George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury & 9th Earl of Waterford

2nd Cousin 13 times removed of Paul Borrow-Longain

George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury and 9th Earl of Waterford was born on the 19th December 1566. He was the son of Sir John Talbot of Grafton and Katherine Petre, daughter of Sir William Petre of Ingatestone Hall, Secretary of State to 4 Tudor monarchs. George Talbot’s father, Sir John, was a well-known Catholic, frequently imprisoned on account of his faith.

George was sent to Europe for a Catholic education. He studied in Amiens and Rouen, France and in Rome. It is believed George was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1617 or 1618. On the 8th February 1617, George succeeded to the titles of Earl of Shrewsbury and Earl of Waterford after the 8th Earl, Edward Talbot, a fourth cousin died without an heir. At this time George was in Munich at the court of Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria. It was Maximilian I who persuaded James I to allow Talbot to return to England in 1618.

In 1616 he was instrumental in founding a college for English Jesuits in the city of Liège. In 1622 he partly endowed the same college. In 1626, Maximilian I also settled a generous annuity of two hundred thousand florins on the college.

As a priest, George Talbot did not marry or have children. He died at seven in the morning on the 2nd April 1630 aged sixty-three. A letter was sent from one priest to another the following day, describing the life of George Talbot as a holy one with a happy death.

George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury and 9th Earl of Waterford was interred in the family tomb in Albrighton, Shropshire. John Talbot, son of George’s brother John Talbot of Longford, succeeded as the 10th Earl of Shrewsbury.