He started work as a porter (or potter) and then followed in the family tradition and became a shipwright before he married on 21 Apr 1867.
Following the death of his their father in 1862 he and his mother most probably lived with his 2 year older brother Henry Meirs Trevan at 2 Newport Street, East Stonehouse. By the time of the 1871 census their sister Hannah had moved back to Plymouth from Banff where she was living during the 1860s and their mother Honor nee Treliving was living with her.
| Date | Name | Age / Condition | Rank / Profession | Residence | Father | Rank / Profession | ||||||||||||
| 21 Apr 1867 |
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The witnesses were Thomas and Eliza Murray. Adolphus, Ann and Thomas signed but Eliza made her mark.
At the time of the 1871 census Adolphus was not at home and Ann was shown as the head of the household living at 19 Vauxhall Street, close to 16 Vauxhall Court from where she married, and she was described as a Sailor's wife. The census shows that his wife Ann was from Tavistock.
They were living at 33 1/2 Love (Looe?) Street at the time of the 1881 census and Adolphus's brother William was also living at the same address but his name was recorded as Trevena.
In 1885 they were witnesses to the wedding of his niece, Mary Hannah Mills, daughter of his sister Lucretia, which was held at the Plymouth Register Office on 11 Oct 1885. From the civil registration death records it seems most probable that Ann died age 75 in 1922 in the Totnes registration district.
By the time of the 1901 census both sons had left home and Adolphus and Ann were still living in Plymouth.
| 30 Mar 1851 | 11 William St, Morice Town, Stoke Damerel | 1851 census |
| 7 Apr 1861 | 7 Parr Street, Plymouth | 1861 census |
| 21 Apr 1867 | 2 Newport Street, East Stonehouse | Adolphus's address when he married |
| 21 Apr 1867 | 16 Vauxhall Street, Plymouth | Ann's address when she married |
| 2 Apr 1871 | 19 Vauxhall Street, Plymouth | 1871 census - Adolphus was not at home |
| 3 Apr 1881 | 33 1/2 Looe Street, Plymouth | 1881 census - they are listed on the 1881 census CD-ROM as the Trevin familiy living in Love Street and brother William was recorded as Trevena at the same address |
| 5 Apr 1891 | 32 Looe Street, Plymouth | 1891 census |
| 31 Mar 1901 | Plymouth | 1901 census - Adolphus and Ann |