John Trenchard
Whig pamphleteer against standing armies (1697-98) and co-author of Cato's Letters.
Who he was
John Trenchard was an English Whig pamphleteer and the co-author, with Thomas Gordon, of Cato's Letters.
His pamphlets An Argument Shewing that a Standing Army is Inconsistent with a Free Government (1697) and A Short History of Standing Armies in England (1698) opposed a standing army in time of peace.
Why he is at the Seat
Trenchard's case against standing armies is part of the Cato voice. On his own, he will answer for his pamphlets once his share of Cato's Letters can be identified.
Why he is coming, not live
With only four documents, the engine has no contrary evidence to search outside the passages it answers from. Until his letters can be separated, his voice is part of the joint Trenchard and Gordon ("Cato") engine, which is live. The fix is a printing of Cato's Letters (1733 or later) that marks each letter as Trenchard's or Gordon's.
What we hold
- Editions
- His standing-army pamphlets and other pieces credited to him, from A Collection of Tracts
- Size
- About 36,000 words in 4 documents. Word counts are whole files, so they include editors' headnotes and footnotes.
Known limits
- His record on its own is very small. His share of Cato's Letters cannot be separated from the 1724 printing.
Tested questions
The questions his engine was tested on before it was held back.
- Is a standing army in time of peace consistent with a free government? (planned)
Published answers
No published answers from his record yet.
More in Prior Questions.