Day 1724. After an apprenticeship in Philadelphia, Trent followed in his father’s footsteps as a man of business, trading with Native Americans for furs. But unlike his father he was also a military man, being commissioned by the royal governor of Virginia to assemble a force to defend British trading interests against French competition in Ohio territory. He, along with young Colonel George Washington, was sent by the Royal Governor of Virginia to establish a fort at the Forks of the Ohio River near what is now Pittsburgh to defend English control of the frontier from the French.

The Trent House is honored to own his silk waistcoat, worn at the Court of St. James in 1769, as he sought repayment for losses he and other traders experienced during the French and Indian War. While the waistcoat itself is in storage, visitors to the Museum can see close-up photographs of it on display.

Jason Cherry, a long-time colleague of the Trent House, has written two books about the life of Trent's youngest son, based on extensive research. This video outlines some of the major events in his life. 

Recordings of Jason Cherry's other talks at the Trent House include "Major William Trent, Revolution, and the Lower Ferry" (June 5, 2022) and "The Life of William Trent, Youngest Son of Judge William Trent" (July 20, 2024). Both are available here.