William Talbot
16 May 1710 – 27 April 1782
Roll No. 124

William Talbot, known as the Lord Talbot from 1737 to 1761, was a British politician. 

He was born at Worcester, the son of Charles Talbot, later Baron Talbot and was educated at Eton from 1725 to 1728 and matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford on 23 January 1727. He was created DCL Doctor of Civil Law on 12 June 1736. 

He was Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire from 1734 to 1737, when he succeeded his father in the barony and entered the House of Lords. 

In 1744 William Talbot of Hensol was enrolled as a Freeman of Llantrisant.

Talbot was Lord High Steward at King George III’s coronation, and became a member of the Privy Council in 1761. He served from then until his death as Lord Steward of the Household. 

He was created Earl Talbot on 29 March 1761. Talbot died 27 April 1782 at Lincolns Inn Fields and was buried at Sutton. 

Talbot had no sons so he was created Baron Dynevor, of Dynevor in the county of Carmarthen on 17 October 1780, with a special remainder in favour of his only child, a daughter, Cecil Rice, and the heir male of her body. 

Talbot married Mary, daughter and heir of Adam de Cardonnel, secretary to the Duke of Marlborough, on 21 February 1733, at St George, Hanover Square. 

He had an affair with Frances Scudamore (born 14 August 1711 – died 16 February 1750), wife of Henry Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort; this led to the Beauforts' divorce in 1743. Mary Anne Talbot claimed to be one of sixteen illegitimate children of Lord Talbot. 

At his death, the earldom became extinct, while the barony of Talbot passed to his nephew (and is now part of the earldom of Shrewsbury) and the barony of Dynevor passed to his daughter.