Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
Encyclopedia
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot FRS (10 May 1803 – 17 January 1890) was a landowner, industrialist and Liberal
politician. He developed his estate at Margam
near Swansea
as an extensive ironworks
, served by railways and a port, which was re-named Port Talbot
.
were held in trust until he came of age in 1824. He was educated at a private school in Dorset, and then at Harrow School
and Oriel College, Oxford, from where he graduated in 1824 with a 1st class honours degree in mathematics. He then undertook a Grand Tour
of Europe
. His favourite activities were yachting, racing and hunting. In 1823 he was elected a member of the Royal Yacht Club (later the Royal Yacht Squadron), and he was its Vice Commodore from 1851 to 1861
Member of Parliament
for Glamorganshire
in 1830, the seat being vacated by his stepfather Sir Christopher Cole and he remained in parliament for the rest of his life. He was Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan
, from 1848 to 1890.
On redistribution of parliamentary seats in 1885, he was elected for Mid Glamorganshire
. He retained his seat until his death, becoming Father of the House of Commons. He was described as "a tall, elderly gentleman ... wearing a long woollen comforter" in Sir Henry Lucy's Diary of the Salisbury Parliament for 10 June 1888 which was published in book form in 1892.
; two years later, a further Bill provided for the harbour's expansion and a change of name to Port Talbot in his honour. He also encouraged the development of Swansea docks
, and pioneered the introduction of railways to south Wales, being chairman and a shareholder in the South Wales Railway
Company, which was acquired by the Great Western Railway
in 1863, with Talbot joining the board of the GWR.
Talbot also invested in the area's extractive and metal production industries. The Port Talbot ironworks opened in early 1831, part of the industrialisation then taking place across south Wales; copper had been smelted at nearby Neath
since 1584, and there were tinworks and ironworks at Pontardawe
.
In 1869 aboard his private yacht Lynx he attended the opening of the Suez Canal
, accompanied by members of his family and several guests. When he was in Egypt, Gladstone offered hima peerage, but he declined on this and two other occasions. He was adjudged the wealthiest commoner of his time.
. The mansion was designed in the Tudor Gothic style by architect
Thomas Hopper (1776–1856), while Edward Haycock (1790–1870) was supervisory architect and designed parts of the interior and exterior of the house, the stables, terraces and lodges. Talbot also took a keen interest in the project, encouraging his architects to borrow elements from Lacock Abbey
in Wiltshire
(ancestral home of the Talbots and home to his cousin William Henry Fox Talbot) and Melbury House
in Dorset
(home of his mother's family, the Fox-Strangways, Earls of Ilchester
). Margam Castle is a Grade I listed building owned by Neath and Port Talbot County Borough council.
Talbot encouraged his relations William Fox Talbot
and John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
in the development of photography and was himself a Fellow of the Royal Society.
. He gave £500.00 towards the building fund, and the miners of the valley agreed to levy themselves a day's wages towards the cost.
In Llanfair, his name still survives in "Talbot Terrace". In 1865 there was a public house in the village called the "Talbot Arms".
Talbot married Lady Charlotte Butler, daughter of the first Earl of Glengall, at Cahir House, County Tipperary on 28 December 1835. She died at Malta on the 23rd March 1846, where the Talbots were on their yacht "Galatea".
Talbot's only son Theodore died in 1876 following a hunting accident. It was therefore his daughter Emily Charlotte Talbot
(1840–1918) who inherited her father's fortune and became just as notable in the development of ports and railways.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. He developed his estate at Margam
Margam
Margam is a suburb of Port Talbot in the Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway.- History :...
near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
as an extensive ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
, served by railways and a port, which was re-named Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
.
Early life
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot was born at Penrice, Swansea, the son of Thomas Mansel Talbot and Lady Mary Lucy (born Fox-Strangways). When his father died in 1813, Christopher was only ten years old, so his estates at Penrice and MargamMargam
Margam is a suburb of Port Talbot in the Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway.- History :...
were held in trust until he came of age in 1824. He was educated at a private school in Dorset, and then at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Oriel College, Oxford, from where he graduated in 1824 with a 1st class honours degree in mathematics. He then undertook a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. His favourite activities were yachting, racing and hunting. In 1823 he was elected a member of the Royal Yacht Club (later the Royal Yacht Squadron), and he was its Vice Commodore from 1851 to 1861
Parliamentary and public career
Talbot was an elected LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Glamorganshire
Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Glamorganshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales, returning two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided it into five new constituencies: East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda.- MPs...
in 1830, the seat being vacated by his stepfather Sir Christopher Cole and he remained in parliament for the rest of his life. He was Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan
Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan. After 1729, all Lords Lieutenant were also Custos Rotulorum of Glamorgan. The post was abolished on 31 March 1974.-Lord Lieutenants of Glamorgan to 1974:...
, from 1848 to 1890.
On redistribution of parliamentary seats in 1885, he was elected for Mid Glamorganshire
Mid Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Mid Glamorganshire was a county constituency in Glamorganshire, Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
. He retained his seat until his death, becoming Father of the House of Commons. He was described as "a tall, elderly gentleman ... wearing a long woollen comforter" in Sir Henry Lucy's Diary of the Salisbury Parliament for 10 June 1888 which was published in book form in 1892.
Industry and transportation
Talbot recognised that improved transportation could stimulate industrial growth, and as Member of Parliament he introduced a Bill in 1834 to improve the old harbour at AberavonAberavon
Aberavon is a settlement in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a district of Port Talbot, covering the central and south western part of the town...
; two years later, a further Bill provided for the harbour's expansion and a change of name to Port Talbot in his honour. He also encouraged the development of Swansea docks
Swansea docks
Swansea Docks is the collective name for several docks in Swansea, Wales. The Swansea docks are located immediately south east of Swansea city centre. In the mid-19th century the port was exporting 60% of the world's copper from factories situated in the Tawe valley...
, and pioneered the introduction of railways to south Wales, being chairman and a shareholder in the South Wales Railway
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
Company, which was acquired by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1863, with Talbot joining the board of the GWR.
Talbot also invested in the area's extractive and metal production industries. The Port Talbot ironworks opened in early 1831, part of the industrialisation then taking place across south Wales; copper had been smelted at nearby Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
since 1584, and there were tinworks and ironworks at Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
.
In 1869 aboard his private yacht Lynx he attended the opening of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, accompanied by members of his family and several guests. When he was in Egypt, Gladstone offered hima peerage, but he declined on this and two other occasions. He was adjudged the wealthiest commoner of his time.
Margam Castle
Over a ten-year period from 1830, Talbot set about redeveloping the family estate at Margam CastleMargam Castle
Margam Castle is a large mansion house built in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, for the Talbot family. It was built on a site which had been occupied for some 4000 years and from the 11th century was an abbey. The "castle" is actually a comfortable Victorian era country house, one of many "mock" or...
. The mansion was designed in the Tudor Gothic style by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Thomas Hopper (1776–1856), while Edward Haycock (1790–1870) was supervisory architect and designed parts of the interior and exterior of the house, the stables, terraces and lodges. Talbot also took a keen interest in the project, encouraging his architects to borrow elements from Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, England, was founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order.- History :...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(ancestral home of the Talbots and home to his cousin William Henry Fox Talbot) and Melbury House
Melbury House
Melbury House in Melbury Sampford near Evershot, Dorset, has been the seat of the Strangways family of Dorset since the estate was sold in 1500 by William Bruning to Henry Strangways. The present house was rebuilt after 1546 by his son, Sir Giles Strangways , using ham stone from a quarry nine...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
(home of his mother's family, the Fox-Strangways, Earls of Ilchester
Earl of Ilchester
Earl of Ilchester, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1756 for Stephen Fox, 1st Baron Ilchester, who had previously represented Shaftesbury in Parliament. He had already been created Baron Ilchester, of Ilchester in the County of Somerset in 1741, and Baron Ilchester and...
). Margam Castle is a Grade I listed building owned by Neath and Port Talbot County Borough council.
Talbot encouraged his relations William Fox Talbot
William Fox Talbot
William Henry Fox Talbot was a British inventor and a pioneer of photography. He was the inventor of calotype process, the precursor to most photographic processes of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was also a noted photographer who made major contributions to the development of photography as an...
and John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
Sir John Talbot Dillwyn-Llewellyn, 1st Baronet was a Welsh Conservative Member of Parliament who was notable for his links to Welsh sports.-Background and education:...
in the development of photography and was himself a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Legacy
On the 31st October 1880, C.R.M. Talbot, M.P., laid the foundation stone of Maesteg Town Hall, MaestegMaesteg
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000....
. He gave £500.00 towards the building fund, and the miners of the valley agreed to levy themselves a day's wages towards the cost.
In Llanfair, his name still survives in "Talbot Terrace". In 1865 there was a public house in the village called the "Talbot Arms".
Talbot married Lady Charlotte Butler, daughter of the first Earl of Glengall, at Cahir House, County Tipperary on 28 December 1835. She died at Malta on the 23rd March 1846, where the Talbots were on their yacht "Galatea".
Talbot's only son Theodore died in 1876 following a hunting accident. It was therefore his daughter Emily Charlotte Talbot
Emily Charlotte Talbot
Emily Charlotte Talbot was an heiress and industrialist of South Wales, the daughter of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.She was born in Belgrave Square, the centrepiece of Belgravia in London....
(1840–1918) who inherited her father's fortune and became just as notable in the development of ports and railways.