The roots of the Talbot family run deep in America.  Matthew (I), the subject of this page, almost certainly was the immigrant but the Talbot name can be found as far back as the 10th Century in England, France, and other European countries.  While the European history of the Talbot Family  is an interesting and distinguished one, it is not the focus of this web site and its associated links.  Although occasional references are made to ancestors of Matthew (I), the principal subjects of this site are Matthew (I) Talbot, his six children, and their descendants, a family tree that now spans twelve generations in America.

             Matthew Talbot was born September 29, 1699, probably in England or Ireland.  He came to Maryland about 1720 and May 6, 1721, he married Mary Williston in Maryland. Mary was the daughter of James Williston and his wife, Ann Belgrave.  During their 15 years of marriage, four sons were born to Matthew and Mary.
 

            The first child, Charles, was born in Maryland on November 26, 1723.  The second child, Matthew (II), was born November 27, 1729 in Virginia. Accordingly, Matthew and his family must have moved to Virginia before 1729. Family legends hold that heavy losses at sea forced Matthew and his partner, Nicholas Hale, to leave Maryland and look for better opportunities elsewhere.  The Hale and Talbot family histories would be further connected with the marriage of  Matthew (II) and Nicholas Hale's daughter, Mary.  Soon after coming to Virginia, Matthew and Mary settled in Bedford County near the present day town of Lynchburg.  Indeed, the first court in that County was held at his home.

            James Talbot, born November 7, 1733,  was the third child of Matthew and Mary and John Williston Talbot was born not quite two years later on July 13, 1735.  At the age of 36, Matthew Talbot had a growing family and he had established himself in the Virginia Wilderness as a country gentleman.  But in just over a year, on October 1, 1736, he would lose his beloved Mary.  Matthew was left with four children to rear.  Charles was 13, Matthew (II), 7, James, 3, and John was still an infant at only 14 months of age.

            The following year on May 23, 1737, Matthew was married to Jane Clayton, a lady some 14 years his junior.  We do not know if Jane, born in 1714, had been married previously and , indeed, little is known about her except that her mother's maiden name was Isham and that she was the niece of William Randolph.  Matthew and Jane had two children, Isham, born November 3, 1738 and Martha, born August 25, 1740.
 
 

            The following years were filled with hard work and hazardous times.  Indian raids were not uncommon and Matthew was a leader of the Bedford County Militia.  For the next 18 years, he was honored many times by elections and appointments.    The records of Bedford County, Virginia are replete with entries describing his services to the community and to the County.  His sons followed in his footsteps with solid accomplishments of their own.  Each was appointed or elected to positions of responsibility and authority.  Surely, Matthew Talbot could take pride in "a life well lived".  When he died in 1758 at the age of 59,  he had been privileged to see all his children reach maturity and the two older ones married with families of their own.

         THE ABOVE PARAGRAPHS REPRESENT A BRIEF INTRODUCTION INTO THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MATTHEW (I) TALBOT.  A MUCH MORE COMPLETE HISTORY CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING ON THE STORY  BELOW.

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Recently Published Talbot Stories
 

Subject	Author	Publication Date
S.S.S. Tonic--The Charles Thomas Swift Story Click on the link - don't miss this! COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS WELCOMED	Ann Talbot Brandon Womack and Farris Wade Womack	August 3, 2004
James Theodore Talbot 1825 - 1862 Soldier in the West James Theodore Talbot spent his short life in pursuit of adventures that ordinary men only dreamed about and shortly before his life came to an end, he was a participant in the two week exchange of ultimata that preceded the firing on Fort Sumter in 1861.  The story is a humdinger - Don't miss it! Click here to read Theo's story!	Ann Talbot Brandon Womack  and Farris W. Womack	December 5, 2002
The Hale Talbot and Elizabeth "Betsey" Irvine Story 1754 - 1828 Hale Talbot was born in Virginia, the oldest son of Matthew (II) Talbot and Mary Hale.  He grew to adulthood there, was married to Betsey, and migrated to Tennessee, then Kentucky, and finally to Missouri.  His father, brothers and sisters, and many other family members migrated further south from Virginia but his journey toward the west is an exciting one filled with much hardship and adventure.	Ann Talbot Brandon Womack  and  Farris W. Womack	February 23, 2002
The Joseph Hale Talbot Story 1775-78 -  1858 Joseph Hale Talbot, born in Virginia at the very beginning of the struggle that would produce the United States, migrated with his father to Tennessee as a child, moved to Georgia before he was ten, and, once there, put down roots that would last through his long and useful life.  His marriage to Bethany Callaway would produce 11 children and thousands of descendants who will find this account warm and comfortable.	Ann Talbot Brandon Womack  and Farris W. Womack	January 5, 2002
Martha Talbot 1812 - 1882 The Martha Talbot Story is a fascinating account of the life and times of the 11th child and 5th daughter of William and Mary Bailey Talbot.  Set in Georgia and Alabama during the turbulent decades surrounding the Civil War, the story describes how one southern lady lived her life in the middle of both the good times and the bad.  DON'T MISS IT1	Ann Talbot Brandon Womack  and  Farris W. Womack	November 28, 2001

 

Posted April 30, 2001

“The Searchers, Revisited” by Milton W. Talbot, Jr., MD THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK "THE SEARCHERS" BY ALAN LEMAY AND THE JOHN WAYNE MOVIE WHICH FOLLOWED. The Book was published in 1954 by Harper and Row.  The movie, produced in 1956 by Warner Brothers, was directed by John  Ford, and featured John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles,  Ward Bond  and Natalie Wood. Milton's research, coupled with his penetrating analysis of the stories surrounding this event, will interest every serious student and touch the hearts of all Talbots.  Click here to read Milton's work and view some exciting pictures of the Harvey cabin and markers.

Coming Soon!

James Lafayette Dickey - America's Poet and author of "Deliverance

Camille Head Corte

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