George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury
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George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, 4th Earl of Waterford, 10th Baron Talbot, KG, KB, PC (c. 1468 – 26 July 1538) was the son of
John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, 3rd Earl of Waterford, 9th Baron Talbot, (12 December 1448 – 28 June 1473) was an English nobleman. He also held the subsidiary titles of 12th Baron Strange of Blackmere and 8th Baron Furnivall. Although a ...
, and Lady Catherine Stafford, daughter of the 1st Duke of Buckingham. He also held the subsidiary titles of 13th Baron Strange of Blackmere and 9th Baron Furnivall.


Early life

The Earl was born at
Shifnal Shifnal is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, about east of Telford, 17 miles (27 km) east of the county town of Shrewsbury and 13 miles (20 km) west-northwest of the city of Wolverhampton. It is near the M54 mo ...
,
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, in 1468. He succeeded to his father's peerage in 1473, when aged five years, and was appointed a
Knight of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...
in 1475.


Career

Under King Henry VII, the Earl was a distinguished and honoured warrior. He fought with distinction against
Lambert Simnel Lambert Simnel (c. 1477 – after 1534) was a pretender to the throne of England. In 1487, his claim to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, threatened the newly established reign of Henry VII (1485–1509). Simnel became the f ...
at the
Battle of Stoke The Battle of Stoke Field on 16 June 1487 may be considered the last battle of the Wars of the Roses, since it was the last major engagement between contenders for the throne whose claims derived from descent from the houses of Lancaster and Yo ...
and was created a
Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...
after the battle. In 1489 he joined the English expedition to Flanders to aid the
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
against the French. The same year, upon the birth of Henry's second child, a daughter named
Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Marg ...
, Talbot became the first Tudor princess's godfather. On the accession of King
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, the Earl continued to serve the King as he did his father and again distinguished himself amongst his peers as a great warrior. During Henry's reign, the Earl became a powerful man. Already hereditary
Lord High Steward of Ireland The Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary Great Officer of State in the United Kingdom, sometimes known as the Hereditary Great Seneschal. The Earls of Shrewsbury (Earls of Waterford in the Peerage of Ireland) have held the office since th ...
from 1473 to 1538, he was then appointed
Lord Steward The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is an official of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household in England. He is always a peerage, peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government. Until 1782, the offic ...
of the King's Household and a
Chamberlain of the Exchequer Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
from 1509 to 1538, a
Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a privy council, formal body of advisers to the British monarchy, sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises Politics of the United King ...
in 1512 and Lieutenant-General of the North in 1522. He was Lieutenant-General of the English army sent to invade France in 1512, where he was present at the
Battle of the Spurs The Battle of the Spurs or (Second) Battle of Guinegate (, "Day of the Spurs"; ''deuxième bataille de Guinegatte'') took place on 16 August 1513. It formed a part of the War of the League of Cambrai, during the Italian Wars. Henry VIII and ...
and captured
Thérouanne Thérouanne (; vls, Terenburg; Dutch ''Terwaan'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located west of Aire-sur-la-Lys and south of Saint-Omer, on the D 157 and D 341 road junction. Locate ...
in August 1513. He was later present at the
Field of the Cloth of Gold The Field of the Cloth of Gold (french: Camp du Drap d'Or, ) was a summit meeting between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France from 7 to 24 June 1520. Held at Balinghem, between Ardres in France and Guînes in the English P ...
, commanded the army sent to control the border of Scotland, and was given many other high political positions at court. When the divorce question came on King Henry's 'Great Matter', Shrewsbury supported it, gave evidence at Queen
Katherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until ...
's trial, and signed the letter to the pope urging him to grant the divorce. He also signed the articles against Cardinal
Thomas Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...
in 1529. On 4 Nov 1530, Wolsey was arrested for treason and brought south from
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
for his trial, arriving four days later at the Manor Lodge of the Earl where he stayed for eighteen days. He was treated kindly by the Earl and his family, who tried to make his stay as comfortable as possible. However, Wolsey became very ill before leaving Sheffield while under guard. When the rebellion in the north broke out in October 1536, Shrewsbury promptly raised forces on his own authority, and 'his courage and fidelity on this occasion perhaps saved Henry's crown.' The Earl, John Russell, Sir William Parr (uncle of Queen consort
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
),
William Gonson Vice-Admiral Sir William Gonson (1482–1544), was a Naval Judge and Naval Administrator of the English Royal Navy who served under King Henry VIII. Biography Career During the Tudor Period William Gonson's early career was as a private Mer ...
, Sir
Francis Bryan Sir Francis Bryan (about 1490 – 2 February 1550) was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Justices (Ireland), Lord Justice of Ireland. Unli ...
and Admiral Sir William FitzWilliam, who were royalists, mustered the 1,000 troops from
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
who lived at Stony Stratford who were present against the rebels of the
Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...
at
Ampthill Ampthill () is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population estimate of 8,100 (Mid year estimate 2017 from the ONS). It is administered bAmpthill Town Council The ward of Ampthill which also i ...
,
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
. It was
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, (1473 – 25 August 1554) was a prominent English politician and nobleman of the Tudor era. He was an uncle of two of the wives of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom were beheade ...
, and the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, who opened negotiations with the insurgents at
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
, where Robert Aske had assembled between thirty and forty thousand men. An armistice was then agreed upon, and the insurgents laid their demands before the King.


Family

Having a large family and being a very wealthy man, he found the castle accommodation extremely cramped. He broke with the tradition of his family and decided to make
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
his home, living in the
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
built by Lord Furnivall. This castle is best known for later holding
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
, prisoner and indeed it was the 6th Earl, the Earl's grandson, who confined her. In 1516, he decided to build himself a country mansion on a hill about two miles away. In 1520, he had a chapel added to the
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
at
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
to serve as a family chapel with a burial vault below. This is now known as the Shrewsbury Chapel and now forms a historic part of
Sheffield Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, more commonly known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral sta ...
. In 1538, the Earl died, aged 70, while at
Wingfield Manor Wingfield Manor is a ruined manor house left deserted since the 1770s, near the village of South Wingfield and some west of the town of Alfreton in the English county of Derbyshire. There is a working farm that forms part of the old manor. It is ...
. He was laid to rest in the Shrewsbury Chapel along with his first wife, Lady Anne. In his will, the Earl directed 'that a tomb of marble should be set over his grave with three images thereon, namely one of himself in his mantle of the Garter, another of his deceased wife in her robes, and a third of his wife then living'. The monument to Talbot and his two wives can still be seen in the church (now
Sheffield Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, more commonly known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral sta ...
).


Marriage and issue

He married before 27 June 1481 at age 13, his second cousin, Lady Anne Hastings, daughter of
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings KG (c. 1431 – June 1483) was an English nobleman. A loyal follower of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses, he became a close friend and one of the most important courtiers of King Edward IV, w ...
, and Katherine Neville. Lady Anne was at court as one of
Katherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until ...
's ladies-in-waiting at the beginning of Henry VIII's reign. Lady Anne was a maternal half-sister of Cecily Bonville, Marchioness of Dorset. George Talbot and Lady Anne Hastings had 11 children: * Francis Talbot, later 11th Baron Talbot and 5th Earl of Shrewsbury (c. 1500-1560) * Lady Elizabeth Talbot (c. 1507-aft. 6 May 1552), married aft. 18 May 1519
William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre William Dacre, 7th Baron Greystock, later 3rd Baron Dacre of Gilsland (''ca.'' 1493 – 18 November 1563) was an English peer, a Cumberland landowner, and the holder of important offices under the Crown, including many years' service as Warden ...
of Gilsland, and had issue. * Lady Margaret Talbot (dsp.), married, as his first wife,
Henry Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland Henry Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland KG (1493 – 22 April 1542) was a member of the Clifford family which was seated at Skipton Castle, Yorkshire from 1310 to 1676. Origins He was born at Skipton Castle, a son of Henry Clifford, 10th Bar ...
* Lady Mary Talbot (d. 16 April 1572), married c. Jan 1523/4
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG (c. 1502 – 1537) was an English nobleman, active as a military officer in the north. He is now primarily remembered as the betrothed of Anne Boleyn, whom he was forced to give up before she became ...
. * Henry Talbot, styled Lord Talbot (d. young) * John Talbot (d. young) * John Talbot (d. young) * William Talbot, Marshal of Ireland * Richard Talbot * Lady Anne Talbot * Lady Dorothy Talbot After Anne died, he married secondly Elizabeth Walden (1491-July 1567), the daughter of Sir Richard Walden. They had two children: * Lady Anne Talbot (18 March 1523 – 18 July 1588), married first Peter Compton (d. 30 January 1544) and had one son,
Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton (14 July 1544 – 10 December 1589), was an English peer and Member of Parliament. Compton was the posthumous son of Peter Compton of Compton Wynyates and his wife Anne, daughter of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shre ...
; married second William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. * John Talbot (d. young)


Film, fiction, television

The Earl of Shrewsbury is depicted by Gavin O'Connor in the Showtime series ''
The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...
''. In the series, the Earl of Shrewsbury is depicted as a much younger man (approximately 30). At the time of the
Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...
in 1536, which is when he is featured in ''The Tudors'', historically he was 70 yrs old. The date also confirms that he had to have been the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury; as titles are passed on only after a noble dies. ''The Tudors'' has been known to disregard the ''real'' ages of historical figures when casting roles.''The Tudors''. Showtime.
Season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...
, Episode ''The Northern Uprising (2009)''. TV episode.
He is a minor character in
H.F.M. Prescott Hilda Frances Margaret Prescott, more usually known as H. F. M. Prescott (22 February 1896 – 5 May 1972), was an English writer, academic and historian. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Her best-known work is a novel, '' ...
's novel ''The Man on a Donkey'', which tells the story of the Pilgrimage of Grace.


Ancestry


References


External links


Sheffield Cathedral
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Shrewsbury, George Talbot, 4th Earl Of 1460s births 1538 deaths 15th-century English nobility 16th-century English nobility Knights of the Garter History of Sheffield
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
Earls of Shrewsbury Earls of Waterford People from Shifnal
Talbot Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot ...
Barons Talbot Barons Strange of Blackmere