Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, 13th Baron Talbot, KG (20 November 1552 – 8 May 1616), styled Lord Talbot from 1582 to 1590, was a peer in the peerage of England. He also held the subsidiary titles of 16th Baron Strange of Blackmere and 12th Baron Furnivall.


Life

He was the eldest surviving son of
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal (c. 1522/1528 – 18 November 1590) was an English magnate and military commander. He also held the subsidiary titles of 15th Baron Strange of ...
, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland. He was born on 20th November 1553. On February 6, 1568, Gilbert was married to Mary Cavendish, daughter of his new stepmother,
Bess of Hardwick Elizabeth Cavendish, later Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury ( Hardwick; c. 1527 13 February 1608), known as Bess of Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, was a notable figure of Elizabethan English society. By a series of well-made ...
; Mary had inherited much of her formidable mother's strength of character. When Bess and her husband fell out, Gilbert took the side of his wife and his mother-in-law against his own father. However, when the old earl died in 1590, Gilbert refused Bess the widow's portion that was her due, and consequently, they fell out. He appears to have been a highly quarrelsome individual, feuding with not only his stepmother but his brother and other family members, his tenants, and even
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
herself. He was overshadowed by his formidable wife:
Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...
remarked that she was undoubtedly "greater than he". The children from his marriage to Mary Cavendish were: * Lady Mary Talbot (1580–1649), who married William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke * Lady Elizabeth Talbot (1582–1651), who married
Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent (c. 1583 – 21 November 1639) of Wrest Park, Bedfordshire was Earl of Kent from 1623 to his death. He was born the only son of Charles Grey, 7th Earl of Kent and his wife Susan Cotton and educated at Trinity Colleg ...
* Lady Alethea Talbot (1585–1654), who married
Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel KG, (7 July 1585 – 4 October 1646) was a prominent English courtier during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I, but he made his name as a Grand Tourist and art collector rather than as a politi ...
Two sons, George and John, died in infancy. He was elected
knight of the shire Knight of the shire ( la, milites comitatus) was the formal title for a member of parliament (MP) representing a county constituency in the British House of Commons, from its origins in the medieval Parliament of England until the Redistributio ...
(MP) for
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
in 1572. In 1576 Talbot and his wife stayed at
Goodrich Castle Goodrich Castle is a Norman medieval castle ruin north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, England, controlling a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye. It was praised by William Wordsworth as the "noblest ruin in Herefordshi ...
in
Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...
and sent his father a gift of local produce, a Monmouth cap,
Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...
boots, and
perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...
. On 1 May 1578 Talbot was walking in the tiltyard, the tournament ground, at
Greenwich Palace Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, and by chance saw Queen Elizabeth at the window of the gallery overlooking the yard, in her nightgown. Later she slapped him on the forehead and told the Lord Chamberlain,
Earl of Sussex Earl of Sussex is a title that has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The early Earls of Arundel (up to 1243) were often also called Earls of Sussex. The fifth creation came in the Peera ...
about the morning's incident. Talbot saw this as a mark of favour and wrote to his father about it. In January 1589 he wrote to William Cecil from Handsworth Manor commiserating with him over the winter weather, and sent him a blanket and some Hallamshire foodstuffs. He was summoned to the House of Lords as Baron Talbot in 1589 and became 7th Earl of Shrewsbury on his father's death in 1590. In 1592, he 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 ...
, but feuded with his former friend John Stanhope when John's brother got the post of
Earl Marshal of England Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
, which Gilbert had assumed would be his. Gilbert's stepbrother Charles Cavendish challenged Stanhope to a duel for his sake, which was not fought. (Stanhope was discovered to be wearing a sword-proof doublet).
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
was displeased and took Stanhope's side. After this Gilbert challenged his own brother Edward to a duel over a lease, but Edward refused to fight him. Gilbert accused his brother of planning to poison him, but lost his case against him. Shrewsbury employed a clockmaker, Michael Neuwers to make striking clocks in 1599. He hosted a magnificent dinner in London for a French ambassador
Aymar Chaste Aymar de Chaste (1514–1603) was a Catholic French admiral during the Franco-Spanish Wars between 1582 and 1598. A gentleman of the King's Chamber, François Aymar (or Aimar) de Cleremont de Chaste served as governor of Dieppe and Arques-la-Ba ...
in May 1600 and afterwards a large crowd was entertained by a French acrobat performing on a rope. He became a patron of the arts, as was his daughter Alethea, who became Countess of Arundel by her marriage to Thomas Howard in 1606. Shrewsbury was also interested in sport, and wrote in September 1607 that he was laid up on a couch at Sheffield Lodge, "neither fit for football nor tennis".''HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 19 (London, 1965), p. 248. As well as bringing up their three daughters, Gilbert and Mary Talbot spent a good deal of time with their orphaned niece,
Arbella Stuart Lady Arbella Stuart (also Arabella, or Stewart; 1575 – 25 September 1615) was an English noblewoman who was considered a possible successor to Queen Elizabeth I of England. During the reign of King James VI and I (her first cousin), she marri ...
. The downfall of Arbella, who as the closest relative of
King James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
had greatly offended him by marrying without his consent, had serious consequences for Gilbert and Mary: Mary, who had aided the marriage, went to the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
as a result, and Gilbert lost his seat on the Privy Council. In the absence of a male heir, he was succeeded in the earldom of Shrewsbury by his younger brother, Edward. However, some of the extensive estates passed then (or after Edward's death) to his daughters.


Notes


External links

* , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Shrewsbury, Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of 1552 births 1616 deaths Knights of the Garter English MPs 1572–1583 Lord-Lieutenants of Derbyshire
Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...
17th-century English nobility 16th-century English nobility Earls of Shrewsbury Earls of Waterford Barons Talbot Barons Strange of Blackmere