Serjeants Inn Fleet St
7th. July 1840.
Dear Sir,
The first Sherington Talbot married Elizabeth Leighton, who was the daughter of Sir Thomas Leighton and the Sister of the Thomas Leighton that on 4th March 1604 married Mary the second Daughter of Edward the last Lord Zouch. It appears by a Pedigree in the Herald's College signed in 1672 by Sir Gilbert Talbot that neither Sherington the elder or Sherington the younger married Mary Zouch but that the elder married Elizabeth Leighton. And from Inquisitions post mortem it appears that this Thomas Leighton was the son of Sir Thomas Leighton - that he had Issue by his wife Mary, a son Edward and other children, and that on the 14th. December 1608 Sir Thomas Leighton and his son Thomas Leighton and Mary his wife by Deeds settled the Leighton Estates at Feckenham and Hanbury<1> on this Edward and any other children of the son Thomas by Mary his wife. It appears from proceedings in Chancery in May 1628 that this Thomas died in September 1617 leaving Edward and seven other Children, all except Edward being then under twenty one. One of the Daughters was called Elizabeth. She was the Granddaughter of Edward Lord Zouch and might in 1628 have been approaching to twenty years old, as the eldest child, Edward, was baptized in March 1608, and married at Hanbury, Mary Stanley 21st. December 1624.
The first Sherington Talbot died about 1640.<2> The second Sherington Talbot is stated by Sir Gilbert's Pedigree to have been living in 1672.<3> That Pedigree likewise states that Sir John Talbot was in 1672 the son and heir of the second Sherington and also that this Sir John had then a son Sherington, being the third of that name.<4>
Now I find that in October 1683 in the Recital in one of your Deeds there was then living Sir John Talbot.<5> and Sherington Talbot his son and heir. Now these must have been the grandson and greatgrandson of the first Sherington Talbot, and the great grandson was then (in 1683) of age.
It seems to me clear that the Talbots are not descended from Mary the daughter of Edward Lord Zouch.<6> Her granddaughter was under twenty one years old in May 1628. It is too much to suppose that Sherington the first did in 1628 marry this Elizabeth Leighton then under twenty one, the granddaughter of Mary Zouch. He then had had two wives; by the first, Elizabeth Leighton ten children, and by Mary his second wife four children.
Sherington the second married Jane Littleton and had seven children by her, of whom Sir John Talbot was one. Even supposing her to be dead in 1628 and that Sherington the second married this Elizabeth Leighton the granddaughter, the Talbots cannot have been descended from that Elizabeth, but from the marriage between Sherington Talbot and Jane Littleton. And to me it appears perfectly clear that the Talbots are not descended from Elizabeth Leighton the Daughter of Mary Zouch, but from Jane Littleton, and consequently in no way related to the Zouch family. I am not acquainted with the Talbot pedigree otherwise than as shewn by Sir Gibert Talbots pedigree in 1672, but according to that, Elizabeth the Daughter of the second Sherington married Henry Davenport of Hallon, Shropshire.<7>
There must be at Lacock among the old Deeds and documents, settlements or wills relating to the Sherington Talbots and if you wish the matter further investigated it would be as well to let Mr Awdry go and make a search at Lacock.
I am Dr Sir Yours truly
W. K. King
Notes:
1. Worcestershire.
2. It was 1642. 3. The second Sharington Talbot married Jane Lyttleton and died in 1677. 4. King's sources were in error here. Sir John Talbot’s son was Sharington Talbot died without heirs in 1685, predeceasing his father. However, he was the 4th Sharington Talbot, not the 3rd. Sir John Talbot had an elder brother Sharington who died in 1630 and who was the 3rd. He died in 1630, predeceasing his younger brother, Sir John Talbot. 5. He died 1714. 6. Mary Zouch (1582-1652), the daughter of Edward, 11th Lord Zouche (1556-1625), married Thomas Leighton. This question was raised by WHFT's Welsh cousin, Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, 'Kit' (1803-1890), already an immensely wealthy landowner - see Doc. No: 04101. 7. He appears to have died around 1698.