CECIL, Richard (1570-1633), of Wakerley, Northants.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. 7 Dec. 1570, 2nd s. of Thomas Cecil, and bro. of Sir Edward and William. educ. St. John’s, Camb. 1585; G. Inn 1591, travelled abroad 1594. m. 1603, Elizabeth, da. of Sir Anthony Cope, 1s. David afterwards 3rd Earl of Exeter. Kntd. 1616.

Offices Held

J.p. Northants. by 1605; bailiff of lordship and keeper of manor and park of Collyweston, Northants. 1607; dep. lt. Northants. by 1613.

Biography

Cecil sat once only in Parliament in this period, for Westminster, where his grandfather was high steward. No record has been found of any contribution to the business of the House. In September 1594 he and his younger brother Edward were given leave to travel abroad. Some two years later he wrote, in Italian, from Florence to his uncle Robert expressing his devotion and apologising for not writing more. In April 1599 he again asked his uncle to procure him leave to go abroad, as ‘befits a younger brother’, which suggests that the request was connected with the licence his elder brother William received to go to Italy in June the same year. This foreign travel would account for Richard Cecil’s absence from the last two Parliaments of the reign. He died on 4 Sept. 1633.

HMC Hatfield, v. 70; ix. 131; Vis. Northants. ed. Metcalfe, 78-9; CP, v. 218-19; CSP Dom. 1595-7, p. 295; 1598-1601, p. 223; 1603-10, p. 362; Montagu Musters Bk. ed. Wake (Northants. Rec. Soc. vii), 79; Salisbury State Pprs. ed. Murdin, 805.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: N. M. Fuidge

Notes