Background
Salisbury was the son of James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury, and Lady Emily Mary, daughter of Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire. In the latter year he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords.
Salisbury was the son of James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury, and Lady Emily Mary, daughter of Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire. In the latter year he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords.
He held office under the Earl of Derby as Lord Privy Seal in 1852 and Lord President of the Council between 1858 and 1859. He was the father of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He served in the Earl of Derby"s first two cabinets as Lord Privy Seal in 1852 and as Lord President of the Council between 1858 and 1859.
He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1826 and made a Knight of the Garter in 1842.
Apart from his political career he also served as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex between 1841 and 1868. Lord Salisbury was married twice.
A biography of her by Carola Oman appeared in 1966. The couple had six children, including the following:
James Emilius William Evelyn Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne (29 October 1821 – 14 June 1865), died unmarried
Lady Mildred Arabella Charlotte Gascoyne-Cecil (21 October 1822 – 18 March 1881), married Alexander Beresford Hope
Lord Arthur Gascoyne-Cecil (19 December 1823 – 25 April 1825)
Lady Blanche Mary Harriet (5 March 1825 – 16 May 1872), married James Maitland Balfour, mother of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (3 February 1830 – 22 August 1903), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times between 1885 and 1902
Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Eustace Brownlow Henry Gascoyne-Cecil (24 April 1834 – 3 July 1921)
Lord Salisbury"s second marriage, on 29 April 1847, was to Lady Mary Catherine Sackville-West, daughter of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De Louisiana Warr and Elizabeth Sackville-West, Countess De Louisiana Warr, with whom he had five children:
Lord Sackville Arthur Cecil (16 March 1848 – 29 January 1898)
Lady Mary Arabella Arthur Cecil (26 April 1850 – 18 August 1903), married Alan Stewart, 10th Earl of Galloway
Lady Margaret Elizabeth Cecil (1850 – 11 March 1919)
Lord Arthur Cecil (3 July 1851 – 16 July 1913)
Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Lionel Cecil (21 March 1853 – 13 January 1901)
Lord Salisbury died in April 1868, aged 76, and was succeeded in the marquessate by his third but eldest surviving son, Robert.
The Marchioness of Salisbury died in December 1900.
1791-1813: Viscount Cranborne
1813-1823: Viscount Cranborne Member of Parliament
1823-1826: The Most Honourable The Second Marquess of Salisbury
1826-1842: The Most Honourable The Second Marquess of Salisbury Personal Computer
1842-1868: The Most Honourable The Second Marquess of Salisbury Knight of the Order of the Garter Personal Computer.
5th United Kingdom Parliament. 6th United Kingdom Parliament. 7th United Kingdom Parliament]
Salisbury entered the House of Commons in 1813 as Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, a seat he held until 1817, and then sat for Hertford between 1817 and 1823.