James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury (20 October 1713 – 19 September 1780) was a British nobleman, politician, and peer. He was the son of

James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury (8 June 1691 – 9 October 1728), known as Viscount Cranborne from 1691 to 1694, was a British nobleman, politician, and peer. Salisbury was the son of James Cecil, 4th Earl of Salisbury, and Frances Bennett, ...

, and his wife, Anne Cecil, Countess of Salisbury. He was known for his irregular life as "the Wicked Earl". He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

, was High Steward of

Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...

, and a Governor of the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...

of London. He married in 1745 Elizabeth (1721–1776), daughter of Edward Keet of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

, said by a contemporary source to have been a barber and a tourist guide. However, within a few years, he separated from his Countess and lived as a recluse with his mistress, one Mrs Mary Grave of

Baldock Baldock ( ) is a historic market town and unparished area in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire, England, where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north n ...

, for the remaining 30 years of his life at Quickswood, in the parish of

Clothall Clothall is a village and civil parish in the county of Hertfordshire, England, with a population of 358. It is situated south-east of Baldock Baldock ( ) is a historic market town and unparished area in the local government district of Nor ...

. His relationship with her predated his marriage. C. Price wrote of the liaison in 1771 (

Hatfield House Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house, a leading example of the prodigy house, was built in 1611 by Robert Ceci ...

archives): "He lives upstairs … surrounded with old trunks and boxes and scattered books. Well or ill he never quits his chamber, never sees or converses with any but his old Dame, as he calls her, and his physician, who occasionally visits him. The servants are old and rusty like the dwelling." James Cecil died on 19 September 1780, having had by Elizabeth Keet one son, James Cecil, who succeeded as 7th Earl and 1st Marquess of Salisbury, and two daughters (who died unmarried). Mrs. Grave received over £50,000 in his Will, besides jewellery, silver and furniture removed from Hatfield. In addition, the Earl bequeathed £43,000 to his seven children by her, one of whom was James Cecil Grave,

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Hatfield and Clothall. The Will was unsuccessfully contested by the 7th Earl of Salisbury, who demolished Quickswood (c. 1790). Mary Grave died on 2 December 1789 at Baldock.

Sources

* ''The

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...

'' * ''

Burke's Peerage and Baronetage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher founded in 1826, when the Irish genealogist John Burke began releasing books devoted to the ancestry and heraldry of the peerage, baronetage, knightage and landed gentry of Great Bri ...

'', 106th edition * G. E. C kayne ''

The Complete Peerage ''The Complete Peerage'' (full title: ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant''; first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition revis ...

'' (London, 1895) 1713 births 1780 deaths

James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury (20 October 1713 – 19 September 1780) was a British nobleman, politician, and peer. He was the son of James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury, and his wife, Anne Cecil, Countess of Salisbury. He was known for his i ...

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

People educated at Westminster School, London {{England-earl-stub