Line 14 Richard Talbot; Southern Friends

The Quakers didn’t just touch New England with their theology; they also went south to Virginia and then to Maryland. Richard Talbot and his Lawrence relatives practiced the Quaker faith in Maryland.

Richard Talbot was born about 1625 in England.

Married Elizabeth Ewen, daughter of Richard EWEN and Sophia EWELL (see line 7)

1.      Elizabeth Talbott born 10 August 1656 in West River, Anne Arundel Co. MD

2.      Edward Talbott born 06 November 1658 in West River, Anne Arundel Co. MD

3.      John Talbott born 10 December 1664 in West River, Anne Arundel Co. MD

4.      Richard Talbott born 05 January 1668/69 in West River, Anne Arundel Co. MD

Died 15 July 1699 Poplar Knowle, Anne Arundel co., MD

Richard Talbott was born about 1625 in England. He may have immigrated to Virginia first but by 1649 was in the Maryland colony and had set up household at West River in Anne Arundel County. In December of 1656 he bough a plantation on the West River in Anne Arundel Country called Poplar Knowle, which became his home. In 1659 Richard Talbott was assigned land from his father-in-law, the puritan Richard Ewen. This was at a time when the Puritans in Massachusetts were percecuting the Quakers. Mary Dyer the Quaker Martyr would be hanged in Boston in 1660. The religiously fractured Maryland, although full of it’s own religious battles, had at least in one family who found peace with the marriage of Quaker Richard Talbot to Puritan Elizabeth Ewen.

The  Amistead Family History reports  that Richard  was the son of Sir Robert Talbott, the 2nd Baron of Carlton Co. in Kildare and Grace Calvert daughter of Sir George Calvert, 1st Baron of Baltimore. They claim he was next in line to become Earl of Shrewsbury but because he was a Loyalist and sided with King Charles I, Cromwell had his estates confiscated. Richard, invited to Maryland by Governor Stone, left England. Other Talbotts who came at the same time were Sir William Talbott and Colornel George Talbot, both of whom were related to Lord Baltimore for whom the city of Baltimore is named. Richard first received land in 1649 from the proprietary government. It was a tract called “Timber Neck. How true this account of Richard’s ancestry is, I have not been able to determine. TheAmisteads certainly favored the story and many of the young men and families who came to Maryland were Loyalist fleeing for their lives.

Richard Talbot may have become a Quaker after his marriage to Elizabeth Ewen, although it is possible that he was introduced to the faith by the Quaker missionary Elizabeth Harris who was preaching in Maryland by 1655. Six years before, the “Toleration Act”, more formally known as An Act Concerning Religion, was enacted by Lord Baltimore who was trying to protect the Catholic population for which the colony of Maryland was founded. The Catholics were quickly becoming a minority in their own home. The Quakers benefited from this Act, as well as other Christian religious outside the Anglican Church. Quakers moved from Virginia into Maryland, where there was still discrimination again them, but where they at least had some freedom to practice their beliefs.

    Richard Talbot’s will was signed 2 April 1663 in West River, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. He willed "Poplar Knawle." to his son Richard and sons Edward and John were joint heirs to "Talbotts Ridge" His daughter, Elizabeth, however was given non-land gifts. Richard died a man rich in land and family and, I hope, in his faith.

***SOURCES***

1.  http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdannear/firstfam/ "Talbot"

2. Ancestry.com "Our Research" by Alice Ament Davidson Gedge

3. http://www.tcarden.com/tree/ensor/Talbot.htm "Talbot"

4. Anne Arundel Gentry, Vol. 1, Gassaway Family

5. http://genealogy.Iv/MDBios/anne_arundel.htm "Richard Talbott / Sir Robert ? Calverts;