Thursday, October 17, 2013

Question from Bron - Henry Talbot, stepson of Bess of Hardwick

I can't find out much about this person: I know he was the one who was delegated to ride and tell Elizabeth about Mary's execution.

This is all I have:
Hon. Henry Talbot (1554 - January 20, 1596) was a younger son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and his first wife Gertrude Manners. In 1584, Henry and Edward had just returned from a long tour of France. He married Elizabeth Reyner (c.1556 - 1613), daughter of Sir William Reyner of Overton Longvile, Hunts Knight, and Elizabeth Lynne). They had two daughters, Gertrude (c1588 1649) and Mary (1595 1674/5). Henrys wife had an estate called Orton Longeville situated near Fotheringhay. His wife married secondly Sir Thomas Holcroft.

Any other information out there, please?

4 comments:

Marilyn Roberts said...

I seem to recall - although you would need to check - that the earl of Shrewsbury stayed with Henry and his wife at Orton Longeville either just before or during the trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Fotheringhay.

I would most likely have read it in David Durant's book on Bess of Hardwick, but I can't remember whether Henry figured much in the book as a whole.

Tracey said...

Henry figures very rarely in the bio of Bess of Hardwick, by Mary S. Lovell.

There are a few references to Henry acting as a court go-between for his father, while the Earl was in charge of Mary, QofS. There is a single sentence in the bio which states that the Earl did stay with Henry and his wife during the trial of Mary. As well, Henry was sent to Burghley with the news of the execution.

Henry Talbot, like his siblings, was unable to comfortably live on the small income from his father. He asked permission to sell/lease some of his property to pay debts, and the Earl refused. He was listed in his father's will to be an executor, but declined due to the expense.

Like so many other younger sons, Henry's life seems to be lost amongst the grand exploits of older brothers or, in this case, the animosity between his father and step-mother.

Numabiena said...

Thank you both! You are quite right: a cypher ..... thank you for taking the time and trouble to reply.

Marilyn Roberts said...

Thank you for taking the trouble to thank us.

I've had a look in a few other likely places but can find nothing more about him. (It was in David Durant's book I had seen the reference.)