WHOEVER Considers the numerous accidents and decays, to which great families are liable from the waves and weather of time, will look with some respect and wonder on those, whose male line has survived in the Baronial rank for upwards of seven centuries. This family is said a to be in England before the Norman conquest; but the first I find mentioned in our records is witnesses to that grant which RICHARD DE TALBOT, one of the Walter Giffard Earl of Buckingham made to the monks of Cerasie in Normandy, in the reign of William the Conqueror, which commenced October 14th, 1066. And in doomsday-book he is mentioned to hold nine hides of the said Walter; also by other authorities he is said to have great possessions in the time of the Inscript. Tumuli apud Sheffield. b Mon. Ang. vol. ii. p. 960, n. 50. < Lillie's Pedig. of the Nobility, MS. p. 7. penes Joh. Com. Egmont. VOL. III. Conqueror; among d which were lands in Bedfordshire. This Richard married the daughter of Gerard, and sister of Hugh de Gournay; and by her had two sons, first, Geffery, a military partizan of Maud the Empress, in whose cause he exercised much cruelty; and for whom he fortified the castle of Hereford; and a benefactor to the monks of Rochester, to whom he gave his lordship of Little Wrotham in Kent; from whom descended the Talbots of Bashall and Thornhill in Yorkshire; and, second, Hugh, ancestor to the Earls of Shrewsbury and Talbot. HUGH, the youngest son of the aforesaid Richard, was made governor of the castle of Plessy in 1118, by his uncle Hugh de Gournay, who was then in rebellion against Henry I. and had slain the governor put in by the King. The said Hugh Talbot 5 having been a benefactor to the monks of Beaubeck (in Normandy), at length he took the habit of a monk in that monastery, leaving issue Richard, William, and Hugh, by his wife Beatrix, daughter of William Mandeville. Which RICHARD, A. D. 1153, ratified his father's gifts to those monks; and obtained from King Henry II. a grant i of the lordship of Eccleswall and Linton, in com. Hereford, which King Richard I. afterwards confirmed for 200 marks. He married a daughter of Stephen Bulmer, of Appletree-wick, in Yorkshire; and was succeeded by GILBERT Talbot, his son and heir, who in 12 Henry II. held one knight's fee in Linton, of Robert de Ewyas,' who was present at the coronation of King Richard I. in the fifth of whose reign he had lands given him in Lintone, for the custody of the castle of Ludlow; and in 1199," gave a fine of forty shillings that he might not go beyond sea; also that he might have the scutage of his own demesnes. In 7 John, this Gilbert paid ten marks for his scutage, then assessed at two marks for each knight's fee. He left issue RICHARD, P who married Aliva, the daughter of Alan Basset, E. MS. Pergam. Famil Stanley, penes Jac. nup.com. Derb. • Gesta Regis Stephani, 951. D. Ex Autog penes Arth. Agard. Vice Cam Scacc. Ibid. 'Lib. Rub Scacc sub tit. Heref. n Rot. Pip. 1 Joh. Heref. Rot Pip. 7 Joh. Heref. Placit. apud Heref. pro Maner de Linton. 2 E. I. Test. de Neyil. Som et Dors. Baron of Wicombe, in com. Bucks, sister to Gilbert Basset, justice of England. She was the widow of Dru de Montacute, and had issue Gilbert, and Richard, elected bishop of London 46 Hen. III. but died before consecration." The said GILBERT held three castles in the marches of Wales, for Edward Prince of Wales, on the insurrection of the Welsh under Llewellin, in 1256, and, as * Peter de Montfort signified to the King, was the only great man in those parts that kept his posts, and did service there; and since he had nothing left to defend himself, he desired men and money. In 44 Hen. III. he was made governor of the castles of Grosmond, Skenfrith, and Blancminster; and the year after was" constituted one of the justices itinerant for the county of Hereford. In 47 Hen. III, on the disturbances of the Welsh in the marches, he was commanded by the King to fortify the castles before-mentioned, y as also the castle of Monmouth; and in 1268 was appointed, among others, to be at Monmouth on September 14th, and settle matters for the better maintaining the peace included between the King of England, and Llewellin Prince of Wales. He departed this life 1274, being then seized of the manors of Longhope and Redley, com. Glouc. and of Eccleswell, and Linton, com. Heref.; and having married Guenthlian, or Guendeline, daughter of Rhese ap Griffith, Prince of South Wales, left issue by her Richard his son and heir, twenty-four years of age at the time of his decease. And in respect of the said marriage, his descendants relinquished their paternal arms, viz. bendy of ten pieces, Argent and Gules; and bore a lion rampant, Or, in a field, Gules, with a bordure engrailed of the first: which were the arms of the said Rhese and his ancestors, Princes of Wales. b с The said RICHARD Talbot, Baron of Eccleswell, was in that a expedition made into Wales 10 Edw. I. as also in the wars of In 18 Hen III. William Talbot had the custody of the castle at Bristol; and was sheriff of Gloucestershire for the one half of that year; as also for the 19, 20, and 21 Hen. III. Rot. Pip. de iisd ann. Glouc. Gascoigne in 24 and 25 Edw. I. and was constituted governor g of the castle of Cardiffe. He had summons to attend Prince Edward upon the day of St. Nicholas, 25 Edw. I. at Newcastle upon Tyne, to prevent an incursion of the Scots. In 28 Edw. I. he was sheriff of Gloucester; and in 29 Edw. I. subscribed that letter to the Pope for asserting the right of King Edward to the superior dominion of the realm of Scotland. This Richard married Sarah (or, as others, Julian) daughter of William Beauchamp, Baron of Elmley, and Earl of Warwick; and in 1306 departed this life, seized of the manor of Eccleswell, with its members, viz. Weston, Ruford, Linton, Waburton, Coton, and Credenhull; leaving Sir Gilbert his son and heir, and two other sons, Richard, who in right of Joan his wife, daughter and coheir of Hugh de Mortimer, of Richard's Castle, com. Heref. became lord of that manor; m and Thomas, with a daughter Joan, married, first, to John Carew of Mulesford, and secondly, to John de Dartmouth. n Sir GILBERT, the eldest son, was in that expedition made into Scotland in 1298, and having been a partaker with Thomas Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster, in the murder of Piers de Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, had his pardon for the same. In 12 Edw. II. he was P in that expedition made into Scotland; but in 15 Edw. II. the King ordered Richard Lovel, constable of Bristol castle, to seize and imprison this Gilbert Talbot, Richard Talbot, and other rebellious Barons, Also the year after, 1322, having been governor of the town and castle of Gloucester, he was commanded to render up that trust unto Hugh le Despenser the younger. As he had been of the party of Thomas Earl of Lancaster in his rebellious insurrection about that time, he was constrained to enter into a recognizance to pay 2007. as also 20007. more, with one ton of wine, to save his life, and repossess his estate but judgment being given in the parliament (held before the end of that year) that the quarrel wherein he had been so en Rot. Vascon 24 E. I. m. 17. Rot. Vascon. 25 E. I. m. 2. Ex Autog. penes Thes. * Rot. J. Rous г Claus 25 E. I. m 8. h Rot. Scoc. 25 E. I. et Camer. Scacc. Esc. 34 E. I. n. ult. His grandson left five daughters his coheirs. Dug Bar. vol. i. p. 335. "Rot. Scoc :6 E. I. m. 9. Rot. Scoc. 12 E. II. m. 13. o Pat 7 E. II. p. 1. 9 Pat. 16 E. II. p. 1. m. 17. Rot. Fin. 16 E. II. m 25, in cedula. gaged was just, he had pardon for the payment of that money; and, upon petition to King Edward III. in 1327, obtained a full discharge from that recognizance. Moreover, being then banneret," he became so active for the King in all his military affairs, that there was then due to him 116/. 3s. 8d. for the service of himself and his men at arms. X In 2 Edw. III. being lord chamberlain to the King, he obtained a chartery for free warren in all his demesne lands at Eccleswell and Credenhill in com. Heref. and Longhope in com. Glouc. In 1329 he, with his eldest son Richard, embarked with the King for France, who was going to settle his affairs in Aquitain, and to do homage for that duchy to the French King, Philip VI. In 4 Edw. III. he was constituted a justice of South Wales, in which office he substituted Rhese ap Griffith (his nephew) Lieutenant. e ს In 12 Edw. III. he had claim to the castle of Kyrekenny, and cantred Iskenny (which were the lands of Leoline ap Rhese Vaughan, his ancestor) but they having been united to the crown by act of parliament, temp. Edw. I. were past recovery: and having obtained a grant from Edw. III. d of the castle and lordships of Blenlevenny and Bulkedinas for life, in consideration of his laudable services, he had another grant of the inheritance of them in 21 Edw. III. He was summoned to parliament from 4 until 18 Edw. III. and departed this lifes in 1353: whereupon Sir Richard, his son and heir, (by Anne his wife, daughter of William Lord Boteler of Wem) entered upon the inheritance, being then about thirty-four years of age. In 26 Edw. III. he was charged with the finding of twenty men, well armed, for the King's service, out of his lands of Blenlevenny, Kirk Howel, and Stredewy, in Wales. h This Sir RICHARD resided at Goderich castle in com. Heref. which be had with his wife and in his father's lifetime had given proofs of his courage and loyalty to the King, being a : b Plac. coram Gilb. Talbot 18 E. III. Plac. coram Rege T. Mich. 12 E. III. et Plac. de T. Mich 19 E. III. |