James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury KG PC
File:James Brownlow William Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury Eddis.jpg
Lord Privy Seal
In office 27 February 1852 – 17 December 1852
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Derby
Preceded by	The Earl of Minto
Succeeded by	The Duke of Argyll
Lord President of the Council
In office 26 February 1858 – 11 June 1859
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Derby
Preceded by	The Earl Granville
Succeeded by	The Earl Granville
Personal details
Born	17 April 1791 (1791-04-17)
Died	12 April 1868 (1868-04-13) (aged 76)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	(1) Frances Gascoyne (c. 1806–1839) (2) Lady Mary Sackville-West (1824–1900)

James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, KG PC (17 April 1791 – 12 April 1868), styled Viscount Cranborne until 1823, was a British Conservative politician. He held office under the Earl of Derby as Lord Privy Seal in 1852 and Lord President of the Council between 1858 and 1859. He was the father of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Background

Salisbury was the son of James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury, and Lady Emily Mary, daughter of Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire.

Political career

Salisbury entered the House of Commons in 1813 as Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, a seat he held until 1817, and then sat for Hertford between 1817 and 1823. In the latter year he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords. He served in the Earl of Derby's first two cabinets as Lord Privy Seal in 1852 and as Lord President of the Council between 1858 and 1859. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1826 and made a Knight of the Garter in 1842.

Apart from his political career he also served as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex between 1841 and 1868.

Family

Lord Salisbury was married twice. His first marriage was on 2 February 1821 to Frances Mary Gascoyne (c. 1806 – 15 October 1839), daughter of Bamber Gascoyne of Childwall Hall, Lancashire, and his wife Sarah Bridget Frances Price. A biography of her by Carola Oman appeared in 1966. The couple had six children, including the following:

• James Emilius William Evelyn Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne (29 October 1821 – 14 June 1865), died unmarried
• Lady Mildred Arabella Charlotte Gascoyne-Cecil (21 October 1822 – 18 March 1881), married Alexander Beresford Hope
• Lord Arthur Gascoyne-Cecil (19 December 1823 – 25 April 1825)
• Lady Blanche Mary Harriet (5 March 1825 – 16 May 1872), married James Maitland Balfour, mother of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (3 February 1830 – 22 August 1903), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times between 1885 and 1902
• Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Eustace Brownlow Henry Gascoyne-Cecil (24 April 1834 – 3 July 1921)

Lord Salisbury's second marriage, on 29 April 1847, was to Lady Mary Catherine Sackville-West, daughter of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr and Elizabeth Sackville-West, Countess De La Warr, with whom he had five children:

• Lord Sackville Arthur Cecil (16 March 1848 – 29 January 1898)
• Lady Mary Arabella Arthur Cecil (26 April 1850 – 18 August 1903), married Alan Stewart, 10th Earl of Galloway
• Lady Margaret Elizabeth Cecil (1850 – 11 March 1919)
• Lord Arthur Cecil (3 July 1851 – 16 July 1913)
• Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Lionel Cecil (21 March 1853 – 13 January 1901)

Lord Salisbury died in April 1868, aged 76, and was succeeded in the marquessate by his third but eldest surviving son, Robert. The Marchioness of Salisbury died in December 1900.

Styles of address

• 1791–1813: Viscount Cranborne
• 1813–23: Viscount Cranborne MP
• 1823–26: The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury
• 1826–42: The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury PC
• 1842–68: The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury KG PC

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Marquess of Salisbury
• Archival material relating to James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury listed at the UK National Archives

References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir John Murray Thomas Wallace John Broadhurst Henry Trail	Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1813–1817 With: John Murray Masterton Ure Christopher Idle	Succeeded by John Murray Masterton Ure Christopher Idle Adolphus Dalrymple
Preceded by Edward Cowper Nicolson Calvert	Member of Parliament for Hertford 1817–1823 With: Nicolson Calvert	Succeeded by Nicolson Calvert Thomas Byron
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Minto	Lord Privy Seal 1852	Succeeded by The Duke of Argyll
Preceded by The Earl Granville	Lord President of the Council 1858–1859	Succeeded by The Earl Granville
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Duke of Portland	Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex 1841–1868	Succeeded by The Duke of Wellington
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by James Cecil	Marquess of Salisbury 1823–1868	Succeeded by Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil