Hugh Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood
Encyclopedia
Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood PC (14 October 1869 – 10 December 1956), styled Lord Hugh Cecil until 1941, was a British
Conservative Party
politician.
, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, by Georgina, daughter of Sir Edward Hall Alderson
. He was the brother of James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury
, Lord William Cecil, Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
and Lord Edward Cecil and a first cousin of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
. He was educated at Eton
and University College, Oxford
, and was a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford
, from 1891 to 1936.
and entered the Commons as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Greenwich
in 1895, a seat he held until 1906. During the early 20th century, Cecil (known to his friends as "Linky") was the eponymous leader of the Hughligans
, a group of privileged young Tory
Members of Parliament critical of their own party's leadership. Modelled after Lord Randolph Churchill
's Fourth Party
, the Hughligans included Cecil, F. E. Smith
, Arthur Stanley, Ian Malcolm
, and, until 1904, Winston Churchill
. In 1908, Cecil was the best man at Churchill's wedding. In 1910 he became MP for Oxford University
, which he represented for the next twenty-seven years. In 1916 he was part of the Mesopotamia Commission of Inquiry
. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1918.
Apart from his political career Cecil served as a Lieutenant
in the Royal Flying Corps
during the First World War. He left the House of Commons in 1937 to become Provost of Eton College, a post he retained until 1944. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Quickswood, of Clothall in the County of Hertford, in 1941.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Background and education
Cecil was the eighth and youngest child of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of SalisburyRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, by Georgina, daughter of Sir Edward Hall Alderson
Edward Hall Alderson
Sir Edward Hall Alderson was an English lawyer and judge whose many judgments on commercial law helped to shape the emerging British capitalism of the Victorian era....
. He was the brother of James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury
James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury
James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, CB, PC , known as Viscount Cranborne from 1868 to 1903, was a British statesman.-Background and education:...
, Lord William Cecil, Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood CH, PC, QC , known as Lord Robert Cecil from 1868 to 1923, was a lawyer, politician and diplomat in the United Kingdom...
and Lord Edward Cecil and a first cousin of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, and was a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
, from 1891 to 1936.
Political career
After his graduation, Cecil was Assistant Private Secretary to his father from 1891 to 1892, in the latter's role as Foreign SecretarySecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
and entered the Commons as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Greenwich
Greenwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Greenwich was a parliamentary constituency in South-East London, which returned Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1997 by the first past the post system.-History:...
in 1895, a seat he held until 1906. During the early 20th century, Cecil (known to his friends as "Linky") was the eponymous leader of the Hughligans
Hughligans
The Hughligans were a faction of the British Conservative Party in the early 20th century.The name is a pun on the word hooligan and "Hugh", as in Lord Hugh Cecil , one of the faction's leaders. The Hughligans were a group of backbench Conservative MPs who were dissatisfied with the leadership of...
, a group of privileged young Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Members of Parliament critical of their own party's leadership. Modelled after Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
's Fourth Party
Fourth Party
The "Fourth Party" was a label given to a quartet of British MPs, Lord Randolph Churchill, Henry Drummond Wolff, John Gorst and Arthur Balfour, in the 1880-1885 parliament....
, the Hughligans included Cecil, F. E. Smith
F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead
Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead GCSI, PC, KC , best known to history as F. E. Smith , was a British Conservative statesman and lawyer of the early 20th century. He was a skilled orator, noted for his staunch opposition to Irish nationalism, his wit, pugnacious views, and hard living...
, Arthur Stanley, Ian Malcolm
Ian Malcolm
Ian Malcolm may refer to:*Sir Ian Malcolm , British member of Parliament, clan chieftain*Ian Malcolm , fictional character in Jurassic Park and The Lost World, books written by Michael Crichton...
, and, until 1904, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. In 1908, Cecil was the best man at Churchill's wedding. In 1910 he became MP for Oxford University
Oxford University (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxford University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Electoral System:...
, which he represented for the next twenty-seven years. In 1916 he was part of the Mesopotamia Commission of Inquiry
Special Commissions (Dardanelles and Mesopotamia) Act 1916
The Special Commissions Act 1916 was set up to investigate the World War I operations in the Dardanelles Campaign and the Mesopotamian campaign....
. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1918.
Apart from his political career Cecil served as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
during the First World War. He left the House of Commons in 1937 to become Provost of Eton College, a post he retained until 1944. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Quickswood, of Clothall in the County of Hertford, in 1941.