22 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
Talbot. “Since William, the Bastard died,” it has been said, “ there 
has been no day, when the adhesion of the head of the Talbots has not 
been distinctly important to the acting Government of England.” Court 
memoirs of the close of the Stuart era have much to say of the soldier, 
courtier, and diplomat, more familiarly known as Dick Talbot, whom 
James created Duke of Tyrconnel, and of his wife, la belle Jennings? 
His brother, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, is said to have been 
the last state prisoner of eminence who died in Dublin Castle. Another 
brother, Sir Robert, continued the line of the Talbots of Malahide. 
It was in the castle of Malahide and of this ancient stock that 
Thomas Talbot, the founder of the Talbot Settlement in Upper Canada, 
was born on the 19th day of July, 1771. He was the son of Richard 
Talbot. His mother, Margaret O’Reilly, was grand-daughter of the 
Earl of Westmeath, and sister of the celebrated Count O’Reilly, General 
of Cavalry in the Austrian army. O’Reilly’s history was one continuous 
romance. By his brilliant charges at the close of the battle of Auster- 
litz, he saved the remnant of that army from annihilation. But his 
gallantry had already displayed itself on another field. In earlier 
years he had killed in a duel à l’outrance his rival for the affections of 
a Bohemian countess, whom he won as the prize of victory, although 
himself dangerously wounded in the combat. Honours were showered 
upon him by the emperors, and, dying in 1832, at the age of ninety- 
two, he closed a career of extraordinary success and distinction. 
Richard Talbot died in 1788. Forty-three years later his widow, 
then over eighty years of age, was created by King William IV a peeress 
of the kingdom of Ireland, with the title of Baroness Talbot of Mala- 
hide. At least four of her sons were then living, of whom Thomas, 
the youngest, was sixty years old. The two eldest, Richard and James, 
in turn inherited the title. The latter’s grandson is now Lord Talbot 
de Malahide of the peerage of the United Kingdom. John, the third 
son, entered the navy. He won fame, knighthood and rapid pro- 
motion during the Napoleonic wars. Before he died, he wore the 
Grand Cross of the Bath, and was Admiral of the fleet. Another son, 
Colonel Neil Talbot, was slain in the Peninsula, charging at the head 
of his dragoons. Richard Airey, a grandson, was Quarter-Master 
General of the army during the Crimean war, and was afterward ele- 
vated to the peerage. 
II.—TuHomas TALBOT AND ARTHUR WELLESLEY. 
To a family so distinguished the paths of official preferment pre- 
sented few difficulties. We find accordingly that Thomas, the fourth 
son, received a commission as ensign in the 66th foot, before completing 
