William
Cecil was born in Bourn, Lincolnshire, in 1520. Educated at St.
John's College, Cambridge, in 1541
he married Mary Cheke, the daughter of one of his university tutors.
After her death he married Mildred Cooke in in 1545.
Cecil
worked as a lawyer until 1542 when
he entered the service of Edward Seymour,
Duke of Somerset. When his patron fell from power Cecil was imprisoned.
He was eventually released and in 1550 he served under John
Dudley as Secretary of State.
Edward
was suffering from tuberculosis
and as his health deteriorated, John Dudley,
persuaded the king to alter the succession in favour of his own daughter-in-law,
Lady Jane Grey. She was declared queen
three days after Edward's death. However, she was forced to abdicate
nine days later in favour of Edward's half-sister, Mary
Tudor. Cecil played a minor role in this conspiracy but powerful
friends helped to protect him.
In 1558 Elizabeth
appointed him as Chief Secretary of State. For the next forty years
Cecil was the main architect of Elizabeth's religious and political
policies. He also encouraged the creation of an intelligence-gathering
service directed by Francis
Walsingham.
In 1571 Cecil was created
Baron Burghley. The following year he was appointed as Lord High Treasurer.
In this post Cecil came into conflict with Robert
Dudley. Cecil
was strongly opposed to Dudley plans to lead military campaigns in
favour of Protestantism in Europe.
In 1587 Cecil managed to
persuade Elizabeth to order the execution
of Mary Stuart. Afterwards Elizabeth
regretted this decision and Cecil was temporarily banished from court.
His
son, Robert
Cecil,
became a Privy Councillor in 1591 and later served as Elizabeth's
Secretary of State. William Cecil
died in 1598.
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