John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter

John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter (c. 1648 – 29 August 1700),[1] known as Lord Burghley until 1678, was a British peer and Member of Parliament. He was also known as the Travelling Earl.

Anne, Countess of Exeter, wife of the 5th Earl, mezzotint after Peter Lely, c. 1690

John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter.

His funerary monument by Pierre-Étienne Monnot in St Martin's Church, Stamford

Life

Exeter was the son of John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter (1628–1678), and Lady Frances Manners. He was educated at Stamford School and St John's College, Cambridge.[2] He was elected to the House of Commons for Northamptonshire in 1675, a seat he held until 1678 when he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the House of Lords.

He was a notable Grand Tourist and filled his family home, Burghley House, with treasures purchased on his travels in 1679, 1681 and 1699[3] in Italy. He purchased 300 works of art during his 22 years in Burghley and spent on his last visit to Europe £5,000 (c. £535,000 in 2017 currency[4]).

Lord Exeter married Lady Anne, daughter of William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire, in circa 1670, they had nine children. He died in August 1700 and was succeeded in his titles by his son John Cecil, 6th Earl of Exeter.

Eight of these children were:

• John Cecil, 6th Earl of Exeter (15 May 1674 – 24 December 1721),[5] known as Lord Burghley from 1678 to 1700. Member of Parliament for Rutland 1695 – 29 August 1700.[5]
• Hon. William Cecil[6][5][7] (before 1682 – 6 May 1715),[8] 2nd son[8][9][10] He was a member of the Order of Little Bedlam aka Bedlam Club, a gentlemen's drinking club, founded in 1684 by John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter of Burghley House, and lapsing on his death in 1700. In 1705 it was reconvened by his son, John Cecil, 6th Earl of Exeter as grand master 'Lion', his brother William as 'Panther' and brother Charles as 'Bull'. Member of Parliament for Stamford 1698 – 1705.[8]
• Hon. Charles Cecil[5] (c.1683 – 17 March[11] 1726),[12] 3rd son.[13][14] A member of the Bedlam Club with his brothers. Member of Parliament for Stamford 1705 – 1722.[12]
• Hon. Edward Cecil, 4th son (d. 1723)[15]
• Lady Christian Cecil[16]
• Lady Ann Cecil[17][16]
• Lady Frances Cecil, died young[16]
• Lady Elizabeth Cecil[16] (1687 – 12 June 1708), fourth daughter. Married Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery. 'By Elizabeth, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of John Cecil, Earl of Exeter, his lordship had only one son, John, fifth Earl of Orrery, his successor. This regretted lady died in the 21st year of her age.'[18]

See also

• List of deserters from King James II to William of Orange

References

1. "CECIL, John, Lord Burghley (c.1648–1700), of Burghley House, Northants. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
2. "Cecil, John, Lord Burghley (CCL667J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
3. "History". Burghley. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
4. Archives, The National. "The National Archives – Currency converter: 1270–2017". Currency converter. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
5. "CECIL, John, Lord Burghley (1674–1721), of Burghley House, Northants. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
6. "Willem Wissing (1656–87) – Hon.William Cecil; son of John, 5th Earl of Exeter". rct.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
7. Charlton, William Henry (1847). Burghley. The Life of William Cecil Lord Burghley: Lord High Treasurer of England Etc. William Langley.
8. "CECIL, Hon. William (bef.1682–1715), of Snape Hall, Yorks. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
9. "Portrait of the Hon. William Cecil, as a Boy, by William Wissing (1656–1687). | Burghley Collections". Retrieved 12 June 2019.
10. Noble, Mark; Granger, James (1806). A biographical history of England, from the revolution to the end of George I's reign: being a continuation of the Rev. J. Granger's work ; consisting of characters disposed in different classes; and adapted to a methodical catalogue of engraved British heads ; interspersed with a variety of anecdotes, and memoirs of a great number of persons. W. Richardson. p. 234. Hon. William Cecil John fifth of Exeter.
11. Noble, Mark; Granger, James (1806). A biographical history of England, from the revolution to the end of George I's reign: being a continuation of the Rev. J. Granger's work ; consisting of characters disposed in different classes; and adapted to a methodical catalogue of engraved British heads ; interspersed with a variety of anecdotes, and memoirs of a great number of persons. W. Richardson. p. 233. Charles Cecil, 3rd son of John, 5th Earl of Exeter.
12. "CECIL, Hon. Charles (c.1683–1726). | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
13. "Jan van der Vaart (1647–1721) – Hon.Charles Cecil, 3rd son of John, 5th Earl of Exeter". rct.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
14. "Honourable Charles Cecil. Third son of John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter". National Galleries of Scotland. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
15. Blore, Thomas (1815). A guide to Burghley house, Northamptonshire [by T. Blore]. John Drakard; and sold by Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and Nichols and Son, in London.
16. The Royal Compendium: Being a Genealogical History of the Monarchs of England, from the Conquest to the Present Time: ... Together with the Descent of the Several Foreign Princes Now Reigning, and of the Several Noble and Eminent Families in England, that are Sprung from the Blood Royal of this Kingdom, Down to the Present Year. W. Owen: and G. Woodfall. 1752.
17. "Portrait of John, later 6th Earl of Exeter, with his Brother, the Hon.William Cecil and his Sister, Lady Ann Cecil, by Charles d'Agar (1669–1723). | Burghley Collections". Retrieved 12 June 2019.
18. Noble, Mark; Granger, James (1806). A biographical history of England, from the revolution to the end of George I's reign : being a continuation of the Rev. J. Granger's work ; consisting of characters disposed in different classes; and adapted to a methodical catalogue of engraved British heads ; interspersed with a variety of anecdotes, and memoirs of a great number of persons. Harvard University. London : W. Richardson.

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• www.thepeerage.com