Thomas Talbot (September 7, 1818 – October 6, 1885) was an American textile mill owner and politician from Massachusetts, United States.

Born to Irish immigrants, Talbot was minimally educated, working in textile mills from an early age.

Talbot was a strong temperance advocate, and his veto of a popular alcohol licensing bill contributed to his loss in the 1874 gubernatorial race.

[1] In 1825, Talbot joined a weaving firm established by his older brother Charles in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, where he was first employed as a carder and finisher, and quickly rose to become superintendent.

Thomas focused on the textile business while Charles continued to manage the dye and chemical interests, expanding the facilities in 1870 and again in 1880.

The dam, which had been constructed in the 1790s to provide water for the Middlesex Canal,[4] was believed by some to be responsible for the flooding of fields upstream as far as Sudbury.

The dispute was partly played out in the state legislature, and brought Talbot to the attention of political leaders as a potential candidate for office.

[8] He also refused to authorize construction of a prison in Concord,[7] and signed legislation allowing women to vote for members of local school committees.

[9] The state's liquor prohibition law was a major political issues at the time, and Talbot was a strict prohibitionist.

[10] The election marked a watershed in post-Civil War Massachusetts, since it was the first victory for a Democrat in that period, and exposed the state Republican Party's fractures on domestic affairs like prohibition.

[12] In 1878, Talbot won nomination as the Republican candidate for governor, in a large field occasioned by the impending retirement of Alexander H.