Henry Cecil, 1st Marquess of Exeter

Henry Cecil, 1st Marquess of Exeter (14 March 1754-1 May 1804), known as Henry Cecil from 1754 to 1793 and as the Earl of Exeter from 1793 to 1801, was a British peer and Member of Parliament.

Exeter was the son of the Hon. Thomas Chambers Cecil, second son of Brownlow Cecil, 8th Earl of Exeter. His mother was Charlotte Garnier. He was elected to the House of Commons for Stamford in 1774, a seat he held until 1790. In 1793 he succeeded his uncle as tenth Earl of Exeter and entered the House of Lords. In February 1801 he was created Marquess of Exeter, the first marquessate to be created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Lord Exeter married, firstly, Emma Vernon, daughter of Thomas Vernon of Hanbury Hall, in 1776. They had no children and were divorced in 1791. Lord Exeter sold or carried away the fine library, family plate, and nearly everything curious or valuable that was not an heirloom in the Vernon family. He laid waste the extensive gardens, and sold the elaborate iron gates, which now adorn the avenue to Mere Hall in the immediate neighbourhood. He married, secondly, Sarah Hoggins, daughter of Thomas Hoggins, in 1791. They had two sons and one daughter. After Sarah's death in 1797 he married, thirdly, Elizabeth Anne Burrell, daughter of Peter Burrell and former wife of Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton, in 1800. They had no children. Lord Exeter died in May 1804, aged 50, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, Brownlow. Lady Exeter died in 1837.

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] Notes & Queries, No. 27. Saturday, May 4, 1850 A Medium Of Inter-Communication For Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc. Author: Various Release Date: October 11, 2004 [EBook #13712]