Robert was born in 1608, the eldest son of
William Talbot and his wife Alison Netterville. His father was the 1st
Baronet Talbot of
Carton, County Kildare. His father's family was
Old English. His mother was a daughter of John Netterville. He was one of 16 siblings,
who are listed in his father's article. Among his younger brothers were
Peter Talbot, who became the Catholic
Archbishop of Dublin, and the soldier and courtier
Richard Talbot, whose career eventually eclipsed Robert's as Richard rose to become
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under
James II and commanded the
Royal Irish Army during the
Williamite War. Like most other
Old English families, the Talbots and Nettervilles remained
Roman Catholics after the
Reformation. == Marriage and children ==