The Talbot Baronetcy

This eminent and historic family deduces its descent from a period antecedent to the Conquest; the first person of note, however, upon record is Richard de Talbot, mentioned in the Domesday Book as holding nine hides of land from Walter Giffard, Earl of Buckingham.

This branch of the illustrious house of SHREWSBURY springs from

THE HON SIR GILBERT TALBOT KG (1452-c1517), of Grafton, Worcestershire, third son of John, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter to James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde, from whom lineally descended,

WILLIAM TALBOT (1619-86), of Stourton Castle, Staffordshire, who married Mary, daughter of Thomas Doughty, of Kinver, Staffordshire, and of Whittington in the same county.

He died in 1686, and left, with two daughters, Frances and Catherine, an only son,

THE RT REV WILLIAM TALBOT (1658-1730), of Stourton Castle, who was nominated Dean of Worcester in 1691, and consecrated Lord Bishop of Oxford, 1699, with permission to hold his deanery in commendam.

Rt Rev William Talbot, Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, 1715-21
(Image: Ingestre Hall Residential Arts Centre)

In 1715, his lordship was translated to the see of Salisbury; and thence, in 1722, to the bishopric of Durham.

Dr Talbot left, by his second wife, Catherine, second daughter of Mr Alderman King, of the city of London, three sons,

Charles, created, 1733, BARON TALBOT;
Edward (Ven), Archdeacon of Berkshire;
SHERRINGTON, of whom presently.

The Bishop's youngest son,

MAJOR-GENERAL SHERRINGTON TALBOT (c1699-c1763), of Stourton Castle, espoused firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Medgett, and had issue,

CHARLES HENRY, his heir;
William (Rev).

He married secondly, Eleanor, daughter of William Hickford Dixton, of Gloucestershire; and thirdly, Charlotte, daughter of Thomas Freeman, of Antigua, and had issue, two daughters,

Indiana;
Henrietta Maria.

General Talbot was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES HENRY TALBOT (1720-98), of Mickleham, Surrey, and Belfast, County Antrim, who was created a baronet in 1790, designated of Mickleham, Surrey, and of Belfast, County Antrim.

Sir Charles married, in 1749, Anne, only child of Thomas Hassel, of St Pancras, London, and had issue,

CHARLES, his successor;
GEORGE, succeeded his brother;
Amelia Anne; Catherine Jane; Charlotte Mary; Anne Elizabeth.

Sir Charles was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR CHARLES TALBOT, 2nd Baronet (1751-1812), MP, of Mickleham, and Chart Park, Dorking, Surrey; at whose decease, unmarried, the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR GEORGE TALBOT, 3rd Baronet (1761-1850), of Belfast, who married, in 1787, Anna, daughter of the Rev Thomas Preston, of Swainston, and had issue, two daughters,

Mary Anne, of Belfast;
Georgiana, of Belfast.

The baronetcy expired on the decease of the 3rd Baronet.

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SIR CHARLES HENRY TALBOT, 1st Baronet, "repaired occasionally to Ireland, for the purpose of improving the estates of some of the great landowners there, in which capacity he at once acquired wealth and reputation."

He became agent and election manager to the 5th Earl of Donegall, over whom he was said to exercise an ascendancy amounting to ‘perfect dominion’.

His baronetcy was conferred in 1790 as a means of attaching to government the four Members returned to the Irish house of commons in Lord Donegall’s interest.

The 1st Baronet bought the Mickleham estate in 1779.

His family held the manor till 1871, when the Misses Talbot sold it to Mr R H Mackworth Praed.

Talbot Street in Belfast, developed for Lord Donegall in the 1780s, is believed to have been named after the 1st Baronet.

He served as one of the Barons of the Cinque Ports, having succeeded Lord Hawkesbury.

Anne, the only child of Thomas Hassell, had married Charles Henry Talbot, grandson of William Talbot, Bishop of Durham, at the Temple Church.

The 1st Baronet was buried in Old St Pancras Churchyard.

He bequeathed his property in Gresse Street, Gresse Street Mews, Black Horse Yard, Rathbone Place and Little Mortimer Street to his widow, Lady Talbot, who died in 1810, aged 80.

She was buried with him.

Former London residence ~ 21 Grosvenor Square.

Talbot arms courtesy of European Heraldry.   First published in December, 2010.