SHREWSBURY, JOHN TALBOT, 1ST EARL OF (d. 1453), was second son of Richard, 5th baron Talbot, by Ankaret, heiress of the last Lord Strange of Blackmere. He was married before 1404 to Maud Neville, heiress of the barons Furnivall, and in her right summoned to parliament from 1409. In 1421 by the death of his niece he acquired the baronies of Talbot and Strange. He served in the Welsh wars (1404-13), was lord lieu tenant (1414-19) of Ireland, where he saw more fighting, had a command in France (1420-24), and, after a brief stay at home on the Welsh marches, he was back at the French war in 1427. He fought at the siege of Orleans. Talbot's stubborn rashness was chiefly to blame for the English defeat at Patay in June 1429. After Patay Talbot was four years a prisoner. On his release he became one of the foremost of the English captains. In 1434 he recovered the county of Clermont, next year took part in the siege of St. Denys, and in 1436 by reducing and harrying the revolted Pays de Caux saved Normandy. He was rewarded with the offices of captain of Rouen and marshal of France. During five years as a dashing fighter he was the mainstay of the English cause. His chief exploits were the defeat of the Burgundians before Crotoy in 1437 and the recovery of Harfleur in 1440. In 1442 during a visit to England he was created earl of Shrewsbury. In Novem ber he was back in France besieging Dieppe ; but "fared so foul with his men that they would no longer abide with him" and was forced to break the siege (Chronicles of London, p. 15o). In March 1445 he was once more sent to Ireland, where he used his old methods, so that the Irish said "there came not from the time of Herod any one so wicked in evil deeds." In 1449 he
served for a short time in Normandy.
When in 1452 the Gascons appealed for English help, Shrews bury was the natural leader of the expedition. He landed in Aquitaine on Oct. 17. Bordeaux and the surrounding district re turned quickly to their old allegiance, and in the following summer Shrewsbury captured Fronsac. In July the French besieged Castillon. Shrewsbury hurried to its relief, and with foolhardy valour attacked the enemy in their entrenched camp without wait ing for his artillery. The English and Gascon footmen charged in vain in face of the French cannon, until Shrewsbury and the flower of his troops had fallen. This happened in July and was the end of the English rule in Gascony. Shrewsbury's fight ing qualities made him something of a popular hero, and in the doggerel of the day he was "Talbot our good dog," whose valour was brought to nought by the treason of Suffolk. But in truth though a brave soldier he was no general. He was twice married, his second wife being Margaret, eldest daughter of Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.-For Shrewsbury's French campaigns see especially the Chronique of E. de Monstrelet, Jehan de Waurin and Matthieu d'Escouchy (all these are published by the Societe de l'Histoire de France) , and the Chronicles of London (ed. C. L. Kingsford, London, 1905). Also H. Ribadieu, Conquete de Guyenne (1866) ; J. T. Gil bert, Viceroys of Ireland (1865) ; and J. H. Wylie's Henry the Fourth (1884-1898) for his early career.