Marquess of Salisbury

Title in the Peerage of Great Britain

This article is about the title in the Peerage of Great Britain. For the British prime minister, see Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury.

Marquessate of Salisbury

Arms: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Barry of ten Argent and Azure, over all six Escutcheons Sable, three two and one each charged with a Lion rampant of the First, a Crescent Gules for difference (Cecil); 2nd and 3rd, Argent, on a Pale Sable, a Conger's Head erased and erect Or, charged with an Ermine Spot (Gascoyne). Crests: 1st, Six Arrows in saltire Or, barbed and flighted Argent, bound together with a Belt Gules, buckled and garnished Gold, over the arrows a Morion Cap proper (Cecil); 2nd, A Conger's Head erased and erect Or, charged with an Ermine Spot (Gascoyne). Supporters: On either side a Lion Ermine.

Creation date| 10 August 1789
Created by| King George III
Peerage| Peerage of Great Britain
First holder| James Cecil, 7th Earl of Salisbury
Present holder| Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess
Heir apparent| Edward Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne
Remainder to| the 1st Marquess's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles| Earl of Salisbury
Viscount Cranborne
Baron Cecil
Status| Extant
Seat(s)| Hatfield House
Cranborne Manor
Motto| SERO SED SERIO
(Late but seriously)

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.[1] 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

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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

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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. The third marquess 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".[2][3] 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.[4]

He was succeeded by his eldest son, the fourth marquess. The fourth marquess was also 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 bitterly opposed the Parliament Act 1911, which sought to curtail the powers of the House of Lords.

His eldest son, the fifth marquess, was also 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).[5] 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,[6] 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, 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.[7]

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

## Earls of Salisbury (1605)

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* Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563–1612)
* William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (1591–1668)
* James Cecil, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (1648–1683)
* James Cecil, 4th Earl of Salisbury (1666–1694)
* James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1691–1728)
* James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury (1713–1780)
* James Cecil, 7th Earl of Salisbury (1748–1823) (created Marquess of Salisbury in 1789)

## Marquesses of Salisbury (1789)

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* James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury (1748–1823)
* James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury (1791–1868)
* Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830–1903)
* James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury (1861–1947)
* Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury (1893–1972)
* Robert Edward Peter Cecil Gascoyne-Cecil, 6th Marquess of Salisbury (1916–2003)
* Robert Michael James Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury (b. 1946)

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

## Family tree

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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.[8] The spelling of the family name as Seisyllt is still similar to how the name is pronounced, Sissill.

* v
* t
* e

Cecil 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 Burghley| | Mildred Cooke
1526–1589

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | Earl of Exeter, 1605| | | | | | Baron Cecil, 1603
Viscount Cranborne, 1604
Earl of Salisbury (5th creation), 1605
| | | | Thomas Cecil
1542–1623
1st Earl of Exeter, 2nd Baron Burghley| | | | | | Robert Cecil
1563–1612
1st Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Viscount Wimbledon and Baron Cecil of Putney, 1625| | | | |
William Cecil
1566–1600
2nd Earl of Exeter, 3rd Baron Burghley| | Richard Cecil
1570–1633| | Edward Cecil
1572–1638
1st Viscount Wimbledon and Baron Cecil of Putney| | | | | | | Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk
1561–1626
1st Earl of Suffolk
| | | | | | | | | Barony Cecil of Putney and viscounty Wimbledon extinct, 1638| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | David Cecil
c. 1600–1643
3rd Earl of Exeter, 4th Baron Burghley| | | | | | William Cecil
1591–1668
2nd Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Catherine
c. 1590–1673

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | | | John Cecil
1628–1678
4th Earl of Exeter, 5th Baron Burghley| | | | | | Charles Cecil
1619–1660
styled Viscount Cranborne| | John Manners
1604–1679
8th Earl of Rutland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | John Cecil
c. 1648–1700
5th Earl of Exeter, 6th Baron Burghley| | | | | | James Cecil
1648–1683
3rd Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Margaret
d. c. 1682

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | | | John Cecil
1674–1721
6th Earl of Exeter, 7th Baron Burghley| | | | | | James Cecil
1666–1694
4th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Thomas Tufton
1644–1729
6th Earl of Thanet
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
John Cecil
c. 1700–1722
7th Earl of Exeter, 8th Baron Burghley| | Brownlow Cecil
1701–1754
8th Earl of Exeter, 9th Baron Burghley| | | | | | James Cecil
1691–1728
5th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Anne
1693–1757

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | | | Brownlow Cecil
1725–1793
9th Earl of Exeter, 10th Baron Burghley| | | | | | James Cecil
1713–1780
6th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Wills Hill
1718–1793
1st Marquess of Downshire
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Marquess of Exeter (2nd creation), 1801| | | | | | Marquess of Salisbury, 1789| | | | |
| | | | Henry Cecil
1725–1793
1st Marquess of Exeter, 10th Earl of Exeter, 11th Baron Burghley| | | | | | James Cecil
1743–1823
1st Marquess of Salisbury, 7th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Emily
1750–1835

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | | | Brownlow Cecil
1795–1867
2nd Marquess of Exeter, 11th Earl of Exeter, 12th Baron Burghley| | | | | | James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil
1791–1868
2nd Marquess of Salisbury, 8th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | William Allen Cecil
1825–1895
3rd Marquess of Exeter, 12th Earl of Exeter, 13th Baron Burghley| | James Emilius William Evelyn Gascoyne-Cecil
1821–1865
styled Viscount Cranborne| | Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil
1830–1903
3rd Marquess of Salisbury, 9th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, 1923
Brownlow Henry George Cecil
1849–1898
4th Marquess of Exeter, 13th Earl of Exeter, 14th Baron Burghley| | Mary Rothes Margaret Cecil
1857–1919
2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney| | William Cecil
1854–1943| | James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil
1861–1947
4th Marquess of Salisbury, 10th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon| | Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
1864–1958
1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Viscounty Cecil of Chelwood extinct, 1958
| |
William Thomas Brownlow Cecil
1876–1956
5th Marquess of Exeter, 14th Earl of Exeter, 15th Baron Burghley| | | | | | William Amherst Cecil
1886–1914| | Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil
1893–1972
5th Marquess of Salisbury, 11th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
David George Brownlow Cecil
1905–1981
6th Marquess of Exeter, 15th Earl of Exeter, 16th Baron Burghley| | William Martin Alleyne Cecil
1909–1988
7th Marquess of Exeter, 16th Earl of Exeter, 17th Baron Burghley| | William Alexander Evering Cecil
1912–1980
3rd Baron Amherst of Hackney| | Robert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil
1916–2003
6th Marquess of Salisbury, 12th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | William Michael Anthony Cecil
b. 1935
8th Marquess of Exeter, 17th Earl of Exeter, 18th Baron Burghley| | William Hugh Amherst Cecil
1940–2009
4th Baron Amherst of Hackney| | Robert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil
b. 1946
7th Marquess of Salisbury, 13th Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, and Baron Cecil of Essendon
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | | | Anthony Cecil
b. 1970
styled Lord Burghley
Exeter heir apparent| | Hugh William Amherst Cecil
b. 1968
5th Baron Amherst of Hackney
2nd in line to Exeter| | Robert Edward "Ned" William Gascoyne-Cecil
b. 1970
styled Viscount Cranborne
Salisbury heir apparent| | James Richard Gascoyne-Cecil
b. 1976
2nd in line to Salisbury
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 (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

[9]

## See also

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* Marquess of Exeter
* Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
* Baron Quickswood
* Baron Rockley
* Viscount Wimbledon

## Notes

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1. ^ "No. 13123". The London Gazette. 18 August 1789. p. 550.
2. ^ "Prime Ministers in the House of Lords - History of government". history.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
3. ^ The 14th Earl of Home was the last prime minister to be a peer, but he disclaimed his peerage immediately after his appointment because he felt that it was impractical to serve as prime minister from the House of Lords
4. ^ Andrew Roberts, Salisbury: Victorian Titan (2000), p. 374-75
5. ^ "No. 52911". The London Gazette. 5 May 1992. p. 7756.
6. ^ "No. 55676". The London Gazette. 23 November 1999. p. 12466.
7. ^ "Obituary: The Marquess of Salisbury". TheGuardian.com. 15 July 2003.
8. ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage (107th ed.). London: Burke’s Peerage. 2003. p. 4700\. ISBN 978-0-9711-9662-9.
9. ^ Morris, Susan; Bosberry-Scott, Wendy; Belfield, Gervase, eds. (2019). "Salisbury, Marquess of". Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. Vol. 1 (150th ed.). London: Debrett's Ltd. pp. 3078–3082\. ISBN 978-1-999767-0-5-1.3078-3082&rft.edition=150th&rft.pub=Debrett's+Ltd.&rft.date=2019&rft.isbn=978-1-999767-0-5-1&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Marquess+of+Salisbury" class="Z3988">

## References

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* 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.
* http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/salisbury1789.htm
* leighrayment.com[usurped]

## Further reading

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

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marquesses of Salisbury.

* Hatfield House
* Cranborne
* Marquessate of Salisbury

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Extant marquessates in the peerages of Britain and Ireland

Sorted by (historical) entity at time of grant

England |

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Marquesses of Salisbury

* James Cecil, 1st Marquess (1789–1823)
* James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess (1823–1868)
* Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess (1868–1903)
* James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess (1903–1947)
* Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess (1947–1972)
* Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 6th Marquess (1972–2003)
* Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess (from 2003)

*[v]: View this template
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*[e]: Edit this template
*[c.]: circa
*[d.]: died
*[b.]: born