Social Victorians/People/Salisbury

Also Known As

• Family name: Gascoyne-Cecil
• The family name of the Marquess of Exeter is also Cecil.
• Courtesy Titles
  • Marquess of Salisbury
    • Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (12 April 1868 – 22 August 1903)
  • Marchioness of Salisbury
    • Georgina Alderson Gascoyne-Cecil (12 April 1868 – 20 November 1899)
  • Viscount Chelwood
    • Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st and last Viscount Cecil of Chelwood (14 September 1864 – 24 November 1958)
  • Viscount Cranborne
    • Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil (June 1865 – 12 April 1868)
    • James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil (12 April 1868 – 22 August 1903)
  • Viscountess Cranborne
    • Cicely Alice Gore Gascoyne-Cecil (19 May 1887 – 22 August 1903)
• The sons of the Marquess are accorded the courtesy title of Lord.

Organizations

3rd Marquess

• Eton
• Christ Church, Oxford
• Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (23 June 1885 – 28 January 1886, 25 July 1886 – 11 August 1892, 25 June 1895 – 11 July 1902)

Timeline

1857 July 11, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil and Georgina Alderson married.

1868 April 12, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil's father, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, died, so he was styled 3rd Marquess of Salisbury and Georgina Alderson Gascoyne-Cecil was styled Marchioness of Salisbury.

1878 June–July, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, was Joint Ambassador to the Congress of Berlin.

1883 October 27, Beatrix Maud Cecil and William Waldegrave Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne, married.

1885 July – 1886 February, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, was Prime Minister.

1886 August – 1892 August, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, was Prime Minister again.

1895 June – 1902 July, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, was Prime Minister again.

1887 May 17, James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil and Cicely Alice Gore married.

1887 August 16, Rupert Ernest William Cecil and Florence Mary Bootle-Wilbraham married.

1889 January 22, Lord Robert Cecil and Eleanor Lambton married at St. George's Church, St. George Street, Hanover Square, London.

1894 June 18, Edward Herbert Gascoyne-Cecil and Violet Georgina Maxse married.

1895 13 July to 7 August, the 1895 General Election, which the Conservatives and Liberal Unionists won, with Robert Arthur Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury as Prime Minister.

1897 July 2, Friday, two Lords Cecil and three Ladies Cecil attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball: Lord E. (Edward), Lord R. (Robert) Cecil, Lady Edward Cecil, Lady R. (Robert) Cecil, and Lady Gwendoline or Gwendolyn Cecil. (Cicely Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscountess Cranborne is #196 on the list of people who were present; James Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne is #610; Violet Gascoyne-Cecil, Lady Edward Cecil, is #102; Lord E. Cecil, probably Edward Gascoyne-Cecil, is #411; Lord Robert Cecil is #126; Eleanor Lambton Gascoyne-Cecil is #450; Lady Gwendolen Cecil is #404.)

Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress by Martin van Meytens, c. 1765

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Viscount and Viscountess Cranborne

Cicely Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscountess Cranborne and James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball. The Viscountess sat at Table 10 in the first seating for supper, but the Viscount is not listed as having been in the first supper seating.

Cicely, Viscountess Cranborne was dressed as Princess Josepha of Bavaria in the Austrian Court of Maria Theresa Quadrille.

Maria Josepha of Bavaria (20 March 1739 – 28 May 1767) was married in 1765, the approximate year of the van Meytens portrait (right), to Joseph, King of the Romans, son of Marie-Thérèse.

Lord Edward Cecil and Lady Violet Cecil

"At Mafeking" (Lord Edward Cecil), Vanity Fair, 9 November 1899

Violet Gascoyne-Cecil, Lady Edward Cecil, wore a

• "Venetian costume of rich green and apricot pink brocade, with an overdress of pink duchesse satin lined with shot apricot silk, sleeves tied up the inner seam with gold lace bows showing slashings of chiffon, a large jewelled ornament in front of bodice connecting two strings of large pearls, and a high Picture collar of gold guipure lace."
• "simple, but artistic, Venetian dress."

The London Evening Standard's description of Lady Edward Cecil's dress as "artistic" suggests that it may not have had a defined waist and even that she may not have been corseted, or at least tightly laced.

Lord E. Cecil, probably Edward Gascoyne-Cecil, was also present, dressed "as a courtier of Charles I." Lord Edward Cecil's original costume appeared in the Drury Lane production of The White Heather. No photograph or portrait of Lord Edward Cecil in costume exists.

A caricature portrait (right) captioned "at Mafeking" of Lord Edward Cecil by Leslie Ward ("Spy") appeared in the 9 November 1899 issue of Vanity Fair, as Number 764 in its "Men of the Day" series, giving a sense of what he looked like in the late 1890s.

Lord Robert Cecil and Lady Eleanor Cecil

Lady Eleanor Cecil as Valentina Visconti (XV Century). ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Lord R. Cecil, probably Lord Robert Cecil, wore black velvet.

Alfred Ellis's portrait (left) of "Eleanor (née Lambton), Viscountess Cecil of Chelwood as Valentina Visconti (XV Century)" in costume is photogravure #188 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Lady Robert Cecil as Valentina Visconti (XV Century)."

The Hon. Mrs. Mary Curzon was also dressed as Valentina Visconti of Milan, according to her portrait in costume.

A 15th-century Lady Valentia Visconti is difficult to identify. Two notable Valentina Viscontis lived at the end of the 14th century: Valentina Visconti, Queen of Cyprus (c. 1357 – before September 1393), and Valentina Visconti, Duchess of Orléans (1371 – 4 December 1408). Both were born in Milan.

Newspaper Accounts

Lady Robert Cecil — Eleanor Lambton Gascoyne-Cecil —

• "wore an Italian dress of cherry-coloured brocade, with a square-cut neck, bordered with a band of red velvet, which was richly embroidered with turquoise and pearls. Ruffings of gauze of a lighter shade appeared on the sleeves, and a jewelled satchel, which was suspended by a girdle of gold cord, was studded with turquoise and garnets."

Lady Gwendolen Cecil

Ellen Terry as Portia, 1885

Lady Gwendolen Cecil was dressed as Portia, from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Ellen Terry, whose costume she copied, was known for her Portia, and she performed it many times in her career between 1875 and 1902.

Newspaper Accounts

• "Lady Gwendoline Cecil made a capital 'Portia' in a dress copied from that worn by Miss Ellen Terry in the same role."
• "Lady Gwendolen Cecil appeared as Portia, in a dress copied from that worn by Miss Ellen Terry in the same role."
• "Lady Gwendoline Cecil appeared as Portia, in red robes, and holding a roll of legal documents in her hand."
• "Lady Guendolen Cecil, as Portia, In a dress copied from Miss Ellen Terry's costume in the same róle."

Gwendolen is misspelled in the Daily News and Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal stories as Gwendoline, Gwendolyn in the Belfast News-Letter.

Demographics

• Nationality: British

Family

• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (3 February 1830 – 22 August 1903)
• Georgina Alderson Gascoyne-Cecil (1827 – 20 November 1899)

1. Beatrix Maud Cecil Palmer (c. 1858 – 27 April 1950)
2. Gwendolen Cecil (c. 1859 – 28 September 1945)
3. Fanny Georgina Mildred Cecil (c. 1860 – 24 April 1867)
4. James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury (23 October 1861 – 4 April 1947)
5. Rupert Ernest William Cecil (9 March 1863 – 23 June 1936)
6. Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st and last Viscount Cecil of Chelwood (14 September 1864 – 24 November 1958)
7. Edward Herbert Gascoyne-Cecil (12 July 1867 – 13 December 1918)
8. Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st and last Baron Quickswood (14 October 1869 – 10 December 1956)

• James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury (23 October 1861 – 4 April 1947)
• Cicely Alice Gore Gascoyne-Cecil (1867 – February 1955)

• Lord William Cecil: Rupert Ernest William Cecil (9 March 1863 – 23 June 1936)
• Florence Mary Bootle-Wilbraham Cecil ( – 17 May 1944)

• Lord Robert Cecil: Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood (14 September 1864 – 24 November 1958)
• Eleanor Lambton Gascoyne-Cecil (1868 – 24 April 1959)

• Lord Edward Cecil: Edward Herbert Gascoyne-Cecil (12 July 1867 – 13 December 1918)
• Violet Georgina Maxse Gascoyne-Cecil (1872 – 10 October 1958)

Relations

• Arthur Balfour was a first cousin of the children of the 3rd Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury.

Notes and Questions

1. Lord E. (probably Edward, at 411) and Lady E. (probably Violet, at 102) Gascoyne-Cecil
2. Lord R. (probably Lord Robert, at 126) and Lady R. (probably Eleanor, at 450)
3. Lady Gwendolen (spelled Gwendolyn and Gwendoline, at 404) Cecil
4. Lord R. Cecil (at 126) could be Rupert, except that he was called William, underlining again that it is likely Robert.