Douglas Hervey Talbot was born on 17th June 1882 at West Sandfield House, North Place, Guildford in Surrey and baptised on 5th August of that year at St Nicholas Church in Guildford. He was the son of Arthur Hervey Talbot (born Aston) and Olympia Annette (nee Clarke) who was born in Bloomsbury in London. Arthur Hervey Talbot was recorded as a “gentleman”.
Douglas was sent to boarding school at a young age and was recorded on the 1891 Census as being a pupil at a private school “Tanllwyfan, Bay View, LLysfaen, Conway, Caernarvonshire”. His parents and his sister Gwendoline Ida, who had been born in Chelsea a year after him, were then living at Dutton Lodge. The father was “living on his own means”. A son named John Victor Chetwynd had been born in 1887 in Winnipeg, Canada and a daughter named Cecil Muriel had been born in 1890 at Dutton. They were visiting elsewhere.
By 1901 Douglas was serving in the Army. He served in the Anglo Boer War of 1899-1902 as a Second Lieutenant in the 17th Lancers and fought at the Siege of Ladysmith (Natal) and at Lydenburg in South Africa. His parents and three siblings were at the time of the Census residing at Aston Hall, the ancestral family seat.
Cecil Muriel sadly died in 1902 aged 12 years.
Douglas continued to serve in the 17th Lancers and was recorded as a Captain, 28 years old and unmarried in the 1911 Census. He was stationed somewhere in England. Later that year he was seconded as Adjutant of Yeomanry.
On 23rd July 1914 he married Dorothy Helen Roylance Court, who was born at Middlewich in 1890 and who lived at Newton Manor House in that town.
Douglas served throughout the Great War and was decorated highly for his service. He was awarded the Military Cross, the Croix de Guerre and the Distinguished Service Order.
In January 1916 a son was born called Brian Hervey Talbot, who died in 2008.
Douglas served in the 17th/21st Lancers after the Great War, attaining the rank of major and then Lieutenant Colonel. He died at Warbury House, Aldershot Barracks in Surrey on 23rd March 1927, aged 44 years. His father had passed away ten days previously. His mother died in 1938.
The 1939 Register recorded Dorothy Talbot as living at the Berners Hotel in London where she was doing unpaid domestic duties for a single lady of private means. Dorothy died at Rhyl on 23rd March 1978 aged 87 years.