Joseph Jean-Baptiste Trenta

Elder brother of Hyacinthe Trenta with whom he lived 12 Tupin Street, at their mother’s house, Joseph Trenta had joined the Guillotière section of the Eastern Revolutionary Federation like him in 1881. By mid-December 1881, he had been commissioned with his brother, Bordat and Dejoux to write an abstentionist manifesto for the 3rd constituency of Lyon and whose younger brother had been instructed to ensure the display.

He also collaborated with the weekly newspaper L’Étendard Révolutionré (Lyon, 13 issues from July 30 to October 15, 1882) which had succeeded the title Le Droit sociale. On 13 and 14 August 1882, he was delegated with his brother Hyacinthe and eleven other companions of Lyon, including Toussaint Bordat, Boriasse, Cyvoct and Morel, to the international congress held in Geneva (see Herzig) where a Manifesto refused universal suffrage was adopted, recommending the total separation from any political party and adopting communism as a purpose.

Following the violent demonstrations of the minors in Montceau-les-Mines and the attacks in Lyon, Joseph Trenta was arrested along with his brother and 24 other companions on 19 November 1882. Involved in the so-called 66 trial (see T. Bordat), he was sentenced on 19 January 1883 to one year in prison, 100 F fine and 5 years of prohibition of civil rights.

According to the police, the Trenta brothers had retained the Italian nationality of their father.

He died on 22 June 1890 in Caluire-et-Cuire (Rhône).