Sir William Talbot, 1st Baronet (died 1634), was an Irish lawyer and politician. He sat as MP for
County Kildare in the Parliament of 1613–1615 and was in 1628 one of the negotiators of
the Graces. However, he is probably mainly remembered as the father of
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell.
Family tree
Sir William Talbot with wife, parents, and other selected relatives.[a]
William was the son of Robert Talbot of
Carton, County Kildare, and his wife Genet FitzGerald. His father was the third son of Thomas Talbot of
Malahide, County Dublin.[4][5][b] His father's family was
Old English. The judge Sir
Thomas Talbot (died 1487) was William's great-great-grandfather.
His mother was a daughter of Thomas fitz Bartholomew Fitzgerald.
Early life
Talbot was educated in the law, and attained a leading position as a lawyer in Dublin. About 1603 he was appointed
Recorder of Dublin, but, being a staunch Catholic, which was a bar to public office, he was soon afterwards removed from office for
recusancy.
Marriage and children
In or before 1608 Talbot married Alison, daughter of John Netterville of Castleton,
County Meath.
On 13 April 1613 Talbot was elected to the
Irish Parliament 1613–1615 as MP for
County Kildare,[20] and became the unofficial legal adviser to the Roman Catholic party in the
Irish House of Commons (they were a minority in the House, but a large one).
Thomas Ryves, a close ally of the new Speaker, complained to the Westminster government that Talbot had abetted the return to Parliament of two
schismatics. During the stormy scenes which marked the election of the speaker in the
Irish House of Commons, culminating with one of the rival speakers (a fat man) sitting on the other, Talbot urged that the House should first purge itself of members elected by illegal means.
On 30 May 1613 Talbot was appointed by the House as one of the deputies to represent to
James I the corrupt practices employed in the elections to secure a
Protestant majority, and the arbitrary treatment of the
Anglo-Irish Catholics. He crossed to England in July, and was examined by the
Privy Council on his conduct in the Irish House of Commons. During the discussion of this question, Archbishop
George Abbot demanded Talbot's opinion on a book (probably the Defensio fidei Catholicae adversus Anglicanae sectae errores) in which (he said)
Francisco Suárez openly maintained the right of Catholics to kill a heretical king. Talbot hesitated, but acknowledged
James I as the lawful king. The council was not satisfied with his answers, and on 17 July Talbot was committed to the
Tower of London. On 13 November the
Star Chamber sentenced him to a fine of £10,000. On 5 July 1614 Talbot was released and allowed to return to Ireland, and the fine was probably remitted.[21] James I, on releasing him, disclaimed any intention of forcing the Irish Catholics to change their religion. From this time on Talbot became a supporter of the government, but took little part in politics.
Baronet
On 4 February 1623 Talbot was created a baronet and thus became Sir William.[22] Subsequently, he received various grants of land.[23]
In 1628 Talbot travelled to England to see the new king
Charles I as one of the 11 agents sent by the Irish to negotiate
the Graces.[24]
Death
Talbot died on 16 March 1634 and was buried in
Laraghbryan Cemetery outside
Maynooth.[25] He was succeeded by his eldest son Robert as the 2nd baronet.[8]
Notes and references
Notes
^This family tree is based on the written genealogies of the earl of Tyrconnell,[1] the barons Talbot of Malahide,[2] and the baronets Talbot of Carton.[3] Also see the lists of children in the text.
^The text follows the majority view on his father, but Burke (1915), focussing on the lineage of the Talbots of Malahide, maintains that Robert, his likely father, died childless.[6]
^Clavin 2009, paragraph 1. "Talbot, Sir William (d. 1634), 1st baronet, recusant lawyer and MP, was the son of Robert Talbot of Carton and grandson of Sir Thomas Talbot of Malahide."
^Burke 1883, p.
529, left column, line 1. "William Talbot, Esq., who acquired the estate of Cartown, co Kildare, and was created baronet of Ireland, 4 February 1622, was son of Robert of Carton, 3rd son of Sir Thomas Talbot of Malahide, co. Dublin."
^Burke & Burke 1915, p.
1934, left column. "He m. [married] to. Katherine Betagh, of Moynalty, Meath, and had issue, 1. William, his heir. 2. Peter ... 3. Robert, d.s.p. [died without issue]."
^
abClavin 2009, paragraph 6. "They had eight sons and eight daughters."
^
abCreighton 2009, paragraph 1, 1st sentence. "Talbot, Sir Robert (b. [born] 1608; d. [died] in or after 1671), 2nd baronet ..."
^G. E. C. 1900, p.
248. "Sir William Talbot, Bart. [I. [Ireland] 1623], nephew and h. [heir] male, being s. [son] and h. of Garrett Talbot, by Margaret, da. [daughter] of Henry Gaydon, of Dublin, which Garrett (who d. [died] before May 1671) was yr. [younger] br. [brother] of the late Baronet."
^Creighton 2009, paragraph 1, 3rd sentence. "... Thomas, a Franciscan, who was chaplain to Queen Henrietta Maria -..."
^G. E. C. 1896, p.
444, line 28: "Richard Talbot, 5th or 8th son of Sir William Talbot 1st Bart., [I. [Ireland]] of Carton, co. Kildare (d. [died] 16 March 1633), by Alison, da. of John Netterville, was b. [born] probably about 1625;"
^G. E. C. 1900, p.
253. "He [Dongan] m. [married], before 1626, Mary, 1st da. [daughter] of Sir William Talbot, 1st Bart. [I. [Ireland] 1623], of Carton, by Alison, da. of John Netterville, of Castleton, co. Meath."
^Burke & Fox-Davies 1912, p.
683, left column, line 49: "Sir Henry Talbot, Knt. of Templeogue, co. Dublin, and Mount Talbot, co. Roscommon, m. [married] Margaret, dau. [daughter] of Sir William Talbot, Bart of Cartown, co. Kildare and sister of Richard, Duke of Tyrconnell, and by her (who d. [died] 14 Dec. 1662) ..."
^Duignan 2009,
[1]. "Cusack, Nicholas (fl. 1688–91) was third son of James ..."
^G. E. C. 1904, p.
202 ps=. "He [Henry O'Neill] m. [married], probably about 1655, Eleanor, 8th and yst. [youngest] da. [daughter] of Sir William Talbot, 1st Baronet [I. [Ireand] 1623], of Carton ...".
^House of Commons 1878, p.
618. "1613 / 13 " [April] / William Talbott, esq. / Cartowne / ditto [County Kildare]"
^Clavin 2009, paragraph 4. "... he was released on 5 July 1614."
^G. E. C. 1900, p.
247: "Talbot or Talbott: cr. [created] 18 Jan. 1622/3;"
^Pollard 1898, p.
338, right column: "On 4 Feb 1621-2 he was created a baronet, and he subsequently received various grants of land."
^Pollard & Kelsey 2004, p.
727, right column, line 1: "In 1628 Talbot was one of the commissioners sent to England to represent the interests of the Catholic 'Old English' in the negotiations with Charles I which eventually gave rise to the famous 'graces'."