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.
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[14]).
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.
Some of their nine children were:
- John Cecil, 6th Earl of Exeter (15 May 1674 – 24 December 1721), known as Lord Burghley from 1678 to 1700
- Hon. Edward Cecil, fourth son (d. 1723).[4]
- Lady Elizabeth Aislabie. She was the only daughter of the fifth Earl of Exeter, and wife of William Aislabie, Esq. of Studley, in Yorkshire. She died in 1733, aged 26 years, and was buried at Ripton.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "CECIL, John, Lord Burghley (c.1648-1700), of Burghley House, Northants. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Cecil, John, Lord Burghley (CCL667J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ "History". Burghley. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [self-published source] [better source needed]
- www.thepeerage.com