George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury

George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury

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.

Life

Talbot was the only son of Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury 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.

Portrait, not contemporary (17th or 18th century).

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.

Family

By his first wife Gertrude Manners, daughter of Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, 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;
• Gilbert, Seventh Earl;
• Henry;
• Edward, 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 Herbert (afterwards second Earl of Pembroke);
• Mary married Sir George Savile of Barrowby, Lincolnshire;
• Grace married Henry, son and heir of Sir William Cavendish of Chatsworth.

By his second wife Shrewsbury had no issue.

In fiction

George Talbot is a primary character in the Philippa Gregory historical fiction novel, The Other Queen.

Notes

Legal offices
Preceded by The Earl of Shrewsbury	Justice in Eyre north of the Trent 1560–1590	Succeeded by The Earl of Shrewsbury
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Shrewsbury	Lord High Steward of Ireland 1560–1590	Succeeded by The Earl of Shrewsbury
Preceded by The Duke of Norfolk	Earl Marshal 1572–1590	Succeeded by In commission
Preceded by Unknown	Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire 1585–1590	Succeeded by The Earl of Shrewsbury
Preceded by Unknown	Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire 1585–1590	Vacant Title next held by The Earl of Essex
Preceded by The Earl of Rutland	Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire 1588–1590	Vacant Title next held by The Earl of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Peerage of England
Preceded by Francis Talbot	Earl of Shrewsbury 1560–1590	Succeeded by Gilbert Talbot
	Baron Talbot (writ in acceleration) (descended by acceleration) 1553–1589
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Francis Talbot	Earl of Waterford 1560–1590	Succeeded by Gilbert Talbot