Thomas Talbot

Thomas Talbot(c. 1439 – 1487) was a wealthy landowner and judge in fifteenth-century Ireland. He was the head of the prominent Talbot family of Malahide Castle. His descendants acquired the title Baron Talbot de Malahide, and he himselfwas recognised by the Crown as Lord of Malahide, although this was nota hereditary title. He was also Admiral of the Port of Malahide. By the time of his death he held lands in four counties and was one of the principal landowners in the Pale.

He was the only son of Richard Talbot of Malahide Castle and Matilda (or Maud) Plunkett, daughter ofChristopher Plunkett,first Baron Killeen. She was the widow of Thomas Hussey,5th Baron Galtrim, who was murdered ontheir wedding day,an event which inspired the nineteenth century ballad"The Bride of Malahide". Richard Talbothad inherited Malahide in 1432 when he was still a minor, and died in 1442. Thomas was given possession of his lands in 1460, which suggeststhathe had just come of age, and thus was probably born in 1439. His mother obtained letters patentfrom theEnglish Crowngranting her possession of her latehusband's estates.

In 1444 his mother made a third marriage to Sir John Cornwalsh, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.Cornwalsh died in 1472,andMatildadied in 1482. Since Cornwalsh had no children,Thomas inherited the Cornwalsh estates, which were principally situated in County Meath;he also acquired lands in County Louth from the heirs of Baron Darcy de Knayth.

In 1460 King Henry VI,by letters patent,recognised Thomas as Dominus (Lord) of Malahide. In 1472 he became a judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland). In 1475 King Edward IV created him Admiral of the Port of Malahide, with power to holdan Admiralty court,and the right to levy customs duties on all merchandise coming through the port, as well as a number of other privileges, including an exemption from doing homage for his lands. These privileges suggest that Thomas was a man whose support the House of Yorkwas willing to pay a high price for.This was part of a wider Yorkistpolicy, which had considerable success, of trying to win the support of Anglo-Irish leaders such as the Earl of Kildare. Many of these menremained Yorkist in sympathy even after the downfall of theYorkist dynasty in 1485, andmade the mistake of supporting the Yorkist pretender Lambert Simnel,who unsuccessfully claimed the Crown of England in 1487. It is unclear whetheror not Talbot belonged tothe Simnel faction since he died in Julyof that year, at the height of the crisis.

Thomas died on 23 July 1487. His first wife was a MissSomerton, but little else is known of her. By his second wife Elizabeth Bulkeley he had five sons:

• Peter (his heir), ancestor of the Barons Talbot
• John, ancestor of the Talbots of Dardistown
• Thomas
• Richard
• William, of Templeogue, ancestor of the Talbots of Mount Talbot; he was the father of Richard Talbot who like his grandfather was a High Court judge