Evelyn Cecil, 1st Baron Rockley (30 May 1865 – 1 April 1941), was a British Conservative Party politician. Evelyn Cecil was born in the parish of

St George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Church of England, Anglican church, the parish church of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, central London, built in the early eighteenth century as part of a project to build fifty new churches around London ...

in the heart of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

, the eldest son of

Lord Eustace Cecil Lord Eustace Brownlow Henry (Gascoyne-) Cecil (24 April 1834 – 3 July 1921) was a British, Conservative Party politician. Cecil was the youngest son of James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury by his first wife Frances Gascoyne and was ...

, grandson of

James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, (born James Brownlow William Cecil, 17 April 1791 – 12 April 1868), styled Viscount Cranborne from birth until 1823, was a British Conservative politician. He held office unde ...

, and cousin of both Sir Robert Cecil and

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...

. He was educated at Eton before going up to

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

. Cecil was Private Secretary from 1891 to 1892, to the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, his uncle,

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for ...

, during the latter's second term and during his third term from 1895 to 1902. On 16 February 1898, Cecil married

the Hon. ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of cert ...

Alicia Amherst Alicia Margaret Tyssen Amherst, Baroness Rockley (30 July 1865 – 14 September 1941) was an English horticulturist, botanist, and author of the first scholarly account of English gardening history. Family and personal life Alicia Amherst was ...

(a garden historian and daughter of

William Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney, (25 April 1835 – 16 January 1909) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament and collector of books and works of art. Background and education Born William Amhurst Daniel-T ...

), having three children: Robert William Evelyn, later 2nd Baron Rockley (28 February 1901 – 26 January 1976), Margaret Gertrude (27 November 1898 – 26 August 1962) and Maud Katharine Alicia (21 November 1904 - 12 June 1981). Cecil was a director of the

London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exete ...

company. He was the chairman of various investment trust companies and deputy chairman of the Clerical, Medical and General Life Assurance Society.
Notable Londoners, an Illustrated Who's Who of Professional and Business Men
' (1922), London: London Publishing Agency, page 39; accessed 8 August 2024. Cecil served as a Member of Parliament from 1898 to 1929 and was appointed a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(GBE) in the

1922 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1922 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 30 December 1921. The recipients of honours are displayed her ...

. He was raised to the

Peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

on 11 January 1934 as Baron Rockley, of Lytchett Heath, in the

County of Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the ...

. Lord Rockley died in 1941 in

Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, aged 75.

Arms

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rockley, Evelyn Cecil, 1st Baron 1865 births 1941 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of New College, Oxford Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Evelyn, Rockley Cecil, Evelyn Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn Cecil, Evelyn UK MPs who were granted peerages Members of the London School Board Barons created by George V