William Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Exeter

William Alleyne Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Exeter, PC (30 April 1825 – 14 July 1895), known as Lord Burghley from 1825 to 1867, was a British peer and Conservative politician.

Exeter was the son of Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter, and Isabella Poyntz. He was elected to the House of Commons for South Lincolnshire in 1847, a seat he held until 1857, and then represented North Northamptonshire from 1857 to 1867. He served under firstly the Earl of Derby and then Benjamin Disraeli as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1866 to 1867 and as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (Chief Whip in the House of Lords) from 1867 to 1868. In 1866 he was admitted to the Privy Council. Lord Exeter married Lady Georgina Sophia Pakenham, daughter of Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford, on 17 October 1848. They had at least nine children:

*Brownlow Henry George, Lord Burghley (1849–1918)
*Lord Francis Horace Pierrepont (1851–1889), married Edith Brookes, daughter of Sir William Brookes, 1st Baronet.
*Lord William (1854–1943), married (1) Mary Tyssen-Amherst, Baroness Amherst, (2) Violet Freer.
*Lady Catherine Sarah (1861–1918), married Henry Vane, 9th Baron Barnard.
*Lord John (1867-1942)
*Lady Isabella Georgiana Katherine (d. 1903), married William Battie-Wrightson.
*Lady Mary Louisa Wellesley (d. 1930), married James Hozier, 2nd Baron Newlands.
*Lady Louisa Alexandrina (d. 1950), died unmarried.
*Lady Frances Emily (d. 1951), died unmarried.

Lord Exeter died in July 1895, aged 70, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Brownlow, who also became a government minister. Lady Exeter died in 1909.

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]