Sir William Talbot, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir William Talbot, 1st Baronet (who died in 1634), was an important Irish lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for County Kildare from 1613 to 1615. In 1628, he helped negotiate something called the Graces. Many people remember him best as the father of Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell.

Early Life and Family Background

William Talbot was born to Robert Talbot of Carton, a place in County Kildare, and his mother, Genet FitzGerald. His father, Robert, was the third son of Thomas Talbot from Malahide, County Dublin. William's family, the Talbots, were known as "Old English" in Ireland. This means they were descendants of English settlers who came to Ireland many centuries ago. A famous judge named Sir Thomas Talbot (died 1487) was William's great-great-grandfather.

William's mother, Genet, was the daughter of Thomas fitz Bartholomew Fitzgerald.

Becoming a Lawyer

William studied law and became a very good lawyer in Dublin. Around 1603, he was chosen to be the Recorder of Dublin. This was an important legal job, like a chief judge for the city. However, William was a strong Catholic. At that time, people who were not Protestant faced difficulties holding public jobs. Because he was Catholic and refused to change his religion (this was called recusancy), he was soon removed from his position.

Marriage and Children

By 1608, William Talbot married Alison, who was the daughter of John Netterville from Castleton in County Meath.

William and Alison had a large family with eight sons and eight daughters:

• Sons:
  • Robert (born 1608), who took over his father's title.
  • John
  • Garret (died before 1671), who married Margaret Gaydon. He was the father of William, the 3rd baronet.
  • James
  • Thomas, who became a Franciscan friar and worked as a chaplain for Queen Henrietta Maria.
  • Peter (1620–1680), who became a Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.
  • Gilbert, who was an officer during the Confederate Wars in Ireland. He married Dorothy Boyle.
  • Richard (around 1625 – 1691), who became the Earl of Tyrconnell and a very important leader in Ireland under King James II. He helped change the Royal Irish Army before the Williamite War.

• Daughters:
  • Mary, who married Sir John Dongan, 2nd Baronet. They had many children, including Sir Walter Dongan, 3rd Baronet, William Dongan, 1st Earl of Limerick, and Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick.
  • Bridget
  • Margaret (died 1662), who married Sir Henry Talbot of Templeogue.
  • Frances, who married James Cusack. They had three sons: Thomas, William, and Nicholas.
  • Elizabeth
  • Jane
  • Catherine
  • Eleanor, who married Sir Henry O'Neill, 1st Baronet. She was the mother of Sir Neil O'Neill and Rose O'Neill.

Political Life and Challenges

Member of Parliament

On April 13, 1613, William Talbot was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for County Kildare in the Irish Parliament (1613–1615). He became the main legal advisor for the Roman Catholic members in the Irish House of Commons. Even though Catholics were a minority, they had many members.

During a very heated debate about choosing the Speaker of the House, William Talbot argued that members who were elected unfairly should not be allowed to vote.

Meeting King James I

On May 30, 1613, the House chose Talbot as one of the people to tell King James I about the unfair ways elections were held. They also wanted to complain about how Irish Catholics were being treated.

William traveled to England in July and was questioned by the King's advisors, the Privy Council. They asked him about his actions in the Irish Parliament. During this meeting, a religious leader named Archbishop George Abbot asked Talbot what he thought about a book that seemed to say Catholics had the right to kill a king who was not Catholic. Talbot hesitated but said that King James was the rightful King.

The council was not happy with his answers. On July 17, Talbot was sent to the Tower of London, a famous prison. On November 13, 1613, a court called the Star Chamber ordered him to pay a huge fine of £10,000.

However, on July 5, 1614, William Talbot was released and allowed to go back to Ireland. His large fine was probably cancelled. The King said he did not want to force Irish Catholics to change their religion. After this, Talbot supported the government but did not get involved in politics as much.

Becoming a Baronet

On February 4, 1623, William Talbot was given the title of baronet, which meant he became Sir William. A baronet is a special title that is passed down through the family, similar to a knight but hereditary. After this, he also received some grants of land.

Negotiating the Graces

In 1628, William Talbot was one of 11 people sent from Ireland to England to talk with the King. Their goal was to negotiate something called the Graces. These were promises from the King to give more rights and protections to Irish Catholics, especially regarding their land and religious freedom.

Death

Sir William Talbot passed away on March 16, 1634. He was buried in Laraghbryan Cemetery, which is located outside Maynooth. His eldest son, Robert, then became the 2nd baronet.

Images for kids

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  Tyrconnell, Sir William Talbot's 8th son.