Lawyers and Lawmakers of Kentucky, by H. Levin, editor, 1897. Published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago. Reprinted by Southern Historical Press. p. 117. Franklin County. ISHAM TALBOT, United States senator and lawyer, was born in Bedford county, Virginia, in 1773. In his youth his father emigrated to Mercer county, Kentucky, where with few advantages and without the aid of teachers he acquired an extensive knowledge of languages, ancient and modern. He was a student of law under Colonel George Nicholas, and commenced the practice at Versailles, moving soon afterward to Frankfort, where he took a prominent place at the bar. He was elected to the state senate in 1812 and to the United States senate in 1815, as the successor of Jesse Bledsoe, continuing in office by re-election until 1825. He died at his residence "Melrose," near Frankfort, September 21, 1837. Mr. Talbott was an accomplished lawyer and eloquent speaker. His rapidity of utterance was extraordinary. He once argued a case before the supreme court of the United States and spoke for four hours; his address was marked by impassioned eloquence, his words flowed like a torrent and his velocity of speech was a topic of conversation with the judges after adjournment. Judge Washington wittily observed, "A person of moderate wishes could hardly desire to live longer than the time it would take to repeat deliberately that four-hour speech of Mr. Talbot's." In his long career in the United States senate, as shown by the reports of the debates of that body, his course was one of conservative patriotism and his voice in eloquent language was raised in behalf of all those measures leading to the advancement of national prosperity. As a lawyer in practice at the bar his contemporaries were Henry Clay, Joseph H. Daviess, George M. Bibb, Jesse Bledsoe, and John Rowan. Mr. Talbot was esteemed one of the brightest of that galaxy of noted men. Talbot Nicholas Clay Daviess Bibb Bledsoe Rowan = Mercer-KY Woodford-KY Bedford-VA http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/franklin/talbot.i2.txt