Marquess of Salisbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain, held by a branch of the Cecil family. It was created in 1789 for the 7th earl of Salisbury. Most of the holders of the title have been prominent in British political life over the last two centuries, particularly the 3rd marquess, who served three times as prime minister in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Background

This branch of the Cecil family descends from Sir Robert Cecil, the son of Elizabeth I's chief minister William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, from his second marriage, to Mildred Cooke. His elder half-brother the 2nd Baron Burghley was created Earl of Exeter in 1605 and is the ancestor of the Marquesses of Exeter. Cecil notably served under Elizabeth and later King James I as Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Lord Privy Seal and Lord High Treasurer. In 1603 he was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Cecil, of Essendon in the County of Rutland, and the following year he was created Viscount Cranborne. In 1605 he was further created Earl of Salisbury. The last two titles were also in the Peerage of England.

The Earl of Salisbury was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He represented Weymouth in the House of Commons and also served as Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners and as Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire and Dorsetshire. His great-grandson, the fourth Earl, converted to Roman Catholicism; and in 1689 the House of Commons decided to impeach him for high treason. However, the charges were not brought any further and he was succeeded by his son, the fifth Earl, Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.

History

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

The seventh Earl was a politician and served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household for many years. In 1789, he was created Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second marquess. He was a Conservative politician and held office as Lord Privy Seal and Lord President of the Council. Lord Salisbury married as his first wife Frances Mary Gascoyne, daughter of Bamber Gascoyne, in 1821. The same year he assumed by royal licence the additional surname of Gascoyne.

He was succeeded by his third but eldest surviving son, the third marquess. He was Prime Minister three times – from 1885 to 1886, 1886 to 1892, and 1895 to 1902 – and also served four times as foreign secretary. His time as Prime Minister coincided with a great expansion of the British Empire. Lord Salisbury is also remembered as an adherent of the policy of "splendid isolation", the desire to keep Great Britain out of European affairs and alliances. He was also "the last Prime Minister to lead a government from the Lords". Salisbury was offered a dukedom by Queen Victoria in 1886 and 1892, but declined both offers, citing the prohibitive cost of the lifestyle dukes were expected to maintain.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, the fourth marquess. He too was an influential Conservative politician and served as Lord Privy Seal, as President of the Board of Trade, as Lord President of the Council, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and as Leader of the House of Lords. Like his father, he was regarded as a staunch Conservative; and he bitterly opposed the Parliament Act 1911, which sought to curtail the powers of the House of Lords.

His eldest son, the fifth marquess, likewise was a Conservative politician. In 1941 he was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Cecil. During his career Lord Salisbury notably held office as Paymaster General, Secretary of State for the Dominions, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords. He was an opponent of attempts to reform the House of Lords but was forced to see the Parliament Act 1949 even further limit the power of the House of Lords. However, Lord Salisbury was also behind the Salisbury Convention of 1945, which states that the House of Lords shall not oppose the second reading of any government legislation promised in its election manifesto.

The fifth Marquess was succeeded by his eldest son, the sixth marquess. Although he briefly represented Bournemouth West in Parliament he did not take such an active role in national politics as his predecessors.

As of 2012, the titles are held by the sixth marquess's eldest son, the seventh Marquess, who succeeded in 2003. The seventh marquess is also a Conservative politician. After representing South Dorset in the House of Commons, he was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Cecil in 1992 (the last time a writ of acceleration was issued). Lord Salisbury then served under his close political ally John Major as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords from 1994 to 1997. As Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords after 1997, he played a leading role in negotiating the terms of the House of Lords Act 1999, in which the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the upper chamber of Parliament was abolished. Salisbury managed to obtain a compromise with the Labour government of Tony Blair, whereby 92 selected hereditary peers were allowed to remain on an interim basis. However, the compromise was agreed without the knowledge of Conservative leader William Hague and Salisbury was dismissed as Conservative Leader in the House of Lords. The same year, along with all former Leaders of the House of Lords, he was given a life peerage as Baron Gascoyne-Cecil, of Essendon in the County of Rutland, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, so that he could remain a member of the House of Lords. He continued to sit under his life peerage until 8 June 2017, when he retired from the House under Section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.

Several other members of the Cecil family have gained distinction. Lord Eustace Cecil, fourth son of the second Marquess, was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army and Member of Parliament. His son Evelyn Cecil was a Conservative politician and was created Baron Rockley in 1934. The Right Reverend Lord William Gascoyne-Cecil, Bishop of Exeter; Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood; Lord Edward Cecil; and Hugh Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood; were all younger sons of the third Marquess. Lord David Cecil, Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford, was the second son of the fourth Marquess, while the journalist Lord Richard Cecil was the second son of the sixth Marquess. Also, Lady Blanche Gascoyne-Cecil, daughter of the second Marquess, was the mother of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour.

The Salisbury Chapel in St Etheldreda Church, Hatfield, traditional burial place of the marquesses

The family seats are Hatfield House and Cranborne Manor. The traditional burial place of the marquesses is the Salisbury Chapel in St Etheldreda Church, Hatfield House, Hertfordshire. The 6th Marquess had holdings of 8,500 acres around Hatfield House, and 1,300 acres at Cranborne Manor, Dorset. At the time of his obituary he owned property around Leicester and Leicester Square, London, held by Gascoyne Holdings.

All the marquesses, except the 6th marquess, have been appointed as Knights Companion of the Order of the Garter.

Earls of Salisbury (1605)

Marquesses of Salisbury (1789)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Robert Edward William Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne (b. 1970).

Family tree

The Cecils are descended from Sir David Cecil (c. 1460 – 1540), a Welsh landowner, courtier, and Member of Parliament. He was born into a Welsh family, the third son of Richard Cecil ap Philip Seisyllt of Alt-yr-Ynys on the border of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire but settled near Stamford, Lincolnshire. The spelling of the family name as Seisyllt is still similar to how the name is pronounced, Sissill.

vteCecil family tree, including earls of Exeter and Salisbury (1605) and marquesses of Exeter (1801) and Salisbury
David Cecil c.1460–c.1540 Richard Cecil c.1495–1553 Baron Burghley, 1571 William Cecil 1520–1598 1st Baron BurghleyMildred Cooke 1526–1589 Earl of Exeter, 1605Baron Cecil, 1603 Viscount Cranborne, 1604 Earl of Salisbury (5th creation), 1605 Thomas Cecil 1542–1623 1st Earl of Exeter, 2nd Baron BurghleyRobert Cecil 1563–1612 1st Earl of Salisbury, etc. Viscount Wimbledon and Baron Cecil of Putney, 1625 William Cecil 1566–1600 2nd Earl of Exeter, 3rd Baron BurghleyRichard Cecil 1570–1633Edward Cecil 1572–1638 Viscount Wimbledon and Baron Cecil of PutneyThomas Howard 1561–1626 1st Earl of Suffolk Barony of Cecil of Putney and viscounty of Wimbledon extinct, 1638 David Cecil c.1600–1643 3rd Earl of Exeter, 4th Baron BurghleyWilliam Cecil 1591–1668 2nd Earl of Salisbury, etc.Catherine c.1590–1673 John Cecil 1628–1678 4th Earl of Exeter, 5th Baron BurghleyCharles Cecil 1619–1660 styled Viscount CranborneJohn Manners 1604–1679 8th Earl of Rutland John Cecil c.1648–1700 5th Earl of Exeter, 6th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1648–1683 3rd Earl of Salisbury, etc.Margaret d.c.1682 John Cecil 1674–1721 6th Earl of Exeter, 7th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1666–1694 4th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Thomas Tufton 1644–1729 6th Earl of Thanet John Cecil c.1700–1722 7th Earl of Exeter, 8th Baron BurghleyBrownlow Cecil 1701–1754 8th Earl of Exeter, 9th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1691–1728 5th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Anne 1693–1757 Brownlow Cecil 1725–1793 9th Earl of Exeter, 10th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1713–1780 6th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Wills Hill 1718–1793 1st Marquess of Downshire Marquess of Exeter (2nd creation), 1801Marquess of Salisbury, 1789 Henry Cecil 1754–1804 1st Marquess of Exeter, 10th Earl of Exeter, 11th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1743–1823 1st Marquess of Salisbury, 7th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Emily 1750–1835 Brownlow Cecil 1795–1867 2nd Marquess of Exeter, 11th Earl of Exeter, 12th Baron BurghleyJames Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil 1791–1868 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, 8th Earl of Salisbury, etc. William Allen Cecil 1825–1895 3rd Marquess of Exeter, 12th Earl of Exeter, 13th Baron BurghleyJames Emilius William Evelyn Gascoyne-Cecil 1821–1865 styled Viscount CranborneRobert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil 1830–1903 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, 9th Earl of Salisbury, etc. Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, 1923 Brownlow Henry George Cecil 1849–1898 4th Marquess of Exeter, 13th Earl of Exeter, 14th Baron BurghleyMary Rothes Margaret Cecil 1857–1919 2nd Baroness Amherst of HackneyWilliam Cecil 1854–1943James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil 1861–1947 4th Marquess of Salisbury, 10th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 1864–1958 Viscount Cecil of Chelwood Viscounty of Cecil of Chelwood extinct, 1958 William Thomas Brownlow Cecil 1876–1956 5th Marquess of Exeter, 14th Earl of Exeter, 15th Baron BurghleyWilliam Amherst Cecil 1886–1914Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil 1893–1972 5th Marquess of Salisbury, 11th Earl of Salisbury, etc. David George Brownlow Cecil 1905–1981 6th Marquess of Exeter, 15th Earl of Exeter, 16th Baron BurghleyWilliam Martin Alleyne Cecil 1909–1988 7th Marquess of Exeter, 16th Earl of Exeter, 17th Baron BurghleyWilliam Alexander Evering Cecil 1912–1980 3rd Baron Amherst of HackneyRobert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil 1916–2003 6th Marquess of Salisbury, 12th Earl of Salisbury, etc. William Michael Anthony Cecil b.1935 8th Marquess of Exeter, 17th Earl of Exeter, 18th Baron BurghleyWilliam Hugh Amherst Cecil 1940–2009 4th Baron Amherst of HackneyRobert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil b.1946 7th Marquess of Salisbury, 13th Earl of Salisbury, etc. Anthony Cecil b.1970 styled Lord Burghley Exeter heir apparentHugh William Amherst Cecil b.1968 5th Baron Amherst of Hackney 2nd in line to ExeterRobert Edward "Ned" William Gascoyne-Cecil b.1970 styled Viscount Cranborne Salisbury heir apparentJames Richard Gascoyne-Cecil b.1976 2nd in line to Salisbury
David Cecil c.1460–c.1540
Richard Cecil c.1495–1553
Baron Burghley, 1571
William Cecil 1520–1598 1st Baron BurghleyMildred Cooke 1526–1589
Earl of Exeter, 1605Baron Cecil, 1603 Viscount Cranborne, 1604 Earl of Salisbury (5th creation), 1605
Thomas Cecil 1542–1623 1st Earl of Exeter, 2nd Baron BurghleyRobert Cecil 1563–1612 1st Earl of Salisbury, etc.
Viscount Wimbledon and Baron Cecil of Putney, 1625
William Cecil 1566–1600 2nd Earl of Exeter, 3rd Baron BurghleyRichard Cecil 1570–1633Edward Cecil 1572–1638 Viscount Wimbledon and Baron Cecil of PutneyThomas Howard 1561–1626 1st Earl of Suffolk
Barony of Cecil of Putney and viscounty of Wimbledon extinct, 1638
David Cecil c.1600–1643 3rd Earl of Exeter, 4th Baron BurghleyWilliam Cecil 1591–1668 2nd Earl of Salisbury, etc.Catherine c.1590–1673
John Cecil 1628–1678 4th Earl of Exeter, 5th Baron BurghleyCharles Cecil 1619–1660 styled Viscount CranborneJohn Manners 1604–1679 8th Earl of Rutland
John Cecil c.1648–1700 5th Earl of Exeter, 6th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1648–1683 3rd Earl of Salisbury, etc.Margaret d.c.1682
John Cecil 1674–1721 6th Earl of Exeter, 7th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1666–1694 4th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Thomas Tufton 1644–1729 6th Earl of Thanet
John Cecil c.1700–1722 7th Earl of Exeter, 8th Baron BurghleyBrownlow Cecil 1701–1754 8th Earl of Exeter, 9th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1691–1728 5th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Anne 1693–1757
Brownlow Cecil 1725–1793 9th Earl of Exeter, 10th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1713–1780 6th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Wills Hill 1718–1793 1st Marquess of Downshire
Marquess of Exeter (2nd creation), 1801Marquess of Salisbury, 1789
Henry Cecil 1754–1804 1st Marquess of Exeter, 10th Earl of Exeter, 11th Baron BurghleyJames Cecil 1743–1823 1st Marquess of Salisbury, 7th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Emily 1750–1835
Brownlow Cecil 1795–1867 2nd Marquess of Exeter, 11th Earl of Exeter, 12th Baron BurghleyJames Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil 1791–1868 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, 8th Earl of Salisbury, etc.
William Allen Cecil 1825–1895 3rd Marquess of Exeter, 12th Earl of Exeter, 13th Baron BurghleyJames Emilius William Evelyn Gascoyne-Cecil 1821–1865 styled Viscount CranborneRobert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil 1830–1903 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, 9th Earl of Salisbury, etc.
Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, 1923
Brownlow Henry George Cecil 1849–1898 4th Marquess of Exeter, 13th Earl of Exeter, 14th Baron BurghleyMary Rothes Margaret Cecil 1857–1919 2nd Baroness Amherst of HackneyWilliam Cecil 1854–1943James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil 1861–1947 4th Marquess of Salisbury, 10th Earl of Salisbury, etc.Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 1864–1958 Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
Viscounty of Cecil of Chelwood extinct, 1958
William Thomas Brownlow Cecil 1876–1956 5th Marquess of Exeter, 14th Earl of Exeter, 15th Baron BurghleyWilliam Amherst Cecil 1886–1914Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil 1893–1972 5th Marquess of Salisbury, 11th Earl of Salisbury, etc.
David George Brownlow Cecil 1905–1981 6th Marquess of Exeter, 15th Earl of Exeter, 16th Baron BurghleyWilliam Martin Alleyne Cecil 1909–1988 7th Marquess of Exeter, 16th Earl of Exeter, 17th Baron BurghleyWilliam Alexander Evering Cecil 1912–1980 3rd Baron Amherst of HackneyRobert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil 1916–2003 6th Marquess of Salisbury, 12th Earl of Salisbury, etc.
William Michael Anthony Cecil b.1935 8th Marquess of Exeter, 17th Earl of Exeter, 18th Baron BurghleyWilliam Hugh Amherst Cecil 1940–2009 4th Baron Amherst of HackneyRobert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil b.1946 7th Marquess of Salisbury, 13th Earl of Salisbury, etc.
Anthony Cecil b.1970 styled Lord Burghley Exeter heir apparentHugh William Amherst Cecil b.1968 5th Baron Amherst of Hackney 2nd in line to ExeterRobert Edward "Ned" William Gascoyne-Cecil b.1970 styled Viscount Cranborne Salisbury heir apparentJames Richard Gascoyne-Cecil b.1976 2nd in line to Salisbury
Cecil of Salisbury Genealogy
Cecil of Salisbury Genealogy
Line of succession (simplified)
James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury (1791–1868) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830–1903) James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury (1861–1947) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury (1893–1972) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 6th Marquess of Salisbury (1916–2003) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, Baron Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 1946) (1). Robert Edward William Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne (b. 1970) (2). Lord James Richard Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 1973) (3). Thomas Richard James Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 2009) (4). William Alexander David Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 2014) (5). Lord Charles Edward Vere Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 1949) (6). Lord Valentine William Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 1952) (7). Lord Michael Hugh Cecil (b. 1960) (8). Hubert George Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 1992) (9). Edward William James Gascoyne-Cecil (b. 1996) Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil (1902–1986) Hugh Peniston Cecil (1941–2020) male issue and descendants in remainder Lord Rupert Ernest William Gascoyne-Cecil (1863–1936) Victor Alexander Gascoyne-Cecil (1891–1977) Rupert Arthur Victor Cecil (1917–2004) male issue and descendants in remainder Anthony Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (1921–1998) male issue and descendants in remainder Lord Eustace Cecil (1834–1921) Barons Rockley

See also

Notes

  • Kidd, Charles; Williamson, David (1990). Marquess of Salisbury. London and New York: St Martin's Press.{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)
  • Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, ed. Charles Mosley, 107th edn., (London 2003), vol.III.

Further reading

  • Cecil, David. The Cecils of Hatfield House: An English Ruling Family. Houghton Mifflin, 1973.

External links