Colonel Thomas Talbot (July 19 1771 — February 5 1853) was born at Malahide Castle in Ireland. He emigrated to Canada in 1791, where he became personal secretary to John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada. In 1800 he received a grant of 5,000 acres (20 km²) near what is now Port Talbot , and eventually was given responsibility for settling 65,000 acres (263 km²) of land on the north shore of Lake Erie, today's counties of Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Kent, Middlesex and Norfolk. The principal city of this region today is London, Ontario.
Talbot's administration was despotic. He was infamous for writing settlers' names on the settlement map in pencil. However, his insistence on provision of good roads (notably the eponymous Talbot Trail), maintenance of the roads by the settlers, and the removal of Crown and clergy reserves from main roads quickly resulted in the Talbot Settlement becoming the most prosperous part of the province. Eventually, however, he began to make political demands on the settlers, after which his power was reduced by the provincial government. Talbot's abuse of power was a contributing factor in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837.
He died in London, Ontario in 1853.
The town of St. Thomas, Ontario was named after him.
