William Talbot (Jacobite)
William Talbot (died 1689) of Ballinamony in County Wexford, also known as Wicked Will, was an Irish Jacobite. He represented Wexford Borough in the Patriot Parliament. He fought for James II during the Williamite War in Ireland at the Siege of Derry where he was wounded and taken captive. He died of his wounds while a prisoner of war in the besieged city.
William Talbot | |
|---|---|
| Esquire of Ballinamony (Castle Talbot) | |
| Died | 26 June 1689 Derry |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Masterson |
| Issue Detail | Roger & others |
| Father | Walter Talbot |
| Mother | Elinor Esmonde |
Birth and origins
William was probably born in County Wexford, Ireland, son of Walter Talbot and his wife Elinor Esmonde. His father was esquire of Ballinamony (later called Talbot Castle) near [[Blackwater, County Wexford]|]. His father was high sheriff of County Wexford in 1649. His father's family was Old English and Catholic, a cadet branch of the Talbots.[1]
His mother was a daughter of William Esmonde, esquire of Johnstown, County Wexford.[2]
Marriage
Talbot married Margaret, daughter of Richard Masterson, esquire of Castletown, County Wexford.[3]
William and Margaret had four sons:
- Roger, his heir
- Gabriel, in holy orders
- Richard
- James
—and two daughters:
- Mary
- Elinor
Patriot Parliament
Talbot was one of the two MPs elected for Wexford Borough for the Patriot Parliament in 1689.[4]
Death in the Williamite War
Talbot was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of an infantry regiment of the Irish army during the reign of James II. His appointment probably owed much to his family connections with Tyrconnell, who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1687.[5] William Talbot was one of several of Tyrconnell's relatives to be given commands.[6]
In 1689 Talbot with his regiment fought in the Siege of Derry. He was wounded and captured by the Williamite garrison during an action at Windmill Hill.[7] George Walker, the governor of the city offered to release him in exchange for a £500 ransom, but this was fiercely opposed by many of the townspeople and Walker was forced to abandon the plan. Shortly afterwards Talbot died of his wounds while still in captivity.[8] The defenders thought he was a nephew of Tyrconnel.[9] Some thought he was a brother[10] or a cousin.[11] He was one of many Jacobite officers lost during the ultimately unsuccessful siege of Derry.
References
- Burke 1879, p. 1565, right column, line 17. "Walter Talbot, Esq. of Ballinamony, High Sheriff ..."
- Burke 1879, p. 1565, right column, line 18. "He m. [married] Elinor, dau. [daughter] of William Esmonde ..."
- Burke 1879, p. 1565, right column, line 25. "He m. [married] Margaret, dau. [daughter] of Richard Masterson ..."
- D'Alton 1855, p. 51. "... another William Talbot was one of the members for the Borough of Wexford. This last was of the Ballynamoney (now Castle Talbot) line, son of Walter Talbot who had been High Sheriff of the County of Wexford in 1649. He was killed at Derry ..."
- Fryde et al. 1986, p. 170, line 10. "1687, 8 Jan. / 12 Feb. / Richard, 1st e. [earl] of Tyrconnell L.D. [Lord Deputy]"
- Lenihan 2014, p. 118.
- Lenihan 2014, p. 179.
- Childs 2007, p. 109. "... who had personally agreed to ransom Lieutenant Colonel 'Wicked Will' Talbot for £500 ..."
- Macpherson 1775, p. 202, footnote: "... brigadier Talbot, formerly called Wicked Will, and nephew to Tyrconnell, taken, and dead and buried this day [26 June 1689 of his wounds."
- Witherow 1879, p. 129. "... Lieutenant-Colonel Talbot — the brother of the Lord Deputy Tyrconnel."
- Doherty 2008, p. 106. "... Lieutenant Colonel William Talbot, a son of the late Sir Henry Talbot and a cousin of Tyrconnel ..."
Sources
- Burke, Sir Bernard (1879). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. II (6th ed.). London: Harrison. OCLC 972909415. – L to Z (for Talbot of Talbot Castle)
- Childs, John (2007). The Williamite Wars in Ireland 1688–1691. London: Hambledon Continuum Press. ISBN 978-1-85285-573-4. – (Preview)
- D'Alton, John (1855). Illustrations, historical and genealogical, of King James's Irish army list, 1689. Dublin: Published by the author. OCLC 838655763.
- Doherty, Richard (2008). The Siege of Derry 1689 – The Military History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, England: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-454-9. – (Snippet view)
- Fryde, Edmund Boleslaw; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks, No. 2 (3rd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-86193-106-8.
- Lenihan, Pádraig (2014). The last Cavalier: Richard Talbot (1631–91). Dublin: University College of Dublin Press. ISBN 978-1-906359-83-6. – Does not seem to be available online
- Macpherson, James (1775). Original Papers: Containing the Secret History of Great Britain, from the Restoration to the Accession of the House of Hanover. To which are Prefixed Extracts from the Life of James II. Written by Himself. London: W Strahan and T Cadell. OCLC 1050258341.
- Witherow, Thomas (1879). Derry and Enniskillen in the Year 1689. London & Belfast: William Mallan & Son. OCLC 82779901.