George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
Encyclopedia
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG
, Earl Marshal
(1528 – 18 November 1590) was a 16th century English
statesman.
and Mary Dacre. In early life he saw active military service, when he took part in the invasion of Scotland under the Protector Somerset. He was sent by his father in October 1557 to the relief of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
pent up in Alnwick Castle
. He then remained for some months in service on the border, with five hundred horsemen under his command.
In 1560, he inherited the Earldom of Shrewsbury
, the Barony of Furnivall
and the position of Justice in Eyre
, which had been his father's. One year later, he was created a Knight of the Garter
, and in 1567, he married Bess of Hardwick
in a double wedding with their two eldest children from previous marriages.
Shrewsbury was selected as the keeper of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I
in 1568 after she had escaped to England from Scotland following the disastrous Battle of Langside
. Elizabeth imposed the responsible task of guarding Mary on him, and did not allow him to resign the charge for around 18 years. For this and other reasons his marriage became rocky.
Shrewsbury received his ward at Tutbury
on 2 February 1569, but in June he removed to Wingfield Manor
. There a rescue was attempted by Leonard Dacre
. The Earl had several houses and castles in the interior of the kingdom, in any of which Mary might be kept with little danger. In September the household was back again at Tutbury, where an additional guard or spy, temporarily joined the family in the person of Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
. In November took place the Northern Rebellion, with the revolt of the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, who planned to march on Tutbury. Mary was for the time being moved to Coventry
, and did not return until the following January. In May 1570 Shrewsbury conducted her to Chatsworth
, and he foiled another cabal for her release. Cecil and Mildmay visited Chatsworth in October, and agreed Mary's removal to Sheffield Castle
(Shrewsbury's principal seat), which took place shortly afterwards. At Sheffield, apart from occasional visits to the baths at Buxton
, to Chatsworth, or to the old Hardwick Hall
, she remained under Shrewsbury's guardianship for the next fourteen years. During the winter 1571-2 the earl was in London, the queen during his absence being left in charge of Sir Ralph Sadler.
Meanwhile, in 1571, Lord Shrewsbury was appointed Lord High Steward
(the premier Great Office of State) for the trial of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
(regarding the Ridolfi plot
). Finally, in 1572, Lord Shrewsbury was appointed Earl Marshal
, a position that he held (along with the aforementioned position of Justice in Eyre) until his death in 1590. He was buried in the Shrewsbury chapel at Sheffield Parish Church
(now Sheffield Cathedral), where a large monument to him can still be seen.
, Shrewsbury had issue:
and three daughters; of these,
By his second wife Shrewsbury had no issue.
historical fiction novel, The Other Queen
.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
(1528 – 18 November 1590) was a 16th century English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
statesman.
Life
Talbot was the only son of Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of ShrewsburyFrancis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury
Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury, 5th Earl of Waterford, 11th Baron Talbot KG was the son of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury and Anne Hastings....
and Mary Dacre. In early life he saw active military service, when he took part in the invasion of Scotland under the Protector Somerset. He was sent by his father in October 1557 to the relief of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
Blessed Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, 1st Baron Percy, KG , led the Rising of the North and was executed for treason. He was later beatified by the Catholic Church.-Early life:...
pent up in Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. It is the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:Alnwick...
. He then remained for some months in service on the border, with five hundred horsemen under his command.
In 1560, he inherited the Earldom of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
, the Barony of Furnivall
Baron Furnivall
Baron Furnivall is an ancient title in the Peerage of England. It was originally created when Thomas de Furnivall was summoned to the Model Parliament of 1295 as Lord Furnivall. The barony eventually passed to Thomas Nevill, who had married the first baron's descendant Joan de Furnivall, and he...
and the position of Justice in Eyre
Justice in Eyre
In English law, the Justices in Eyre were the highest magistrates in forest law, and presided over the court of justice-seat, a triennial court held to punish offenders against the forest law and enquire into the state of the forest and its officers...
, which had been his father's. One year later, he was created a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, and in 1567, he married Bess of Hardwick
Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
in a double wedding with their two eldest children from previous marriages.
Shrewsbury was selected as the keeper of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1568 after she had escaped to England from Scotland following the disastrous Battle of Langside
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside, fought on 13 May 1568, was one of the more unusual contests in Scottish history, bearing a superficial resemblance to a grand family quarrel, in which a mother fought her brother who was defending the rights of her infant son...
. Elizabeth imposed the responsible task of guarding Mary on him, and did not allow him to resign the charge for around 18 years. For this and other reasons his marriage became rocky.
Shrewsbury received his ward at Tutbury
Tutbury
Tutbury is a large village and civil parish of about 3,000 residents in the English county of Staffordshire.It is surrounded by the agricultural countryside of both Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The site has been inhabited for over 3000 years, with Iron Age defensive ditches encircling the main...
on 2 February 1569, but in June he removed to Wingfield Manor
Wingfield Manor
Wingfield Manor is a deserted and ruined manor house some 4 miles from the town of Alfreton in the English county of Derbyshire...
. There a rescue was attempted by Leonard Dacre
Leonard Dacre
Leonard Dacre was an English nobleman, one of the promoters of the Northern Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth.-Life:He was the second son of William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre of Gilsland and brother of Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre....
. The Earl had several houses and castles in the interior of the kingdom, in any of which Mary might be kept with little danger. In September the household was back again at Tutbury, where an additional guard or spy, temporarily joined the family in the person of Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
Sir Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, KG KB was the eldest son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole.-Ancestry:...
. In November took place the Northern Rebellion, with the revolt of the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, who planned to march on Tutbury. Mary was for the time being moved to Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, and did not return until the following January. In May 1570 Shrewsbury conducted her to Chatsworth
Chatsworth
-Places:Australia* Chatsworth, Queensland* Electoral district of Chatsworth, Queensland, AustraliaCanada* Chatsworth, Ontario, a township* Chatsworth, Ontario , located within above townshipSouth Africa* Chatsworth, Durban* Chatsworth, Western Cape...
, and he foiled another cabal for her release. Cecil and Mildmay visited Chatsworth in October, and agreed Mary's removal to Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been constructed on the site at some time in the century...
(Shrewsbury's principal seat), which took place shortly afterwards. At Sheffield, apart from occasional visits to the baths at Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
, to Chatsworth, or to the old Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall , in Derbyshire, is one of the most significant Elizabethan country houses in England. In common with its architect Robert Smythson's other works at both Longleat House and Wollaton Hall, Hardwick Hall is one of the earliest examples of the English interpretation of the Renaissance...
, she remained under Shrewsbury's guardianship for the next fourteen years. During the winter 1571-2 the earl was in London, the queen during his absence being left in charge of Sir Ralph Sadler.
Lord High Steward
The position of Lord High Steward of England is the first of the Great Officers of State. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, except at coronations and during the trials of peers in the House of Lords, when the Lord High Steward presides. In general, but not invariably, the Lord...
(the premier Great Office of State) for the trial of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
(regarding the Ridolfi plot
Ridolfi plot
The Ridolfi plot was a plot in 1570 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The plot was hatched and planned by Roberto di Ridolfi, an international banker who was able to travel between Brussels, Rome and Madrid to gather support without attracting...
). Finally, in 1572, Lord Shrewsbury was appointed Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
, a position that he held (along with the aforementioned position of Justice in Eyre) until his death in 1590. He was buried in the Shrewsbury chapel at Sheffield Parish Church
Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914...
(now Sheffield Cathedral), where a large monument to him can still be seen.
Family
By his first wife Gertrude Manners, daughter of Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of RutlandThomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland
Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, 13th Baron de Ros of Helmsley was created an earl by King Henry VIII of England in 1525.-Family background:...
, Shrewsbury had issue:
- Francis, Lord Talbot, who married, in 1562, Anne, daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, but died in his father's lifetime;
- GilbertGilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of ShrewsburyGilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was...
, Seventh Earl; - Henry;
- EdwardEdward Talbot, 8th Earl of ShrewsburyEdward Talbot, 8th Earl of Shrewsbury and 8th Earl of Waterford , was the younger brother and nearest male heir of Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, whom he succeeded as Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord High Steward of Ireland in 1616.He was born in Sheffield, the son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of...
, who succeeded Gilbert as Eighth Earl;
and three daughters; of these,
- Catherine (to whom Queen Elizabeth gave many tokens of friendship) married, in 1563, Henry, Lord HerbertHenry Herbert, 2nd Earl of PembrokeHenry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke KG was an English peer of the Elizabethan era.-Life:He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Parr. His aunt was queen consort Catherine Parr, last wife of King Henry VIII. Herbert was responsible for the costly restoration of Cardiff Castle...
(afterwards second Earl of Pembroke); - Mary married Sir George Savile of Barrowby, Lincolnshire;
- Grace married Henry, son and heir of Sir William CavendishWilliam CavendishSir William Cavendish was an English courtier.-Life:He was the younger son of Thomas Cavendish , who was a senior financial official, the "clerk of the pipe", in the Court of Exchequer, and his wife, Alice Smith of Padbrook Hall...
of Chatsworth.
By his second wife Shrewsbury had no issue.
In fiction
George Talbot is a primary character in the Philippa GregoryPhilippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
historical fiction novel, The Other Queen
The Other Queen
The Other Queen is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory, released in the United Kingdom in September 2008 and the United States in October 2008. It was released in Australia in June 2008. It covers the period of Mary, Queen of Scots' long imprisonment in England...
.