Talbot County

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Talbot County, Georgia
Biography for Governor Matthew Talbot

GOVERNOR MATTHEW TALBOT, one of the most prominent men in Georgia during the first quarter of the nineteenth century, was descended from one of the oldest Norman families in England. He was a grandson of Matthew Talbot, who was the third son of the tenth Earl of Shrewsbury. That Matthew Talbot was born in England in 1699. In 1722 he came on a visit to Maryland with his cousin Edward, a son of Earl Talbot, to visit relatives who had settled there and for whom Talbot county in that State was named. Edward returned to England, but Matthew fell in love with and married Mary Williston, daughter of James and Mary Belgrave Williston. He thus became a permanent settler in America. From Maryland he moved to Amelia county, Va., where four sons were born to him. After the death of his wife, he moved to Bedford county, where he owned a large plantation on the Otter river, near the three peaks known as the Peaks of Otter, and called his place "Fancy Farm." In Bedford county, as he had been in the lower country, he was a leading man. He had been high sheriff in Lunenburg, and was chairman of the commissioners of the county court and high chairman and a vestryman in Cumberland parish, which included Brunswick and Lunenburg. He received large grants of land in Amelia, Prince George, Lunenburg and Bedford, and also bought much land in the western country. He died in 1758, and the home place was inherited by his son John, born July 13, 1735, in Amelia county.

John married Phebe Moseley, daughter of Colonel William Moseley, of Henrico county, Va. In Bedford county, John's five children were born; Thomas, the eldest, in 1760; Matthew, in 1762; and three daughters later. John Talbot was rated a man of first-class ability and was familiarly known as "Great John." He was high sheriff of Bedford county, judge of the county court, and served during twenty-five sessions in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was a member of the famous House of 1774, which practically declared the independence of the Virginia colony, and one of the thirteen men who attended Dunmore's council upon the 4th of June, 1774, and signed what was tantamount to a declaration of independence.

In 1769, John Talbot bought fifty thousand acres of land on the wild frontier of Georgia in what was then known as Wilkes county. It is said that he brought with him to Georgia, to help in surveying these lands, George Walton, who afterwards became so eminent in the State. Walton was then a struggling young man. In 1783, when Matthew Talbot was just of age. his father, John Talbot, moved from Virginia to Wilkes county. and immediately upon his arrival was elected to public office. He was a judge of the county court and a member of the convention of 1789. and one of the nine men who ratified the temporary Constitution. He brought with him to Wilkes county over one hundred slaves and was a man of much wealth.

The Talbot family had a strong sense of family loyalty. It is said that Matthew Talbot became temporarily embarrassed, whereupon his elder brother, Thomas, assumed twenty thousand dollars for him, saving that no Talbot should owe any man. Matthew Talbot was too young to serve in the Revolutionary War and was just a man grown when his father moved to Wilkes county. He grew up a man of strong, good sense, inflexibly honest, with much firmness of character. His personal popularity was great and he was rigidly faithful to every trust. For some years he represented Wilkes county in the Legislature and then moved to Oglethorpe. He was elected from Oglethorpe a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1798, which framed the Constitution under which Georgia grew and prospered for seventy-five years. In 1808 he was elected to the State Senate and was kept there for the next fifteen years by his constituents. From 1818 to 1823 he was the president of the Senate, and upon the death of Governor Rabun, in October. 1819, he became exofficio Governor and served until the Legislature filled the vacancy a month later, when he again took up the duties of president of the Senate. His legislative service covered all together a period of nearly thirty years, and he ranked as one of the strong, capable and patriotic members of the General Assembly. As a presiding officer of the Senate his conduct was always characterized by uniform dignity and exemplary impartiality. He is said to have been a man of fine appearance, well educated, and of kindly yet dignified manners.

In 1824 he retired from public life and sought rest at his country home. He did not long survive, but died on the 17th of September, 1827, at the age of sixty-five. There is some little uncertainty about the exact year of his birth. Some of the authorities claim that he was born in 1767, but descendants of the Talbot family now living in Georgia state that he was born in 1762. The Augusta Courier of September 20, 1827, having just learned of his death, said: "It is with no ordinary feelings we announce the death of a truly good man, Matthew Talbot. The fall of such a man at any time is calculated to produce feelings of poignant regret, but to be thus cut off in the brightness of his prospects, on the eve of an interesting election in which he was a prominent candidate, to have the eager hopes of so large a circle of friends thus blasted has excited a sensation of sorrow deep and universal. Personal enemies he had none; and his political opponents mixed with their opposition none of the gall of bitterness. Their sensations do justice to his memory. He died on the night of the seventeenth inst., about ten o'clock, of the fatal disease which has recently terminated the earthly career of so many of the citizens of Wilkes. 'Weed his grave clean, ye men of goodness, for he was your brother.' "

Talbot county, laid out in 1827, was named in his honor.

Source: Men of mark in Georgia: a complete and elaborate history of the ..., Volume 2 By William J. Northen

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Talbot County, Georgia Biography for Governor Matthew Talbot
GOVERNOR MATTHEW TALBOT, one of the most prominent men in Georgia during the first quarter of the nineteenth century, was descended from one of the oldest Norman families in England. He was a grandson of Matthew Talbot, who was the third son of the tenth Earl of Shrewsbury. That Matthew Talbot was born in England in 1699. In 1722 he came on a visit to Maryland with his cousin Edward, a son of Earl Talbot, to visit relatives who had settled there and for whom Talbot county in that State was named. Edward returned to England, but Matthew fell in love with and married Mary Williston, daughter of James and Mary Belgrave Williston. He thus became a permanent settler in America. From Maryland he moved to Amelia county, Va., where four sons were born to him. After the death of his wife, he moved to Bedford county, where he owned a large plantation on the Otter river, near the three peaks known as the Peaks of Otter, and called his place "Fancy Farm." In Bedford county, as he had been in the lower country, he was a leading man. He had been high sheriff in Lunenburg, and was chairman of the commissioners of the county court and high chairman and a vestryman in Cumberland parish, which included Brunswick and Lunenburg. He received large grants of land in Amelia, Prince George, Lunenburg and Bedford, and also bought much land in the western country. He died in 1758, and the home place was inherited by his son John, born July 13, 1735, in Amelia county. John married Phebe Moseley, daughter of Colonel William Moseley, of Henrico county, Va. In Bedford county, John's five children were born; Thomas, the eldest, in 1760; Matthew, in 1762; and three daughters later. John Talbot was rated a man of first-class ability and was familiarly known as "Great John." He was high sheriff of Bedford county, judge of the county court, and served during twenty-five sessions in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was a member of the famous House of 1774, which practically declared the independence of the Virginia colony, and one of the thirteen men who attended Dunmore's council upon the 4th of June, 1774, and signed what was tantamount to a declaration of independence. In 1769, John Talbot bought fifty thousand acres of land on the wild frontier of Georgia in what was then known as Wilkes county. It is said that he brought with him to Georgia, to help in surveying these lands, George Walton, who afterwards became so eminent in the State. Walton was then a struggling young man. In 1783, when Matthew Talbot was just of age. his father, John Talbot, moved from Virginia to Wilkes county. and immediately upon his arrival was elected to public office. He was a judge of the county court and a member of the convention of 1789. and one of the nine men who ratified the temporary Constitution. He brought with him to Wilkes county over one hundred slaves and was a man of much wealth. The Talbot family had a strong sense of family loyalty. It is said that Matthew Talbot became temporarily embarrassed, whereupon his elder brother, Thomas, assumed twenty thousand dollars for him, saving that no Talbot should owe any man. Matthew Talbot was too young to serve in the Revolutionary War and was just a man grown when his father moved to Wilkes county. He grew up a man of strong, good sense, inflexibly honest, with much firmness of character. His personal popularity was great and he was rigidly faithful to every trust. For some years he represented Wilkes county in the Legislature and then moved to Oglethorpe. He was elected from Oglethorpe a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1798, which framed the Constitution under which Georgia grew and prospered for seventy-five years. In 1808 he was elected to the State Senate and was kept there for the next fifteen years by his constituents. From 1818 to 1823 he was the president of the Senate, and upon the death of Governor Rabun, in October. 1819, he became exofficio Governor and served until the Legislature filled the vacancy a month later, when he again took up the duties of president of the Senate. His legislative service covered all together a period of nearly thirty years, and he ranked as one of the strong, capable and patriotic members of the General Assembly. As a presiding officer of the Senate his conduct was always characterized by uniform dignity and exemplary impartiality. He is said to have been a man of fine appearance, well educated, and of kindly yet dignified manners. In 1824 he retired from public life and sought rest at his country home. He did not long survive, but died on the 17th of September, 1827, at the age of sixty-five. There is some little uncertainty about the exact year of his birth. Some of the authorities claim that he was born in 1767, but descendants of the Talbot family now living in Georgia state that he was born in 1762. The Augusta Courier of September 20, 1827, having just learned of his death, said: "It is with no ordinary feelings we announce the death of a truly good man, Matthew Talbot. The fall of such a man at any time is calculated to produce feelings of poignant regret, but to be thus cut off in the brightness of his prospects, on the eve of an interesting election in which he was a prominent candidate, to have the eager hopes of so large a circle of friends thus blasted has excited a sensation of sorrow deep and universal. Personal enemies he had none; and his political opponents mixed with their opposition none of the gall of bitterness. Their sensations do justice to his memory. He died on the night of the seventeenth inst., about ten o'clock, of the fatal disease which has recently terminated the earthly career of so many of the citizens of Wilkes. 'Weed his grave clean, ye men of goodness, for he was your brother.' " Talbot county, laid out in 1827, was named in his honor. Source: Men of mark in Georgia: a complete and elaborate history of the ..., Volume 2 By William J. Northen
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