Biography of Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury 1552-1616

On 28th April 1539 [his father] George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 11] and [his mother] Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 14] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland [aged 47] and [his grandmother] Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland [aged 44]. He the son of Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 39] and Mary Dacre. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 20th November 1552 Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury was born to [his father] George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 24] and [his mother] Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 27].

On 25th September 1560 [his grandfather] Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 60] died. His son [his father] George [aged 32] succeeded 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl Waterford, 11th Baron Furnivall, 15th Baron Strange Blackmere, 12th Baron Talbot. [his mother] Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 35] by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury Countess Waterford.

On 31st August 1565 George Vernon "King of the Peak" [aged 57] died. He was buried at All Saint's Church, Bakewell, Derbyshire [Map]. By his will of 18th August 1565 he bequeathed six Derbyshire manors and two in Staffordshire to his wife for life. His executors were to take the profits of his manor of Kibblestone, in Staffordshire, and two Cheshire manors for 16 years after his decease to pay his debts, funeral expenses and the fulfilment of his will, which included among numerous bequests the provision of one gold chain worth £20 to his godson, Gilbert Talbot [aged 12], the future 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 'as a remembrance of my good will towards him'. His wife, his son-in-law [his uncle] John Manners [aged 38], his brother-in-law Nicholas Longford [aged 33] and his 'loving neighbours and faithful friends Thomas Sutton and Richard Wennesley were each to receive £20 for their services as executors, while his 'right worshipful friends' (Sir) John Zouche II and Francis Leke [aged 55] were each to have a horse.

Monument with both his wives Margaret Tailboys and Maud aka Magdelan Longford each wearing a French Hood. Man with Two Wives.

On the left the arms of his second wife Margaret Tailboys, middle the arms of George Vernon "King of the Peak" and right the arms of his first wife Maud aka Magdelan Longford.

Before 16th January 1567 [his mother] Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 42] died. On 16th January 1567 she was buried in Sheffield Cathedral [Map].

On 6th February 1568 Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 15] and Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 12] were married. She the daughter of William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 41]. He the son of George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 40] and Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford. They were sixth cousins.

Three days later on Gilbert and Mary would become step-siblings when their father and mother respectively George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and Bess of Hardwick were married. She by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury Countess Waterford. It is likely the latter marriage a condition of the former. He the son of Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury and Mary Dacre. They were fifth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 9th February 1568 [his brother-in-law] Henry Cavendish [aged 17] and [his sister] Grace Talbot [aged 18] were married. The marriage, unhappy, produced no issue. She being the daughter of his step-father [his father] George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 40]. She the daughter of George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and [his mother] Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford. He the son of William Cavendish and [his step-mother] Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 41]. They were sixth cousins.

On 17th March 1570 William Herbert 1st Earl Pembroke [aged 69] died at Hampton Court Palace, Richmond [Map]. His son [his brother-in-law] Henry [aged 32] succeeded 2nd Earl Pembroke. [his sister] Catherine Talbot Countess Pembroke [aged 20] by marriage Countess Pembroke.

In 1574 Charles Stewart 5th Earl Lennox [aged 16] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Lennox [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Countess Lennox. She the daughter of William Cavendish and [his step-mother] Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 47]. He the son of Matthew Stewart 4th Earl Lennox and Margaret Douglas Countess Lennox [aged 58].

On 12th May 1576 [his sister] Catherine Talbot Countess Pembroke [aged 26] died.

Around 21st March 1580 [his brother-in-law] William Cavendish 1st Earl Devonshire [aged 27] and Anne Keighley [aged 17] were married. He the son of William Cavendish and [his step-mother] Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 53].

In 1582 [his daughter] Elizabeth Talbot Countess Kent was born to Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 29] and [his wife] Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 25]. She married 16th November 1601 her fourth cousin once removed Henry Grey 8th Earl Kent, son of Charles Grey 7th Earl Kent and Susan Cotton Countess Kent.

On 21st January 1582 [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Lennox [aged 26] died.

In 1583 [his brother] Edward Talbot 8th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 21] and [his sister-in-law] Joane Ogle Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury Countess Waterford. He the son of [his father] George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 55] and [his mother] Gertrude Manners Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford. They were fourth cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward IV of England.

In 1585 [his daughter] Alethea Talbot Countess Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk was born to Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 32] and [his wife] Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 28] at Sheffield [Map]. She married before 1607 her third cousin Thomas Howard 14th or 21st Earl of Arundel 4th Earl of Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk, son of Philip Howard 13th or 20th Earl of Arundel and Anne Dacre Countess Arundel, and had issue.

On 18th November 1590 [his father] George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 62] died. He was buried at Sheffield Cathedral [Map]. His son Gilbert [aged 37] succeeded 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl Waterford, 12th Baron Furnivall, 16th Baron Strange Blackmere, 13th Baron Talbot. [his wife] Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 34] by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury Countess Waterford.

In 1592 Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 39] was appointed 376th Knight of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 58].

Around 1594 [his daughter] Mary Talbot Countess Pembroke was born to Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 41] and [his wife] Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 37]. She married 4th November 1604 her fourth cousin once removed William Herbert 3rd Earl Pembroke, son of Henry Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke and Mary Sidney Countess Pembroke.

On 16th November 1601 [his son-in-law] Henry Grey 8th Earl Kent [aged 18] and Elizabeth Talbot Countess Kent [aged 19] were married at St Martin in the Fields Church [Map]. She by marriage Countess Kent. She the daughter of Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 48] and Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 45]. He the son of Charles Grey 7th Earl Kent and Susan Cotton Countess Kent [aged 49]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

After 1603 [his brother-in-law] William Cavendish 1st Earl Devonshire [aged 50] and Elizabeth Boughton Countess Devonshire [aged 35] were married. He the son of William Cavendish and [his step-mother] Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 76].

On 4th November 1604 [his son-in-law] William Herbert 3rd Earl Pembroke [aged 24] and Mary Talbot Countess Pembroke [aged 10] were married at Shrewsbury, Shropshire [Map]. She by marriage Countess Pembroke. She the daughter of Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 51] and Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 48]. He the son of Henry Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke and Mary Sidney Countess Pembroke [aged 43]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

In 1605 [his brother-in-law] William Cavendish 1st Earl Devonshire [aged 52] was created 1st Baron Cavendish Hardwick. Elizabeth Boughton Countess Devonshire [aged 37] by marriage Baroness Cavendish Hardwick.

Before 1607 [his son-in-law] Thomas Howard 14th or 21st Earl of Arundel 4th Earl of Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 21] and Alethea Talbot Countess Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Countess Arundel, Countess Surrey. She the daughter of Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 54] and Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 50]. He the son of Philip Howard 13th or 20th Earl of Arundel and Anne Dacre Countess Arundel [aged 49]. They were third cousins.

Diary of Anne Clifford. 3rd May 1616. Upon the 3rd came Baskett¹ down from London and brought me a letter from my Lord [aged 27] by which I might see it was his pleasure that the Child should go the next day to London, which at the first was somewhat grievous to me, but when I considered that it would both make my Lord more angry with me and be worse for the Child, I resolved to let her go, after I had sent for Mr Legg and talked with him about that and other matters and wept bitterly.²

Note 1. Mr. Peter Baskett, Gentleman of the Horse.

Note 2. My Lady Margaret lay in the Great Dorset House. For now my Lord and his whole company was removed from the Lesser Dorset House where I lay when I was first married.

About this time died my Lord of Shrewsbury [aged 63] at his House in Broad Street.

On 8th May 1616 Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 63] died. His daughter Alethea [aged 31] succeeded 13th Baroness Furnivall, 17th Baroness Strange Blackmere, 14th Baroness Talbot. His brother Edward [aged 55] succeeded 8th Earl of Shrewsbury, 8th Earl Waterford.

Diary of Anne Clifford. 28th April 1619. The 28th my Lord [aged 30] and I, my Coz. Sackville and Lady Windsor went to the Tower to see my Lady Somerset [aged 28], where we saw her little child [aged 3]¹. My Lord went to see Earl of Northumberland [aged 55]² and I and the Lady Windsor went to see Lady Shrewsbury [aged 63]³, and after supper my Lord and I went by water to Channel Row to see my Lord of Hertford [aged 79]⁴ and his Lady [aged 40] where we found my Lady Beauchamp⁵, my Lord Essex's [aged 28] Sister, then I went to Arundel House and talked with her about Lords being made Knights of the Garter.

Note 1. "Her little Child," Anne Carr, afterwards married to William 5th Earl and 1st Duke of Bedford [aged 2].

Note 2. Henry, 6th Earl, a Prisoner since the time of the Gunpowder Plot.

Note 3. Mary Cavendish, wife of Gilbert 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, was sent to the Tower in June 1611, at the same time with her niece the Lady Arabella Stuart first cousin of King James. Lady Arabella died, in the Tower, in 1615.

Note 4. Earl of Hertford son of Protector Somerset, and his 3rd wife Frances, d. of Thomas Viscount Howard of Bindon, widow of Henry Pranell, Esq., and married, 3rdly to Ludovick Stuart Duke of Lenox and Richmond [aged 44].

Note 5. Lady Frances Devereux [aged 19], and wife of William Lord Beauchamp [aged 31], afterwards Marquis of Hertford; daughter of Queen Elizabeth's favourite, and sister of the Parliament's General.

In April 1632 [his former wife] Mary Cavendish Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 76] died.