Sir John Talbot (1630-1714), MP

Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680) and Studio. Oil painting on canvas, Sir John Talbot, MP (1630-1714), Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680) and studio; three-quarter length to left in armour, his right hand on his helmet on a table, his left on his hip, Landscape left background. Inscribed: lower-right: Sir John Talbot / son of Sherington Talbot / of Laycock & Salwarpe. Son of Sharington Talbot (d.1677) and Jane Lyttelton; married firstly Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Keyt, and secondly Barbara, daughter of Sir Henry Slingsby. He is said to have been the first person to receive King Charles II upon his landing in England at the Restoration (see J. Britton, The Beauties of Wiltshire: displayed in statistical, historical, and descriptive sketches, London, 1825, vol. III, p.236). In 1668 he acted as a second to his Talbot cousin, Francis, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury (c.1623 – 1668), when he fought a duel with George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, his wife’s lover. Buckingham died from his wounds on 16th March. The event was described by Samuel Pepys: “My Lord Shrewsbury is run through the body from the right breast through the shoulder, and Sir Jo. Talbot all along up one of his arms and Jenkins [Buckingham’s second] killed upon the place, and the rest all in a little measure wounded ….”. He died in 1714, when he was succeeded by his grandson, John Ivory Talbot (?1691 – 1772). He has a monument in the church at Lacock. Lacock, Wiltshire