Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Talbot, Richard de
TALBOT, RICHARD de, second Baron Talbot (1302?–1356), born about 1302, was the eldest son of Gilbert de Talbot, first baron Talbot [q. v.], by his wife Anne Boteler. Like his father, Richard sided with the Lancastrian nobles against Edward II and his favourites. He joined his father in the expedition of 1321–2 which resulted in the burning of Bridgnorth, and on 15 Jan. 1321–2 special commissioners were appointed to arrest him (Cal. Close Rolls, 1318–23, pp. 511–13; Parl. Writs, ii. 174–5). Father and son, however, escaped, and marched to join the Lancastrian lords in the north; both were captured at the battle of Boroughbridge on 17 March 1321–2. Gilbert was released on 11 July 1324, and his son either before or about the same time. Probably in 1325 he married Elizabeth, second daughter and coheir of John Comyn the younger [q. v.], by his wife Johanna, sister of Aymer de Valence, last earl of Pembroke of that line [see Aymer]. This marriage greatly added to Talbot's importance, for his wife had claims on the Scottish lands of John Comyn and also on the Pembroke inheritance. It also added to his grievances against the Despencers, for Elizabeth, who held in her own right the manor of Painswick, Gloucestershire, and castle of Goodrich, Herefordshire, had before her marriage been imprisoned by the Despencers and compelled to sell them her estates. When Prince Edward and Queen Isabella landed in England in September 1326, Talbot naturally sided with them, and took the opportunity of seizing Painswick and Goodrich; his and his wife's possession of them was confirmed in 1327 and again in 1336 (Rot. Parl. ii. 22 a; Cal. Patent Rolls, 1334–1338, pp. 234–5). In June 1327 Talbot was placed on the commission for the peace in Herefordshire, and in May 1329 he accompanied the young king (Edward III) to France to do homage for his French fiefs. On 25 March 1331 he was placed on the commission of oyer and terminer in the Welsh marches, and on 5 June, though his father was still alive, Talbot was summoned to parliament by writ as Baron Talbot. In the same year he laid claim in his wife's right to John Comyn's estates in Scotland, and joined those lords whose lands had been confiscated by Robert Bruce for their adherence to England. The head of this party was Edward de Baliol, the English nominee for the throne of Scotland. Talbot accompanied Baliol on his successful invasion of Scotland in August 1332, and was probably with him when he was crowned at Scone on 24 Sept. In February 1333–4 he sat as ‘dominus de Mar’ in the parliament held by Baliol at Edinburgh (Rymer, Fœdera, Record edit. II. ii. 888). In the summer, however, the Scots rose and drove out Baliol; Talbot, while endeavouring to cut his way through to England, was captured by Sir William Keith and sent a prisoner to Dumbarton (Geoffrey le Baker, p. 53; Knighton, i. 462, 471; Murimuth, pp. 66, 72; Chron. de Melsa, ii. 362, 372). He was ransomed in April by the payment of two thousand marks. On 24 Aug. 1336 he was summoned to a council to discuss the treaties entered into by Bruce with France, and in October 1338 he was made warden of Berwick and justiciar of Lothian (Cal. Doc. relating to Scotland, 1307–57; Rymer, II. ii. 1119). In 1339 Talbot was appointed warden of Southampton, and in July 1340 he was serving at the siege of Tournai (Froissart, ed. Lettenhove, iii. 313), but in October he was again on the Scottish borders with Baliol. In October 1342 he accompanied Edward III on his expedition to Brittany, and was present at the siege of Morlaix, where he captured Geoffrey de Charny (Murimuth, pp. 128–9). He served on similar expeditions to Brittany in 1343 under Robert d'Artois, and in 1345 under William de Bohun, earl of Northampton [q. v.]
In 1346 Talbot succeeded his father as second Baron Talbot by writ. In April he was employed in raising Welsh levies for the French war, and apparently served in the Crécy campaign. In October he was with the army before Calais, and was appointed one of the commissioners to treat with Philip de Valois. In the same year he was appointed seneschal of the king's household (Rymer, III. i. 77). In June 1347 he took part in the naval action near Calais which resulted in the dispersal of the French fleet sent to revictual the town. In the parliament of that year he was a trier of the petitions of the clergy, and in those of 1350 and 1351–2 a trier of petitions from Wales, Ireland, and Gascony. In 1352 he was again appointed a commissioner to raise Welsh levies, and in 1355 he is said to have served both in France and in Scotland. He died on 28 Oct. 1356. In 1343 Talbot founded an Augustinian priory on his manor of Flanesford in the diocese of Hereford (Cal. Papal Petitions, 1342–1419, pp. 16, 336; Cal. Papal Letters, 1342–62, p. 69).
By his wife, who subsequently married John de Bromwich, Talbot had a son Gilbert (1332?–1387), who succeeded as third baron, served in the French and Scottish wars, and had issue Richard Talbot, fourth baron (1361?–1396), father of John Talbot, the great earl of Shrewsbury [q. v.], and of Richard Talbot [q. v.], archbishop of Dublin.
[Rymer's Fœdera, Record edit.; Parl. Writs; Rot. Parl. vol. ii.; Rotulorum Originalium Abbreviatio, vol. ii.; Calendars of Close and Pat. Rolls; Cal. of Papal Letters and Petitions; Cal. Doc. relating to Scotland; Chron. of Edward I and Edward II, Knighton, Murimuth, Avesbury, de Melsa, Walsingham's Ypodigma Neustriæ (all these in Rolls Ser.); Geoffrey le Baker, ed. Maunde Thompson; Froissart, ed. Lettenhove; Barnes's Edward III; Dugdale's Baronage; Burke's Extinct and G. E. C[okayne]'s Peerages.]