Talbot family of Margam

Sir Hugh Mansel of Scurlage Castle in Gower (Glamorganshire) acquired Penrice and Oxwich (also in Gower) c.1400 through marriage to the daughter and heir of Sir John Penrice. Beaupre in eastern Glamorganshire came with the marriage of Sir Rice Mansel (1487-1559) to the daughter and heir of James Bassett but returned to the Bassett family on the marriage of Mansel's daughter to William Bassett (d. 1593). Margam Abbey (Glamorganshire) was bought in 1540 by Sir Rice Mansel, who also purchased other Margam Abbey lands. Sir Edward Mansel, 3rd Bt (1637-1706), extended the Glamorganshire estate after 1660, purchasing the former Herbert family manors of Landimore, Reynoldston and Weobley in 1666 and the manor and borough of Kenfig in 1668. The manor of Llandough and St Mary Church passed to him c.1685 on the death of his mother-in-law Martha Bassett, daughter and heir of Edward Carne of Ewenny (Glamorganshire).

The 4th Bt, created Baron Mansell of Margam in 1712, was succeeded by his grandson Thomas Mansel (d. 1744), who was in turn succeeded by his uncle Christopher Mansel (also d. 1744) of Newick Place (Sussex), a property acquired through the 1st Baron's marriage to the daughter and heir of Francis Millington of London and Newick. The 3rd Baron had sold Glamorganshire property (Henllys, etc) to his nephew the 2nd Baron in 1732 and purchased further Newick property in 1734.

On the death in 1750 of Bussy, 4th and last Baron Mansell, the Margam and Penrice estates passed to the Revd Thomas Talbot (d. 1758) of Collingbourne (Wiltshire), whose father, John Ivory Talbot of Lacock (Wiltshire), had married Mary, daughter of the 1st Lord Mansell. The Sussex estate passed to the 4th Baron's daughter, Louisa Barbara (d. 1786), wife of George Venables-Vernon, 2nd Baron Vernon of Kinderton. Briton Ferry (Glamorganshire), which had been inherited from a distant relative, Thomas Mansel (d. 1706), also descended to Lady Vernon, before passing to her mother's relatives the Villiers family, Earls of Jersey.

Thomas Talbot was succeeded by his son Thomas Mansel Talbot (d. 1813), who married Mary Lucy Fox-Strangways, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Ilchester (see Fox-Strangways, Earls of Ilchester). Their son Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (d. 1890) was active from c.1834 in the development of Port Talbot (Glamorganshire). Following the death in 1918 of his daughter Emily Charlotte Talbot, Margam was inherited by her nephew Andrew Mansel Talbot Fletcher of Saltoun (East Lothian), while Penrice passed to her niece Evelyn, wife of the 4th Baron Blythswood. The bulk of the Margam estate was sold in 1941.

Estates in 1883: Glamorganshire 33,920 acres, worth £44,057 a year, inclusive of the profits of lessees of mines on the estate.