William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter, KG PC (1566 – 6 July 1640), known as the third Lord Burghley from 1605 to 1623, was an English nobleman, politician, and peer.
![](../I/m/Coat_of_arms_of_Sir_William_Cecil%2C_2nd_Earl_of_Exeter%2C_KG.png)
Life
Exeter was the son of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, and Dorothy Neville, daughter of John Neville, 4th Baron Latimer.[1] He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and travelled on the continent before being admitted to Gray's Inn.[2]
In 1586, when only 20 years of age, he was returned to Parliament as MP for Stamford and was returned again in 1589.[1] In 1597 he was elected knight of the shire for Rutland.[3] He was invested as a Knight in 1603.[1] He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire between 1623 and 1640.[1] He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baron of Burghley, co. Northampton [E., 1571] on 8 February 1622/23.[1] He succeeded to the title of 2nd Earl of Exeter [E., 1605] on 8 February 1622/23.[1] He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (PC) in 1626.[1] He was invested as a Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) in 1630.[1]
In 1589, William married Elizabeth Manners, the only child of Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland, and they had one child:
- William Cecil, 17th Baron de Ros.
![](../I/m/Elizabeth_Cecil.jpg)
Elizabeth died in 1591 and William married Elizabeth Drury, daughter of Sir William Drury and Elizabeth Stafford, and they had three children:
- Lady Anne Cecil married Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford, and had issue.
- Lady Elizabeth Cecil (d. 1672), married Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire, and had issue.
- Lady Diana Cecil (d. 1658), married Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, no issue, remarried Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, also with no issue.[4]
References
- Charles Mosley, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 1363.
- "Cecyll, William (CCL578W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- "History of Parliament". Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- Lundy, Darryl. "Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin". Retrieved 14 September 2012.
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by William Sutton |
Custos Rotulorum of Nottinghamshire 1600–1640 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Preceded by The Earl of Exeter |
Custos Rotulorum of Lincolnshire bef. 1621–1640 |
Succeeded by Lord Willoughby de Eresby |
Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire 1623–1640 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Peterborough | |
Peerage of England | ||
Preceded by Thomas Cecil |
Earl of Exeter 1623–1640 |
Succeeded by David Cecil |