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ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY

ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY

TIME-LINE AND ADDITIONAL FACTS ON,ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY. ROBERT SERVED AS LORD HIGH TREASURER AND SECRETARY OF STATE AS WELL AS THE PRINCIPAL DISCOVERER OF THE GUNPOWDER PLOT OF 1605.

TIME-LINE OF ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY

1563
  • 1ST JUNE Robert Cecil was born, in Westminster, London, England was the younger son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley by his second wife, Mildred Cooke
1564
  • Robert's younger sister was born.
1571
  • 19TH DECEMBER Roberts Elder sister Anne Cecil married Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
1580
  • Robert was admitted to Gray's Inn,
1581
  • JULY Robert attended St John's College, Cambridge, around the 1580's
1584
  • AUTUMN Robert spent three months in France, attending lectures at the Sorbonne
  • Robert sat for the first time in the House of Commons, representing his birthplace, the borough of Westminster
1588
  • 5TH JUNE Robert's older sister Anne Cecil, Countess of Oxford died
  • Robert accompanied Lord Derby in his mission to the Netherlands to negotiate peace with Spain
1589
  • Robert married married Elizabeth Brooke, the daughter of William Brooke,
  • 4TH APRIL Robert's mother Mildred Cooke died at her home at Cecil House, Strand, London
  • AUGUST Robert married married Elizabeth Brooke, the daughter of William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham
  • Robert was involved in negotiations with Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, in Ostend in the hope of averting war with Spain
  • Robert elected to represent Hertfordshire
1591
  • Robert was appointed to the Privy Council
  • 28TH MARCH Roberts son William Cecil is born by his wife Elizabeth Brooke
  • 11TH APRIL Robert's son William is baptized in St Clement Danes
  • 20TH MAY Robert was knighted .
1593
  • Robert elected to represent Hertfordshire
  • Frances Cecil is born Robert's daughter with his wife Elizabeth Brooke,
1595
  • OCTOBER Edward de Vere , Robert's brother-in-law wrote to Robert of friction between himself Robert Deveraux Earl of Essex, partly over his claim to the property, Robert did very little to intervene
1596
  • 5TH JULY Robert is made Secretary of State (5 July 1596– 24 May 1612)
1597
  • Robert elected to represent Hertfordshire
  • 8TH OCTOBER Robert is made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (8 October 1597– 1599 )
  • Elizabeth Brooke,Robert's wife died.
1598
  • Robert is made Lord Privy Seal (1598–1612 )
  • 4TH AUGUST Robert's father William Cecil died at his home at Cecil House Westminster, London Kingdom of England
1601
  • Robert served as both the third chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin, and chancellor of the University of Cambridge, 1601–1612
  • MAY Robert was in secret negotiations with King James. VI of Scotland "The secret correspondence between them was legally treasonable, but Cecil sensed that such a link was the only practical way to ensure in advance that the transition of power
  • Robert elected to represent Hertfordshire
1602
  • Robert's son William Cecil was in his education at St John's College, Cambridge,
  • 4TH MAY Robert rewarded Richard Hakluyt by installing him as prebendary of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster
1603
  • 24TH MARCH Queen Elizabeth 1st of England is dead a now James. VI of Scotland is James 1st of England. Bringing the union of the Crown.
  • 20TH AUGUST Robert is given the title Baron Cecil.1603–1612
1604
  • Robert was created Viscount Cranborne
  • 18TH AUGUST Robert attended the Somerset House Conference. The Treaty of London, signed
1605
  • 4TH MAY Robert's half-brother Thomas Cecil was created Earl of Exeter
  • Robert's is titled Viscount Cranborne 1604–1612
  • Robert is made Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire 1605–1612
  • NOVEMBER William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle went to Whitehall and showed Robert with an anonymous letter, that warned Lord Monteagle to avoid the opening of Parliament. Robert took the letter to King James.
  • 4TH NOVEMBER Parker joined Thomas Howard in searching the basement of Parliament, where they found the stash of gunpowder and explosives
  • 5TH NOVEMBER The Gun Powder plot. This failed Plot was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of England's Parliament .The group behind the plot, was of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.
1606
  • Robert was appointed to the Order of the Garter as its 401st Knight
  • Robert entertained King James. and his brother-in-law, King Christian IV of Denmark, at his Hertfordshire house, Theobalds Palace (Theobalds House)
1607
  • Robert sent his son William to France
  • King James persuaded Robert to exchange Theobalds Palace for the Royal Palace of Hatfield
  • Robert commissioned the architect,William Arnold to work on the remodel of a hunting lodge at Cranborne to form the Manor House 1607–1610
1608
  • 4TH MAY Robert is made Lord High Treasurer and Lord of Mann (4 May 1608– 24 May 1612 )
  • DECEMBER Robert's son William married Catherine Howard the daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk
1609
  • Robert commissioned The Entertainment at Britain’s Burse , a play written by Ben Johnson
1610
  • 9TH FEBRUARY Robert submitted to King James 1st and Parliament “The Great Contract” Which was an attempt to increase Crown income and ultimately rid it of debt. However King James I nor Parliament showed much enthusiasm for it, and it lapsed when the King, against Salisbury's advice, dissolved Parliament in 1611.
  • 25TH JULY Lady Francis Cecil, Robert's daughter married Henry Clifford, 5th Earl of Cumberland,
1611
  • Robert is made Lord Lieutenant of Dorset 1611–1612
  • Robert began the building of Hatfield house Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
1612
  • John Bowle who was household chaplain to Robert attended on him throughout his illness.
  • SPRING Robert went on a journey to take the waters at Bath in hope of a cure, but he obtained little relief. He started on the journey home
  • 24TH MAY Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury died of Cancer aged 48 years old.
 
Robert Cecil was buried in Hatfield parish church in a tomb designed by Maximilian Colt
Quartered arms of Sir Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury

EXTRA FACTS ON ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY

  • Robert Cecil, was the 1st Earl of Salisbury and the secretary of State during the reigns of Elizabeth 1st and King James of England.
 
  • Robert Cecil's motto was "Sero, sed serio", which can be translated as 'late but in earnest
 
 
  • Robert Cecil was 5ft 4in (16cm) tall, had scoliosis, and was hunchbacked. When he was a child Robert was dropped by his nursemaid and left with permanent curvature of the spine. Elizabeth I of England called him "my pygmy", and King James I of England nicknamed him "my little beagle
 
  • Robert had one half-brother, from his father William Cecil first marriage and two full sibling, sister Anne and Elizabeth. Sir Francis Bacon, the English philosopher, statesman, scientist, through his mother was a cousin to Robert Cecil
 
  • Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was brought up In Robert's father William Cecil household and went onto marry his sister Anne Cecil.
     
     
  • Robert had been educated at home, first by his mother, one of the most learned women of her generation, then by tutors. He was taught Greek, Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish, together with music, mathematics, and cosmography. Robert had attended "disputations" at the Sorbonne which was an an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which was the historical house of the former University of Paris
 
 
  • Robert Devereux, 2nd earl of Essex was Robert' Cecil's chief rival for power, The Earl of Essex was the Queen’s favourite. AHowever after Essex was executed in 1601 for rebelling against the Queen, Robert Cecil felt free to initite secret correspondence with King James VI of Scotland, advising the King on ways to cultivate Elizabeth’s favour. It was Robert Cecil who read out the proclamation announcing James as the next king of England on the day Elizabeth died, first at Whitehall, then in front of St Paul's Cathedral and a third time at Cheapside Cross.
     
  • Robert is also remembered for being the principal discoverer of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

FICTIONAL PORTRAYALS OF ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY

FICTIONAL PORTRAYALS OF ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY
FICTIONAL PORTRAYALS OF ROBERT CECIL, 1ST EARL OF SALISBURY

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