Sir John Talbot (7 June 1630 – 13 March 1714) was an English politician, soldier, and landowner, who was
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for various seats between 1660 and 1685. He held rank in a number of regiments, although he does not appear to have seen active service.
He took part in several duels, as both principal and second, including one in 1667 between
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros, (30 January 1628 – 16 April 1687) was an English statesman and poet.
Life
Early life
George was the son of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favourite of James I ...
and his relative,
Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury
Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury, 11th Earl of Waterford (1623 – 16 March 1668), was an English peer who was a Royalist officer in the English Civil War. He survived the war only to be mortally wounded in a duel with the Duke of Buckingh ...
, which ended in the latter's death.
Like most of his family, he was a
Stuart loyalist, and lost his positions following the November 1688
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
. He refused to swear allegiance to the new regime of
Mary II
Mary II (30 April 166228 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.
Mary was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, and his first wife ...
and
William III William III or William the Third may refer to:
Kings
* William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198)
* William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702)
* William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
, but did not take part in any
Jacobite plots.
He died in March 1714; his property was left to his grandson,
John Ivory-Talbot (1691–1772).
Biography
![Lacock Abbey from south, Wiltshire, UK - Diliff](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Lacock_Abbey_from_south%2C_Wiltshire%2C_UK_-_Diliff.jpg)
John Talbot was born on 7 June 1630, the eldest surviving son of Colonel Sharington Talbot (1599–1677), and Jane Lyttelton. He had a sister, Elizabeth (died 1709).
Related to the
Earls of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Irelan ...
, the Talbots' main estates were in
Salwarpe, Worcestershire. They acquired
Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire through his great-grandmother, Olive, who died at the age of 97 in 1646. Like John himself, both his uncle
Sir Gilbert and father lived into their 80s, as did many other close relatives.
In 1653, he married Elizabeth Keyt, who died in childbirth in 1656, and was buried with her infant son in
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, on top of an 800-foot (244 m) hill at the junction of main roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429), which is of Roman origin. The town was found ...
. He married again in 1660, this time to Barbara Slingsby (1633 –1703), daughter of
Sir Henry Slingsby
Sir Henry Slingsby of Scriven, 1st Baronet, 14 January 1602 – 8 June 1658, was an English landowner, politician and soldier who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1625 and 1642. He supported the Royalist cause during the War ...
, executed in 1658 for plotting against the
Protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
. They had three daughters who lived to adulthood; Anne (1665–1720), Barbara (1671–1763), and Gilberta (1675–1746). His estates were inherited by his grandson
John Ivory-Talbot (1691–1772), son of Anne and her husband Sir John Ivory.
Career
In the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...
, his father played a prominent role in raising
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
for
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, and garrisoned Lacock Abbey until its capture in September 1645. He was imprisoned for a year, and eventually released after paying a fine of £2,000; John's uncle,
Sir Gilbert, was arrested in 1650 on suspicion of
conspiring to restore Charles II, and went into exile.
![Barbara Talbot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Barbara_Talbot.jpg)
In August 1659, Talbot was briefly arrested for alleged complicity in Booth's Rising, a Royalist rebellion easily crushed by
John Lambert John Lambert may refer to:
*John Lambert (martyr) (died 1538), English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII
*John Lambert (general) (1619–1684), Parliamentary general in the English Civil War
*John Lambert of Creg Clare (''fl.'' c. ...
. In the lead up to the
1660 Restoration
The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to be ...
, he was elected for
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
in the
Convention Parliament, and knighted by
Charles II at Whitehall on 6 June 1660. He was made captain in a company of the
Foot Guards in February 1661.
In April, he was elected to the
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...
as MP for
Knaresborough
Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate.
History
Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenares ...
, a constituency controlled by the Slingsby family. He played an active role in co-ordinating votes in Parliament, and like his uncle, was closely associated with the
Duke of Ormond
The peerage title Earl of Ormond and the related titles Duke of Ormonde and Marquess of Ormonde have a long and complex history. An earldom of Ormond has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.
History of Ormonde titles
The earldom ...
.
English politics was riven by factionalism, which combined with a passion for duelling often resulted in violence. Talbot took part in two famous duels involving his relatives, the first in 1666 between
Thomas Belasyse and
Thomas Osborne, later Lord Danby, then a supporter of the
Duke of Buckingham
Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham.
...
. In January 1668, he acted for
Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury
Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury, 11th Earl of Waterford (1623 – 16 March 1668), was an English peer who was a Royalist officer in the English Civil War. He survived the war only to be mortally wounded in a duel with the Duke of Buckingh ...
in a duel with Buckingham, in which the Earl was fatally wounded. At the time, it was common for seconds to participate; Talbot was also injured, one of Buckingham's supporters killed.
When the
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo-Dutch War ( nl, Derde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog), 27 March 1672 to 19 February 1674, was a naval conflict between the Dutch Republic and England, in alliance with France. It is considered a subsidiary of the wider 1672 to 1678 ...
began in March 1672, Talbot was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Barbados Dragoons, which was disbanded after the
Treaty of Westminster in February 1674. England re-entered the
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...
in March 1678 after signing a defensive alliance with the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
; Talbot was appointed colonel of a Regiment of Dragoons, but the war ended before it saw service.
The 1679
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
was dominated by the
Exclusion Crisis
The Exclusion Crisis ran from 1679 until 1681 in the reign of King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. Three Exclusion bills sought to exclude the King's brother and heir presumptive, James, Duke of York, from the thrones of England, Sc ...
, over whether the Catholic
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
could succeed his brother as king. Talbot was MP for
Chippenham
Chippenham is a market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village ...
; in
Lord Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II. He had already succeeded his fa ...
's analysis of MPs, he is marked as opposing exclusion, or 'Vile'. In addition to his military offices, he is listed as receiving '£800 per year from the Wiltshire Excise, and the reversion of the
Jewel Office', then held by Sir Gilbert.
Described by the French ambassador as 'very Protestant, and very Royalist', he summarised the dilemma of many, who supported James' right to the throne, but opposed concessions to Catholicism in general. In 1681, Talbot was elected for
Ludgershall; the return was disputed,
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
dissolved within a week, and he never took his seat.
James succeeded as monarch in February 1685, and in March, Talbot was elected for
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...
in the
Loyal Parliament
Loyal may refer to:
* Loyalty
Music
* ''Loyal'' (album), by Dave Dobbyn, 1988
** "Loyal" (Dave Dobbyn song)
* '' The Loyal'', an album by Tiger Lou, 2005
* "Loyal" (Chris Brown song), 2013
* "Loyal" (PartyNextDoor song), 2019
* "Loyal", a son ...
, so-called for the large majority who backed his right to the throne. When the
Monmouth rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, the Revolt of the West or the West Country rebellion, was an attempt to depose James II, who in February 1685 succeeded his brother Charles II as king of England, Scotland and Ir ...
began in June, he raised a troop of horse, which was disbanded after the revolt collapsed. However, James used the opportunity to expand the Royal Army, and Talbot became lieutenant-colonel of
Lord Peterborough's dragoons.
In a measure of how seriously James misjudged the situation, Parliament refused to pass his religious policies, which were seen as undermining the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. It was suspended in November 1685, and not held again during his reign. At the same time, resistance within the army to the appointment of Catholic officers resulted in the resignation of many senior officers. They included
Lord Lumley, whom Talbot replaced as colonel of the
Queen Dowager's dragoons in January 1687.
By 1688, James had alienated much of his support base, except for loyalists like Talbot, and his uncle, Sir Gilbert. In the November 1688
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
,
William of Orange landed in
Torbay
Torbay is a borough and unitary authority in Devon, south west England. It is governed by Torbay Council and consists of of land, including the resort towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, located on east-facing Tor Bay, part of Lyme ...
. The majority of the Royal Army defected, Talbot being one of the few to return his commission to James in person, on 20 December 1688.
This ended his military career; in 1690, he refused to swear allegiance to
Mary II
Mary II (30 April 166228 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.
Mary was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, and his first wife ...
and
William III William III or William the Third may refer to:
Kings
* William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198)
* William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702)
* William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
, which meant he was ineligible for any public offices. Many
High Church Tories like Talbot did so because they felt bound by their original oath, not necessarily because they were
Jacobites
Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to:
Religion
* Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include:
** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometime ...
; he was briefly held during the Jacobite invasion scare of 1692, and remained sympathetic, but does not appear to have been an active participant.
He died on 13 March 1714, leaving his estates to his grandson, James Ivory Talbot. He was buried in
St Cyriac's Church, Lacock
St Cyriac's Church is a 14th-century Church of England church, located in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire.
History
The Norman architecture base to the current church, funded jointly by local landowners Edward of Salisbury of Lacock and William I ...
; his tomb was removed during 19th century renovation works, but parts of it were re-used for the 1914–1918 village war memorial.
Notes
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Talbot, John
1630 births
1714 deaths
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) officers
Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) officers
English generals
English MPs 1660
English MPs 1661–1679
English MPs 1679
English MPs 1685–1687
Members of the Parliament of England for Worcestershire
Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Wiltshire
Grenadier Guards officers
English duellists