By Steve Spicer and Dan Talbot

The Talbots of Broadmayne, Dorset, appeared there in the mid-16th century and retained a presence for the next three hundred years; branches of the family took root in East Burton and Arne. For the first three generations they were lords of the manor; thereafter they were ‘yeoman’ or ‘gentleman’ farmers with a long-standing interest in Little Mayne Farm and Little Mayne chapel in the neighbouring parish of West Knighton which lies only 2 miles north.


In a quandary for a number of years over the origins of my 3rd great-grandfather Robert Talbot Spicer it finally dawned on me to look into his middle name, Talbot. It opened a big door to discover that he had been born out of wedlock to Mary Talbot, the daughter of William Talbot of Broadmayne in the county of Dorset. I found that a distant cousin, Dan Talbot in Reading, England, had traced the family back to the early 16th century through wills, leases, parish registers, and other documents. He had done the ‘heavy-lifting’ for what follows.
The Spicer ancestry and descendancy of Robert Talbot Spicer is on other pages.
Contents of this page:
Talbot Arms -Heraldry Eight Generations Broadmayne and West Knighton
and the Talbots in the Parish Registers
1811 Title map with names. Select Bibliography

Appendix: Talbot Wills and Documents from 1574 to 1823.
A collection of the original documents and summaries where needed.

On a separate page.

Talbot of Broadmayne arms and pedigree.

1623 Visitation of Dorset

While William (III) signed the pedigree in this visitation, the arms may well have been granted to William (I). This Visitation has a description, but no drawing. The description was used by Hutchins, who, about the family, says he knows little about the family other than the pedigree. (Footnote: Talbot in the Visitation of Dorset, 1623: https://archive.org/details/visitationofcound00stge/page/90/mode/2up ) Hutchins does say a little more about Little Mayne in Volume two. (Footnote: Talbot of Little-Maine: https://archive.org/details/b30456496_0001/page/426/mode/2up Hutchins says that it was leased to several persons, the last being William, grandfather of the late Stephen Talbot, gent. Paying a referred rent of 66l.13 s, 4 d. to the school master. On Mr. Talbot’s death 1734, the lease expiring the whole profits came to him. (Hundred of Cullifordtree – Knighton )

Talbot Shield (Unofficial)

It was presumably to William Talbot (I) that arms were granted:
an Azure a fess argent between three sinister gauntlets/hands clenched/couped or; crest: a talbot passant collared and chained or.
(The description gathered by Dan from various sources are below.)
Neither Dan nor I have ever retrieved the arms from the College of Arms, Harl. 1166, fo. 2 as indicated on the Visitation. The sketch above, drawn from various sources, is unique to other Talbot Arms of other families. Those feature a lion rampant [standing or rearing] but unlike the Talbot of Broadmayne description do not have gauntlets clenched. A good collection of those other Talbot family heralds can be found at https://europeanheraldry.org/united-kingdom/families/families-s-z/house-talbot/. The descriptions of the Talbot of Broadmayne crest that were used from various sources can be found below.

Below is an eight generation descendant report of the Talbots of Broadmayne into Steve’s 4th Great-Grandmother, Mary Talbot (1753-1797) in the 8th generation. Dan Talbot, the co-author of these notes, and Steve are 8th cousins twice removed. He lives in Reading, England, Steve lives in Gary, Indiana. Our lineages separate at William (V 1670-1714), Dan being descended from Richard Talbot (1697-1775), and Steve from his brother William (1692-1733). As mentioned above, Dan has done the “heavy lifting” with the generations prior. Further research into leases and wills may provide clarification, but for now there is, as will be seen, a gray area in the early 18th century.
A number for references to Dorset History Centre documents occur on this page. If you are interested in seeing the description of those references, simply select and copy the reference, i.e. D-HIN/5191, go to the Dorset History Centre catalogue search page on the new page and paste in the reference you copied.
The parenthetical Roman numerals are to demonstrate how the Christian name “William” was passed down through the ages to the first-born male in the line. As Dan has pointed out, “William” was always a name in his family, the tradition continuing into the 20th century.

1-William Talbot (I) b. Abt 1530, d. 1574, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

Born around 1530, William Talbot (I) was at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1547 and at the Inner Temple in 1555. With money borrowed from his elder brother Thomas, William Talbot (I) purchased the manor of Broadmayne about 1560 from William West, baron De La Warr.
He married Christian Yeomans and died leaving a PCC will proved in 1574. (Footnote: Will and summary in the Appendix. ) References: Purchase: Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries vol.6. See Bibliography below.

William (I)'s will.
William’s will of 10 June 1574 proved on the 29th of September, 1574, names his brother Thomas. One part of his estate, four tenements, he gave to Thomas in return for the contribution to the purchase of the whole estate. He names as his sons William (II -below), John, George, daughter Elizabeth and “the rest of my daughters” (not named but all daughters have yet to marry. Alice Talbot - ‘one of the rest of my daughters’, married Richard Stevens who is named in his son William (II)’s will. He names his wife Christian Talbot heir to all the rest of the goods and chattels not bequeathed and she to be sole executrix. He also names five ‘overseers’ and seven witnesses including Thomas Talbot who is both an ‘overseer’ and a witness, presumably his brother.

+ Christian Yeomans

2-George Talbot

2-John Talbot b. Abt 1567

2-William Talbot (II) d. 1615, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

William Talbot (II) was second son to William Talbot (I) but survived to inherit the manor of Broadmayne. He married Alice Henning, daughter of John Henning of Poxwell Manor (PCC will 1617) and Dorothy Warham, daughter of John Warham of Compton Valence (PCC will 1572). The Hennings and Warhams are detailed in the 1623 visitation. His PCC will was proved in 1615. Henceforth the family named the eldest son William.

Ancestry of John Henning and Dorothy Warham on another page.

+ Alice Henning b. Abt 1572, Bur. May 1637, Studland, Dorset, England
She is often declared as the Alice Talbot who was buried in Studland in 1637 per the Parish Register there, but that is possibly another of that name: she is not mentioned in her husband's will of 1615. Her children are given bequests in her father's will of 1617 along with the children of three sisters but she is not declared as "deceased." It remains a debatable question which might be resolved by further research. ⁠ (Footnote: Alice Henning: Dan has this additional comment: "As for Alice Henning, I think her husband must have thought that she needed no special provision. She and their son William were presumably on good terms, and I think she must have carried on living in the same house. When Alice's father died and left her that nominal 20s, that must reflect the fact that she didn't need looking after." )


William (II)'s will.
William’s will of September 15, 1615 and proved a little more than four and a half months later on February 3rd, is very instructive as to his family. Besides William, “mine eldest son” [William (III) below] he names John as his youngest son [not yet 21] and his son Edmond in an apprenticeship. Four daughters are named, none of whom are married as of the date of the will: Alice, Anne, Elizabeth, and Edith. The order of birth is unknown except the eldest, William born 1591, and John, the youngest born 1609.
Other relationships are made clear: his sister Elizabeth is named Elizabeth Younge of Toller Porcorum. ⁠ (Footnote: Elizabeth Talbot: in her father's will of 1615 she is named Elizabeth Younge of Toller Procorum. Her brother John's will of 1682 names her Elizabeth Williams of Poole, evidently a second marriage. ) John Talbot named ‘my own brother.’ Three brothers-in-law are named to be overseers: Richard Henning; Edmond Dashwood, merchant of Dorchester [married to Tomazin Henning, wife Alice’s husband who was also Mayor of Dorchester at one point]; Richard Stevens of East Chaldon. William Morris is named “kinsman” – an ambiguous term.

3-William Talbot (III) b. 1591, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. After 1662, Little Mayne, West Knighton, Dorset

William (III) was first son of William Talbot (II) and Alice Henning. According to the visitation he was born around 1591. He married second Honor, daughter of William Tulse of Hinton Admiral and sister of Henry Tulse MP (d.1642). In 1625 William Talbot (III) took out a lease of lives on the farm and manor of Little Mayne.The three lives concerned were William Talbot (III), his wife Honor and their son William Talbot (IV). This document makes the link missing in Hutchins, the fact that the Talbots of Broadmayne and Little Mayne were the very same family.
     In 1629 he also purchased the tithes of the long-defunct Little Mayne chapel. This purchase is mentioned by Hutchins in the first edition under ‘Knighton’: ‘The tythes now valued at 30l per ann. were vested in Richard Noy; under whom William Talbot claimed them by purchase 7 Car. I [1632] and to his heirs they still belong. ’ He sold the lordship of the manor of Broadmayne, but ownership remained in dispute until the 1662 settlement between him, his wife Honor, and Robert Henning, son of his uncle Robert Henning (1590-1660) who had presented the living of Broadmayne in 1639.

References: a) 1625 Lease: Dorset History Centre ref: D-HIN/5191; b)1629 purchase of tithes of Little Mayne Chapel:(Dorset History Centre refs: D1/11741, D1/11740 and D1/11742); c)1662 settlement: (Dorset History Centre ref. D-CRI/A/7/1/1).

+ (m. first)Avis Cokeram

4-Avis Talbot

+ (m. second) Honor Tulse

4-Honor Talbot b. 1621, d. 1697

4-Anne Talbot b. Abt 1622

4-William Talbot (IV) b. 1623, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. Abt 1692, Little Mayne, West Knighton, Dorset

4-William Talbot (IV) was succeeded by a son, Stephen, and a grandson, William, evidenced by the 1692 renewal of the lease his parents had taken out in 1625. (Footnote: Those leases are listed in the Archive Catalogue of the Dorset History Centre at (new window or tab) https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/D-HIN/5191 (1625 Lease) and https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/D1/11749 (1692). ) Dan acquired photographs of the 1692 lease of three lives, the three lives being himself (William IV), his son Stephen, and his grandson William. The key is “grandson William.” While we may never know whether the grandson was the son of Stephen who was continuing the “William” tradition, or of a William who had died before the 1692 lease renewal, the line is intact without knowing the specifics of one generation.

The other, possible son William, may have died, or defected from the family before the date of the lease renewal; the period of the 1680s on were Civil War between Protestants and Catholics and, as happens in Civil Wars, families as well as nations, are torn asunder. What we know for certain is that William Talbot, gentleman of Little Mayne, took out a further lease on Little Mayne Farm in 1692. This date may mark the death of William Talbot (IV), the third of the three lives benefitting from the lease of 1625 taken out by his parents and which he renewed in 1692.

5-Stephen Talbot was born perhaps in the 1650s. There is a reference to Stephen Talbot yeoman of Little Mayne in the Dorset Quarter Sessions Order Books (1693). Hutchins has Stephen Talbot gent as the last of the Talbots of Little Mayne Farm, dying in 1734

5-William Talbot (V) was born perhaps in the 1670s and may or may not have been the brother of Stephen; he may be the WT buried at Broadmayne in 1714.

Still a gray area as while these two may have been brothers, they may have been father and son with William born first. There are not adequate records to define this generation. If it is two generations then generation numbers would need to be increased by one in the following lineages.

One must remember that these decades were ones of intense religious and political Civil War, and it’s quite possible that the family had divided loyalties resulting in a paucity of records.

Dan Talbot’s and Steve Spicer’s descendancy from the first William Talbot break at Richard (1697-1775) and his brother William. What follows, highlighted, is Steve’s descendancy to the Spicer marriage. Dan’s descendancy is not included on this page other than the summary below, but with a subscription is continued on his Ancestry.com Family Tree at https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/27657500/person/5034262637/facts (New window or tab.)

6-Richard Talbot (1697-1775)b. 24 Jul 1697, West Knighton, Dorset, c. 12 Oct 1697, Broadmayne, Dorset, d. Mar 1775, East Burton, Dorset, Bur. 21 Mar 1775, East Burton, Dorset.

+ Mary [?] Bur. 30 Dec 1765, East Burton, Dorset, England

7-William Talbot b. 1719, d. 24 Sep 1791, East Burton, Dorset, England

7-Richard Talbot b. 1722, d. 1797, Arne, Dorset, England

7-Stephen Talbot b. 1723, Lytchett Minster, Dorset, England, d. 1782

7-James Talbot b. 1731, Arne, Dorset, England

When William Talbot (VI) died, his estate was administered by his widow Mary, who left a will in 1756 (see below for image.). In 1743 his brother Richard Talbot, yeoman of Arne, signed a bond of guardianship in favour of William Talbot (VII), ‘William Talbot a minor the natural and lawful son of William Talbot the elder late of the parish of Broadmaine … intestate’ (Dorset History Centre ref: AD/DT/G/2/17). We can identify this Richard Talbot, who died in East Burton 1775, with the child born in the parish of West Knighton (where Little Mayne Farm is) on July 24, 1697 (son of William) and baptized in Broadmayne on August 15, 1697 (son of William Talbot junior of Little Mayne and Mary his wife): ‘Richardus filius Gulielmi Talbot Jun de Little Mayne et Mariae uxoris Bapt Augusti 15’. This last entry informs us, then, that William Talbot (VI)’s parents were William and Mary.

A note on Richard Talbot’s descendants.

Richard moved to Lytchett Minister, where his first three sons, by his wife Mary, were baptized: ‘A son’, presumably William (1719), Richard (1722) and Stephen (1723). He then moved to Arne, where his fourth son James was baptized (1731). While a yeoman at Arne, he signed a bond of guardianship in 1743 for his nephew, William Talbot (VIII) of Broadmayne, son of William Talbot (VII), who had died intestate in 1733. By the time of his death in 1775, Richard had moved to East Burton. In his will he names all four sons: William and his children James and Mary; Richard – who had remained in Arne - and ‘his four youngest children’ (Richard was the eldest; the others were James, Robert, Mary and Sarah); Stephen and his son Richard (b. Arne 1749, d. a gentleman aged 71, East Burton 1821, PCC will 1822); James (PCC will 1825) and his two sons (John 1761-1844, PCC will, and Richard (1764-1833, PCC will). To his eldest son William, Richard left a farm in East Burton called Dunnings, which was then to go to William’s own son James. William died a yeoman in East Burton in 1791, leaving a will. His son James Talbot, yeoman, was born in 1757 and died intestate in 1804; his widow Mary (Snook) in turn bequeathed Dunnings in her 1831 will to her son, John Snook Talbot. The eldest son of James and Mary, William Talbot (1779-1828) married Elizabeth Hibbs and had a number of children, including Stephen Talbot (1804-53) the first of four generations of gamekeeper. Stephen married Elizabeth Langdown; their son Charles Austin Talbot, born 1832, married Elizabeth Bulbeck Frogbrook, illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Frogbrook (nee Budd) and Thomas Bulbeck, timber merchant of Singleton, Sussex. Their son Joseph William Talbot (1863-1942) married Alice Jackson after the birth of their son William Talbot (1885-1935). William married Margaret Armstrong and their son Frederick Gordon Talbot (1914-2003) married Daphne Josephine Gibson. Their son Neil William Talbot married Katherine Mary Penrice and is father to Daniel Talbot, author of these notes.

6-William Talbot (VI) b. Bef 1697, c. Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1733, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

William Talbot (VI) was born some time before 1697, and died intestate in 1733. By then Little Mayne Farm was in other hands; in 1731, James Spratt had taken out a lease on Little Mayne Farm. Documents after this date describe the family as of Broadmayne not Little Mayne; the tithes of the chapel, however, still belonged to the family.
     When William Talbot (VI) died intestate in 1733, his estate was administered by his widow Mary, who then left a 1754 will proved in 1756. In 1743 his brother Richard Talbot, yeoman of Arne, signed a bond of guardianship in favour of William Talbot (VIII), ‘William Talbot a minor the natural and lawful son of William Talbot the elder late of the parish of Broadmaine … intestate’. We can identify this Richard Talbot, who died in East Burton 1775, with the child born in the parish of West Knighton (where Little Mayne is) on July 24, 1697 (son of William) and baptised in Broadmayne on August 15, 1697 (son of William Talbot junior of Little Mayne and Mary his wife): ‘Richardus filius Gulielmi Talbot Jun de Little Mayne et Mariae uxoris Bapt Augusti 15’. This last entry informs us, then, that William Talbot (VII)’s parents were William and Mary.

References: a) 1631 Lease: Dorset History Centre ref. D1/11754. b) Guardianship bond: Dorset History Centre ref: AD/DT/G/2/17.

+ Mary [?] d. May 1756, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, Bur. 27 May 1756, Broadmayne, Dorset, England
      Mary's 1754 will proved in 1756 named her daughters Mary Talbot and Elizabeth Sherrin. As pointed out above, it is curious that her son William was not named, only John, William's son. Notice a witness; Barbara Sherrin. Also, while a generation or two later, on the 1811 Inclosure map (below), notice the neighbors of William Talbot: Robert Sherren and Henry Sherren.

7-Elizabeth Talbot c. 14 Nov 1716, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, Bur. 5 May 1717, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

7-Elizabeth Talbot c. 13 Mar 1717/18, Broadmayne, Dorset, England. m. James Sherren

7-Mary Talbot b. 1721, c. 13 Sep 1721, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

7-William Talbot (VII) b. 1724, c. 2 Oct 1724, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1781, Bur. 8 Jan 1781, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

William (VII) was the son of William (VI) and Mary [?]. Baptised in Broadmayne October 2, 1724, "1724 Gulielmi filius Gulielmi & Maria Talbot Bap 2...[smudged]", he was favoured the guardianship of his uncle Richard in 1743 when he was about 17 or 18 years old likely to preserve heritage rights. While his father (VI) died intestate, he is not mentioned in his mother’s 1754 (proved 1756) will which left her household to her daughter Mary, a kettle to daughter Elizabeth Sherrin, and an oaken chest to her grandson John, William (VII)'s second son. In 1741 William married Ann Lush, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Lush in Blandford Forum when he was only 17, the year before his uncle made him his guardian. Eight children were of this marriage before Ann died in 1760. Three of those survived to be named in his 1777 will (proved 1781) along with three more by his second wife Hannah Chant whom he married in Frome St. Quinten in 1768. Those named his will were Elizabeth, Mary, Jane, George, Susanna and William. George and Susanna died just months before their father, both in 1780.
     It has been maintained that he is the William baptised in 1742 in Broadmayne, but that parish record shows that while that the father was William, the mother was “A…[smudged]...butt”. This baptism is clearer in the West Knighton parish register. The 1742 William was the first son of William and Ann Talbot, especially given the tradition of the first-born male to be named William. This William was buried in 1766: West Knighton PR: “April 8th 1766 Buried William Talbot junior.” Two years later William (VII) married again and with Hannah named their first born William.
      The question then does arise as to why Mary, in her handwritten and rather informal will of 1754, does not mention her son William or his son William (1742-1766) who were still alive, but only her grandson John. One can only surmise that they were estranged in some way.

William married twice and had sons named William by both his wives. The first, William (VIII-the first) was with Ann Lush who died in 1760, six years before William (VIII -the first) died in 1766. William married second Hannah Chant in 1768 and his first born with Hannah he named William (VIII-the second)

William married first Ann Lush b. 1721, c. 26 Oct 1721, Stour Provost, Dorset, England, Bur. 29 Apr 1760, Broadmayne, Dorset. (Blandford Forum PR 1741: "Will. Talbot and ann Lush were married ---- June 11th by License")

8-William Talbot (VIII - the first), c. 8 Oct 1742, Broadmayne, Bur. 8 Apr 1766, West Knighton West Knighton and Broadmayne registers: William Talbot junior buried April 8.

8-John Talbot b. 1744, c. 12 Feb 1743/44, Broadmayne, Dorset, England (PR: 1744: "John son of William & Ann Talbot was baptized 12th of February")

8-Richard Talbot b. 1747, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, c. 18 Mar 1746/47, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1747, Bur. 9 Apr 1747, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

8-Elizabeth Talbot b. 1750, c. 7 May 1750, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

8-Mary Talbot b. 1751, c. 27 Jul 1751, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1751, Bur. 15 Aug 1751, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

8-Mary Talbot b. 1753, c. 28 Mar 1753, Broadmayne, Dorset, d. 1797, Bur. 5 Aug 1797, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

+ Walter Swyer Spicer b. 1734, c. 7 Mar 1733/34, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1789, Bur. 3 Jun 1789, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

It is with this marriage that Steve’s connection to the Talbots of Broadmayne stems. That descendancy is continued on another page which covers the descendancy of their son Robert Talbot Spicer (1772-1839), Steve’s 3rd Great-Grandfather, and his earliest ancestor, John Spicer (est. 1570 – abt. 1623) of Dorchester.
The other page is located at "Two descendant reports of my Spicer surname: John Spicer (est 1570-1623) and Robert Talbot Spicer (1772-1839)"

8-Stephen Talbot b. 1757, Broadmayne, Dorset, c. 1 May 1757, Broadmayne, Dorset, d. 1758, Bur. 12 Oct 1758, Broadmayne, Dorset.

8-Jane Talbot b. 1759, c. 12 Aug 1759, Broadmayne, Dorset, England (PR:"Baptized: 1759 Aug 12 Jane Daug of William & Anne Talbot." )

+ Robert Grant


1768 Marriage

William married second Hannah Chant in Frome St. Quintin, Dorset. She died in 1775, buried 20 Aug 1775, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

8-William Talbot (VIII - the second) b. 1769, c. 6 Jan 1769, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1823, Bur. 15 May 1823, Broadmayne, Dorset, England (PR: 1769 "January [5] William Son of William & Hannah Talbot.")

+ Elizabeth Noake married West Knighton 15 December 1790.

They had a son, William, born in 1791. An Ancestry Tree, with no sources, gives seven more children, but it is William who maintained the interest in Broadmayne. He rented a farm in Osmington, where he died in 1823 aged 55. In his will he left his ‘two estates, consisting of the great and small tithes at Little Mayne and certain free lands in Broad Mayne ’ to his eldest son William Talbot. Only two other children are named in that will, Francis, underage born in 1808, and Susannah, now Susannah Townsey.
Click to see the will of 1822, codicil of 1823, and administration in 1824. (New window.)

This William, the son of William and Elizabeth (Noake), born in 1791 and in 1823 married Mary Bryer in Melcombe Regis. He died in 1836 aged 44; although his ‘abode’ had been Osmington, he was buried at Broadmayne. In his will he stipulated the sale of his lands, his widow and children to enjoy the funds thus liquidated. In the second edition of Hutchins under ‘Broadmayne’, we learn what happened to the Talbot land in that manor: ‘Mr Furmidge bought a farm called Talbots, in Broadmayne, about 60 acres, in 1857 from the trustees of Mr Talbot who died in 1836.’ In the Dorset County Chronicle, March 19 1857, we find an advertisement for the sale; it includes the remaining interest the Talbots had in Little Mayne. Lot 11 is the tithes of Little Mayne Farm. Lot 12 offers a cottage in the Barton (farmyard), believed then to be the site of St Stephen’s Chapel; the position and dimension of the chapel are given in D1/11740. Lot 12 includes the strip of land described in a map of 1820 as the glebe; this was the land that supported the nominal rector of the chapel. The ‘tithes of Little Mayne Farm’ were on sale again in 1867, when Mrs [Mary Ann Hart] Sabine, daughter of William Talbot (1791-1836), advertised them in the Dorset County Chronicle (June 6), thereby ending the Talbot association with the farms of Little Mayne and Broadmayne.

8-George Talbot c. 15 Jan 1773, West Knighton, Dorset, England, d. 1780, Bur. 4 Jun 1780, Broadmayne, Dorset, England

8-Susanna Talbot b. 1775, c. 20 Aug 1775, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1780, Bur. 4 Oct 1780, Broadmayne, Dorset

3-Stephen Talbot c. 1625, d. 1664, East Stafford

3-Aaron Talbot d. 1690, Poxwell, Dorset, England

2-John Talbot MA b. Abt 1609, Broadmayne, Dorset, England, d. 1684, Winterborne Clenston, Dorset, England, Bur. 27 Aug 1684, Winterborne Clenston, Dorset, England

2-Elizabeth Talbot

+ Mr. Williams b. Poole, Dorset, England

2-Anne Talbot

+ William Page b. Charde, Somerset, England, d. 1640

2-Edith Talbot

+ William Locke b. Brockington, Dorset, England

2-Alice Talbot

+ Edward Shaw b. Broadwey, Dorset, England

2-Edmond Talbot d. 1636

1-Elizabeth Talbot


Broadmayne and West Knighton

While the focus of this article is on the genealogy of a particular family, the history of the two parishes is important to note. Lying next to each other, the baptisms and marriages are often in one or another, or both, of the parish registers. The farm of Little Mayne, the Talbot’s domain, seemingly should be in Broadmayne, but the parish borders dip around it putting it in West Knighton. By the late 1700s, with both churches and rectories in need of repair and not distant from each other, the Bishop, recognizing that there were but forty families in Broadmayne and fifteen in West Knighton, ‘sentenced’ them to be united. (Footnote: January 19, 1793, “Sentence of Union of West Knighten and Broadmayne” in Broadmayne parish register images 29-30 at Ancestry.com. Collection 2243 > Broadmayne > Images 29-30. ) The boundaries have changed over the centuries and decades. Several histories of both parishes are online:

The bibliography below has links to Parish Registers online at several sources.

Talbots in the registers of Broadmayne and West Knighton

I have tried to keep the original wording, whether in Latin or English. Smudged or indecipherable are in [brackets], notes or comments are in (parentheses). In a few cases I've indicated the image number from the Ancestry.com register. Guliemus is the Latin for William.

  • 1665 Broadmayne: Maria Talbot filia Johnannis bapt. April 7.
  • 1668 Broadmayne: Maria Talbot filia Johnis et Juditha buried June 14.
  • 1668 Broadmayne: Thomas Talbot filius Johanis et Juditha buried Feb 9
  • 1670 Broadmayne: Gulielmus Talbot filius Johanis et Juditha bapt. Jan 30.
  • 1679 Broadmayne: Juditha Talbot uxor Johannis Talbot buried Jan 25.
  • 1693 Broadmayne: Francisea filia Johnas Talbot et Elizabtha uxoris Bapt Oct. 1.
  • 1693 Broadmayne: Honora Talbot de Little Mayne buried Jan 4.
  • 1694 Broadmayne: Gulielmus Talbot de Little Mayne et Eliabetha Pagett wid. [married] Feb 2.
  • 1695 West Knighton: Richard Talbott son of William Talbott was born Jan 19.
  • 1695 West Knighton: Richard Talbott son of Willm Talbott was buried Feb 26.
  • 1695 Broadmayne: Johan filius Elizabetha [---] baptized Jan 18
  • 1697 West Knighton: Richard Talbott son of William Talbott was born July 24.
  • 1697 Broadmayne: Richardus filius Guliemi Talbot de Little Mayne et Maria uxoris bapt August 15 (img 7)
  • 1714 Broadmayne: Gulielmus Talbot buried October 6.
  • 1717 Broadmayne: Elizabetha filia Gulielmus & Maria Talbot baptized Aug 2.
  • 1722 Broadmayne: Georgius Linsey de [parish Affpiddle] & Elizabetha Talbot [de this parish] married Nov 5.
  • 1724 Broadmayne: Gulielmi filius Gulielmi & Maria Talbot Bap 2...[smudged]" (indexed incorrectly as “Tilson” and a burial in Ancestry.com)
  • 1729 Broadmayne: Elizabetha Talbot [^uxor] Spulta 4th die Jan 1729 (a burial indexed in Ancestry as a baptism)
  • 1731 Broadmayne: Wm. Talbott was buried the 23 of April
  • 1731 Broadmayne: Eliz. the wido of Wm Talbott was buried 23 April
  • 1742 Broadmayne & West Knighton: “William son of William and ‘A[nn Talb]utt bapt 8 October”. (clearer in West Knighton PR.)
  • 1743 Broadmayne: Ann dau of [gap] Ann Talbot was buried.
  • 1744: Broadmayne: John son of William and Ann Talbot bapt Feb 24.
  • 1744: West Knighton: Ann dau of William and Ann Talbot buried
  • 1746: Broadmayne: Richard son of William and Ann Talbot bapt Mar 7.
  • 1747: Broadmayne and West Knighton: Richard son of William and Ann Talbot buried April 7.
  • 1750 Broadmayne: Elizabeth dau of William and Ann Talbot bapt
  • 1751 West Knighton: William Talbot son of William and Mary Talbot bapt
  • 1751 Broadmayne: Mary dau of William and Ann Talbot bapt 27 July and buried 15 August.
  • 1753 Broadmayne: Mary dr of William and Ann Talbot was Baptized ye 28th of March __
  • 1756 Broadmayne: Mary Talbot widow was buried 27 May. - 1754 will proved in 1756.
  • 1757 West Knighton and Broadmayne: Steven/Stephen Talbot baptised son of William and Anne May1. (img 20)
  • 1758 Broadmayne Stephen son of William and Anne Talbot buried Oct 12. (Img 25)
  • 1759 Broadmayne and West Knighton: Jane dau of William and Anne Talbot bapt August 12. (indexed burial)
  • 1760 West Knighton and Broadmayne: Ann wife of William Talbot buried April 29
  • 1760 Broadmayne: Frances (Francis?) Talbot buried June 22
  • 1766 West Knighton and Broadmayne registers: William Talbot junior buried April 8.
  • 1769 Broadmayne: William Talbot son of William and Hannah Talbot bapt. Jan 11.
  • 1770 Broadmayne: George Talbot buried June 5. Rec'd Cert. (R.C.)
  • 1775 Broadmayne: Hannah Talbot buried Aug 20. R.C.
  • 1780 Broadmayne: George Talbot buried June 4. R.C.
  • 1780 Broadmayne: Susannah Talbot buried October 4. R.C.
  • 1781 Broadmayne: William Talbot buried Jan. 8. R.C.
  • 1793 Broadmayne: Wm. Son of Wm & Elizabeth Talbot was Baptised June 14, was born Sept 29, 1791. (indexed burial)
  • 1793 Broadmayne: Elizabeth daughter of Wm. & Elizabeth Talbot bapt. July 15.
  • 1797 Broadmayne: Mary Spicer (née Talbot) was buried Aug 5. “came to Arch-Ds visitation.”
  • 1798 Broadmayne: Stephen son of Wm. & Elizabeth Talbot was buried Sept 19.
  • 1799 Broadmayne: Susannah daughter of Wm. & Elizabeth Talbot bapt. Jan 9.
  • 1799 Broadmayne: Mary daughter of Wm & Elizabeth Talbot was buried Jan 9

Arms

Descriptions in sources.
Click on the footnote to enlarge here, click on the description to enlarge.
Visitation of 1623 ⁠ (Footnote: 1623 Visitation: above and at https://archive.org/details/visitationofcound00stge/page/90/mode/2up ) 1874 Alphabetical Dictionary (Footnote: An alphabetical dictionary of coats of arms belonging to families in Great Britain and Ireland : forming an extensive ordinary of British armorials : upon an entirely new plan… (Papworth and Morant. (London, 1874) page 759. At https://archive.org/details/alphabeticaldict02papw/page/758/mode/2up ) 1884 General Armory ⁠ (Footnote: The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time. (Burke, Bernard, Sir., (London, 1884) page 996 https://archive.org/details/generalarmoryofe00burk/page/996/mode/2up ) 1905 Fairbairn's Book(s) ⁠ (Footnote: Fairbairn, James, Fairbairn's book of crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland. (London, 1905); Vol 1, page 540. https://archive.org/details/fairbairnsbookof01fair/page/540/mode/2up?view=theater
cf. 54.5: Volume 2 Plate 54.5 (reference from Vol 1, page 107) https://archive.org/details/fairbairnsbookof02fair/page/n111/mode/2up?view=theater )

While the study of heraldry is complex, a few definitions used in the descriptions might help, here taken from a website, Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry. https://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglossa.htm (New window or tab.)

  1. talbot [beast or dog] passant [standing].
  2. Az. [Azure, bright blue].
  3. Or. [Gold].
  4. Fess [a band across the middle].
  5. Couped [cut off in a straight line].
  6. Arg. [Argent - Silver].
  7. Gauntlet [A glove of mail or plate; Sinister, left hand; Dexter, right hand].

Three of the descriptions, most importantly the 1623 Visitation, mention the gauntlets, something that is unique to other Talbot crests.


Maps

1811 Broadmayne Inclosure Award Map
This map is particularly interesting for the names. "William Talbot" is starred.
1844 full tithe map of West Knighton illustrating the closeness of the parish to Broadmayne.
1844 Tithe map cropped.

Footnotes:

Footnotes:


Bibliography

All links open in a new window or tab. Tested in May of 2022 and valid then.

  1. “Little Mayne – Some Notes on Local History”, Sykes, E.R., Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. From January 1st to December 31st 1937. Volume 59 Printed by F G Longman at the Friary Press, Dorchester, 1938, pages 26-31.
    1. Download the full article.
    2. At the end of the article the author makes reference to a 1909 visit by the Field Club of the Society to the site of the Sarsen Stones at Little Mayne. The account of that visit, and an intriguing map, is online at https://archive.org/details/proceedings30dorsuoft/page/n51/mode/2up?view=theater
  2. Hutchins, John, (1698-1773), The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (London, 1774) at https://archive.org/details/b30456496_0001/page/448/mode/2up is the discussion of Broad-Maine in the Hundred of St. George along with the Pedigree of Talbot in Broad-Maine. Hutchins is an invaluable resource.
  3. Talbots at Oxford: Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714, ed. Joseph Foster (Oxford, 1891), pp. 1453-1478. Two locations online:
    1. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/alumni-oxon/1500-1714/pp1453-1478 [accessed 9 May 2022].
    2. Ancestry.com Oxford University Alumni, 1500-1886 (collection 8942). Talbot: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8942/images/RDUK1500_0002-0597
  4. Notes & Queries for Somerset and Dorset, Vol. 6: (page 119) https://archive.org/details/notesqueriesfor06unkngoog/page/n142/mode/2up
    The image from page 119 shows that in Michaelmas of the 2nd and 3rd years (1560) of the Reign of Elizabeth I, William Talbot bought the Manor of Mayne Martell from William West; in Folio 715
  5. Dorset Online Parish Clerks (OPC) - main page is https://www.opcdorset.org/
    1. For Broadmayne - has Marriages 1667-1837 transcribed: https://www.opcdorset.org/BroadmayneFiles/Broadmayne.htm
    2. For West Knighton - has Parish registers transcribed from 1693 to 1812, Marriages to 1850. https://www.opcdorset.org/WestKnightonFiles/WKnighton.htm
  6. Online sources for Registers and/or information on Broadmayne. While most online genealogy sites are geared towards searching, you can page through some Parish Registers.
    1. FamilySearch.org: Wiki page on Broadmayne with links to its collections to search is at https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Broadmayne,_Dorset_Genealogy
      Dorset Parish Registers at FamilySearch.org can be paged through (click) but unfortunately Broadmayne is not one of the pages listed. An index search is available though at above.
    2. At Ancestry.com, if one has a subscription, you can page through the Parish Register of Broadmayne to about 1812 at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2243/images/32435_239519-00701 although these are often a jumble filmed at the Dorset History Centre and the reference to the DHC (Dorset History Centre) appears to be outdated.
  7. The Dorset History Centre - Of course the mother-lode of documents. Most are available only in-person in Dorchester, but abstract of the documents are online as a "description."
    There is an excellent search engine, e.g. search “William Talbot” (without the quotes) as a Phrase at https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/
    1. Registers for Broadmayne Parish at the DHC available on microfilm only are listed at https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/PE-BDM/RE
    2. Registers from West Knighton: https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/PE-WKT/RE
  8. Dan Talbot’s Ancestry.com Family Tree (with subscription) beginning at William Talbot (I – c1530-1574): https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/27657500/person/26905093886/facts
  9. Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) wills: There are a number of references to PCC Wills in this page. The actual wills are available on Ancestry.com in Collection 5111, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5111/. To search there enter the name and Probate Date mentioned in the text but often do not use an “Exact” search on the name. For example, the 1617 will of John Henning in Poxwell is actually “Johannis Hennynge,” so use the Probate Dates that are in the text – use them to narrow the search.

Page created November, 2020; revised June, 2022.

© Text copyright: Steve Spicer

Feel free contact me about this page.