About William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter
Lived 1566 – 1640 (aged 73–74). William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter was an English politician.
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter (1566 – 6 July 1640), known as the third Lord Burghley from 1605 to 1623, was an English nobleman, politician, and peer.
Life Exeter was the son of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, and Dorothy Neville, daughter of John Neville, 4th Baron Latimer. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and travelled on the continent before being admitted to Gray's Inn.
In 1586, when only 20 years of age, he was returned to Parliament as burgess for Stamford and was returned again in 1589. He was invested as a Knight Bachelor in 1603. He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire between 1623 and 1640. Anne Cecil (1596 – ) married Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford, and had issue. Diana Cecil (1596 – 1654), married Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, no issue, remarried Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, also with no issue. Elizabeth Cecil (d. 1672), married Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire, and had issue.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter?
English politician and Earl
When was William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter born?
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter was born in 1566.
When did William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter die?
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter died on 6 July 1640.
What was William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter's occupation?
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter was a politician.
What nationality was William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter?
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter was English.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter
· DBpedia: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter. https://biography.guide/william-cecil-2nd-earl-of-exeter/
MLA: "William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-cecil-2nd-earl-of-exeter/.
Chicago: "William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-cecil-2nd-earl-of-exeter/.
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