Sir Robert Talbot, 2nd Baronet


Sir Robert Talbot, 2nd Baronet of Carton was an Irish landowner, soldier, and politician. He sat for County Wicklow in the Irish parliament 1634–1635.

Birth and origins

Robert was born in 1608, the eldest son of William Talbot and his wife Alison Netterville. His father was the 1st Baronet Talbot of Carton, County Kildare. His father's family was Old English.
His mother was a daughter of John Netterville.
He was one of 16 siblings, who are listed in his father's article. Among his younger brothers were Peter Talbot, who became the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and the soldier and courtier Richard Talbot, whose career eventually eclipsed Robert's as Richard rose to become Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under James II and commanded the Royal Irish Army during the Williamite War.
Like most other Old English families, the Talbots and Nettervilles remained Roman Catholics after the Reformation.

Marriage and children

Talbot married Grace Calvert, the daughter of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, a leading English Catholic and founder of the Maryland Colony. Grace was one of thirteen children by his wife Anne Mynne or Mayne, daughter of George Mynne and Elizabeth Wroth.
Robert and Grace had a daughter:
  1. Frances married her cousin Richard Talbot of Malahide
They lived at Castlesallagh, County Wicklow.

Baronet

He succeeded his father as 2nd baronet Talbot of Carton on 16 March 1634.

MP

On 10 June 1634 Talbot was elected MP for County Wicklow in the Parliament 1634–1635. He was expelled from parliament for lacking respect to Thomas Wentworth, Lord Deputy.

Irish Confederate war and Cromwellian conquest

After the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, Talbot joined the Irish Catholic Confederates and was a leading member of the Moderate Faction on the Supreme Council. He served as an officer in the Leinster Army. In July 1651, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland he was forced to surrender Athlone to the advancing English Republican forces under Charles Coote. His lands were forfeited at the defeat. Under the Act of Settlement 1662 he recovered most of his lands.

Death and succession

In or after 1671, he died and was succeeded by his nephew Sir William Talbot, 3rd Baronet, who would be the last of the Carton baronets.