in school, Trelawny struggled with spelling as a young man. He often spelled phonetically. This caused him significant difficulties when he tried to correspond with his friends. His spelling indicated a strong Westcountry accent. His parents were concerned about this, particularly his habit of occasionally misspelling his own name. His problem with spelling might have been due to dyslexia, evidence for which has been provided by one of Trelawny's biographers. After he left the Navy he read voraciously. He often read Shakespeare's plays and attended the theatres in Covent Garden. He began incorporating references to Shakespeare in his personal letters. He also enjoyed reading the works of Lord Byron, including Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. During this time he also accompanied his mother and sisters on a trip to Paris. Switzerland Even though they often quarrelled, Charles Brereton continued to provide Trelawny with an allowance. He received an allowance of £300 a year, which was roughly the same amount as retired captains received as a pension at that time. He began to present himself as Captain Edward Trelawny, Royal Navy, Retired. He decided to leave England to find a cheaper place to live. After initially considering a move to Buenos Aires, he decided to move to Switzerland. In Switzerland he was not directly affected by the inflation that was occurring in England. After moving to Geneva he soon became bored by the city and spent much of his time on hunting and fishing expeditions. In the summer of 1820, while staying in Lausanne, Trelawny befriended a local bookseller. The bookseller soon recommended to him that he read Queen Mab by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This was the first time that he had heard of Percy Shelley. He read Queen Mab and he greatly enjoyed the work. He soon met Edward Ellerker Williams and Thomas Medwin at the home of a friend in Geneva. He had served on the same ship as Williams in the navy, although not at the same time. They also introduced him to the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley. In the fall of 1820 Trelawny learned that his father had died and returned to England from Switzerland. After arriving in England he learned that he only had received a much smaller inheritance than he had expected. He was sorely disappointed and soon returned to Switzerland. Pisa In early 1822 he travelled to Pisa to meet Edward Ellerker Williams and his