John Trevelyan

John Trevelyan, CBE (11 July 1903 – 15 August 1986) was Secretary of the Board of the British Board of Film Censors from 1958 to 1971.

Early life and education Trevelyan was born at Beckenham, Kent, England, the fourth child and elder son of the two sons and four daughters of Rev. George Philip Trevelyan (1858–1937), vicar of St Albans, later vicar of St Stephen's, Bournemouth, and Monica Evelyn Juliet (1872–1962), daughter of Rev. Sidney Phillips, of Worcester. Trevelyan's younger brother was Humphrey Trevelyan, Baron Trevelyan; his eldest sister was Mary Trevelyan, founder and governor of International Students House, London. They descended from the politician Sir John Trevelyan, 4th Baronet, who was of an ancient Cornish family.

He was educated at Lancing College in Sussex, and Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1925, MA 1930).

However, his approach was harshly criticised by some. According to film director Roy Ward Baker:

Such harsh public and private criticism was inevitably part of his work as revealed in the BBC Documentary "Dear Censor". However, he was known for According to the popular myth, the villain of the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye - Alec Trevelyan - was named after John Trevelyan.

In an episode of the British comedy TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, an animated sketch shows a hand removing a fig leaf from a representation of Michelangelo's David, only to reveal the cartoon face of Trevelyan, who informs the viewer: "We're not about to allow this sort of smut to be shown on screen."

Personal life Trevelyan was married four times; firstly, in 1928, he married Kathleen Margaret, daughter of Charles Hallé Pass, of Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. Their only child, son Nicholas, was born and died 23 October 1932. They divorced in 1949. That same year he married Joan Frieda, daughter of Francis Clayton Scott and granddaughter of Sir James William Scott, 1st Baronet. They had a son and a daughter before divorcing in 1959. His third marriage, in 1959, was to Joan, daughter of Robert Mutch; they had two sons. In 1974, he married fourthly Rosalie Evelyn, daughter of Joseph Lopez-Salzedo.

He was appointed OBE in 1949, and CBE in 1971.

Trevelyan died in Croydon, Greater London, aged 83.