Lord William Gascoyne-Cecil
Encyclopedia
Lord Rupert Ernest William Gascoyne-Cecil (9 March 1863 – 23 June 1936) was Bishop of Exeter
from 1916 to 1936. He was the second son of Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
. Educated at Eton and Oxford, he was rector of Hatfield for 28 years before being appointed bishop. Married in 1887, he had three daughters and four sons, three of whom were killed in the First World War. As bishop he was generally liked, but had a reputation for eccentricity.
, the second son of Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil
, the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
. He was educated at Eton
, where he was bullied and nicknamed "Fish", a name that stuck with him among family and friends throughout his life. Following Eton he was educated at University College, Oxford
where he gained a third in law. After leaving university, Cecil worked for a few months in London's East End
slums.
He was ordained in 1887, and married Lady Florence ("Fluffy") Mary Bootle-Wilbraham, daughter of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom
on 16 August of the same year. They had four sons and three daughters. Their eldest son Randle William was born 28 November 1889 and was killed in action during the First World War on 1 December 1917. Their third and fourth sons were also killed in that war: John Arthur (28 March 1893 – 27 August 1918) and Rupert Edward (20 January 1895 – 11 July 1915). Their second son Victor Alexander (21 May 1891 – 17 January 1977) was wounded twice in the war, but survived. Their three daughters were Eve Alice (13 January 1900–1994) who married Vice-Admiral Richard Shelley, her twin sister Mary Edith (13 January 1900–1994), and Anne (8 October 1906 – 23 October 1924).
Cecil's first curacy
was in Great Yarmouth
, but this lasted for less than a year, because in 1888 his father had him appointed as Rector of Hatfield
, which came with a fine rectory some distance from the town. However he persuaded his father to build him a smaller house nearer to the town so he could be closer to his parishioners. He remained in that post for the next 28 years, also becoming Rural Dean
of Hertford from 1904; a chaplain
to King Edward VII
from 1909; and an honorary canon of St Alban's Cathedral from 1910. In 1908 he attended the fifth Lambeth Conference which led him to an interest in China, which country he later visited several times. He tried unsuccessfully to establish a Christian university there and in 1910, with his wife, he wrote a book: Changing China.
offered him the post of Bishop of Exeter, and although initially unwilling to move, he finally accepted. Trevor Beeson
, in his book The Bishops (2002), expresses surprise at the appointment, stating that it was "easily the most extraordinary episcopal appointment of the twentieth century" because of his total unsuitability "by aptitude and experience for a bishopric". Beeson goes on to surmise that only a person with a large personal income such as Cecil had could have been appointed to the see at the time because one third of its annual income was being paid as a pension to his predecessor, Archibald Robertson
who had resigned aged 63 and lived until 1931.
Cecil's episcopate was notable for its tolerance. He took the view that the principles of the Church were broad enough to allow wide latitude in the permissible forms of religious service, so he did not try to enforce any particular theological school of thought, and maintained a friendly relationship with the leaders of Nonconformist
groups. He did, however, quarrel with his cathedral when he suggested the abolition of the office of the Dean, with the money that would be saved being used to pay for a suffragan bishop
to increase pastoral care
in the diocese. His proposal did not come to fruition and was put down as one of "Love in a Mist's" madcap ideas.
Beeson relates several instances of Cecil's eccentric behaviour. On one occasion a guest having tea with him at his home was surprised when he fed pieces of crumpets to two rats that came out of holes in the floor, and threw powdered copper sulphate on the fire in order to turn the flames green, remarking that he liked the colour. Once, goes another story, while robing in the vestry before a service, he held a handkerchief between his teeth, but forgot to return it to his pocket and proceeded to the altar with it still hanging from his mouth. He had been heard to complain that the Bible was "an awkward book", and while travelling around his diocese he would often ring up his wife to ask where he was.
Shortly after his death in 1936, he was commemorated in the cathedral by two sculptures, both bearded: one is on the screen of the Speke chapel in which he is depicted as St Martin giving his cloak to a beggar; the other, as St Peter, is high up on the bishop's throne and was created in 1938 by the Exeter woodcarver, Herbert Read. A tablet in the floor by the throne expresses the wish that the statue will "keep for ever alive the memory" of Lord William Cecil.
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
from 1916 to 1936. He was the second son of Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
Robert 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...
. Educated at Eton and Oxford, he was rector of Hatfield for 28 years before being appointed bishop. Married in 1887, he had three daughters and four sons, three of whom were killed in the First World War. As bishop he was generally liked, but had a reputation for eccentricity.
Biography
William Cecil (as he was generally known) was born at Hatfield HouseHatfield House
Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil...
, the second son of Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil
Robert 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...
, the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Marquess of Salisbury
Marquess of Salisbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for the 7th Earl of Salisbury. Most of the holders of the title have been prominent in British political life over the last two centuries, particularly the 3rd Marquess, who served three times as Prime Minister...
. 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"....
, where he was bullied and nicknamed "Fish", a name that stuck with him among family and friends throughout his life. Following Eton he was educated at 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...
where he gained a third in law. After leaving university, Cecil worked for a few months in London's East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
slums.
He was ordained in 1887, and married Lady Florence ("Fluffy") Mary Bootle-Wilbraham, daughter of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom
Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom
Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom GCB, PC , known as The Lord Skelmersdale between 1853 and 1880, was a British Conservative politician. He was a member of every Conservative administration between 1866 and 1898, and notably served three times as Lord Chamberlain of the Household under...
on 16 August of the same year. They had four sons and three daughters. Their eldest son Randle William was born 28 November 1889 and was killed in action during the First World War on 1 December 1917. Their third and fourth sons were also killed in that war: John Arthur (28 March 1893 – 27 August 1918) and Rupert Edward (20 January 1895 – 11 July 1915). Their second son Victor Alexander (21 May 1891 – 17 January 1977) was wounded twice in the war, but survived. Their three daughters were Eve Alice (13 January 1900–1994) who married Vice-Admiral Richard Shelley, her twin sister Mary Edith (13 January 1900–1994), and Anne (8 October 1906 – 23 October 1924).
Cecil's first curacy
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
was in Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, but this lasted for less than a year, because in 1888 his father had him appointed as Rector of Hatfield
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
, which came with a fine rectory some distance from the town. However he persuaded his father to build him a smaller house nearer to the town so he could be closer to his parishioners. He remained in that post for the next 28 years, also becoming Rural Dean
Rural Dean
In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery .-Origins and usage:...
of Hertford from 1904; a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
from 1909; and an honorary canon of St Alban's Cathedral from 1910. In 1908 he attended the fifth Lambeth Conference which led him to an interest in China, which country he later visited several times. He tried unsuccessfully to establish a Christian university there and in 1910, with his wife, he wrote a book: Changing China.
Bishopric
In 1916 the then Prime Minister, Herbert AsquithH. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
offered him the post of Bishop of Exeter, and although initially unwilling to move, he finally accepted. Trevor Beeson
Trevor Randall Beeson
Trevor Randall Beeson OBE was Dean of Winchester in the last two decades of the 20th century. He is also an acclaimed Ecclesiastical Obituarist. He was educated at King's College London and ordained in 1952. He began his career with a curacy in Leadgate, after which he was Priest in charge of St...
, in his book The Bishops (2002), expresses surprise at the appointment, stating that it was "easily the most extraordinary episcopal appointment of the twentieth century" because of his total unsuitability "by aptitude and experience for a bishopric". Beeson goes on to surmise that only a person with a large personal income such as Cecil had could have been appointed to the see at the time because one third of its annual income was being paid as a pension to his predecessor, Archibald Robertson
Archibald Robertson (bishop)
The Right Reverend Archibald Robertson was the seventh Principal of King's College London who later served as Bishop of Exeter....
who had resigned aged 63 and lived until 1931.
Cecil's episcopate was notable for its tolerance. He took the view that the principles of the Church were broad enough to allow wide latitude in the permissible forms of religious service, so he did not try to enforce any particular theological school of thought, and maintained a friendly relationship with the leaders of Nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
groups. He did, however, quarrel with his cathedral when he suggested the abolition of the office of the Dean, with the money that would be saved being used to pay for a suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
to increase pastoral care
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
in the diocese. His proposal did not come to fruition and was put down as one of "Love in a Mist's" madcap ideas.
Eccentricity
As bishop, Cecil gained a reputation for eccentricity and the nickname of "Love in a Mist" was given to him, according to Beeson, on account of his "administrative ineptitude and autocratic unwillingness to take advice", ameliorated by a most loving personality.Beeson relates several instances of Cecil's eccentric behaviour. On one occasion a guest having tea with him at his home was surprised when he fed pieces of crumpets to two rats that came out of holes in the floor, and threw powdered copper sulphate on the fire in order to turn the flames green, remarking that he liked the colour. Once, goes another story, while robing in the vestry before a service, he held a handkerchief between his teeth, but forgot to return it to his pocket and proceeded to the altar with it still hanging from his mouth. He had been heard to complain that the Bible was "an awkward book", and while travelling around his diocese he would often ring up his wife to ask where he was.
Shortly after his death in 1936, he was commemorated in the cathedral by two sculptures, both bearded: one is on the screen of the Speke chapel in which he is depicted as St Martin giving his cloak to a beggar; the other, as St Peter, is high up on the bishop's throne and was created in 1938 by the Exeter woodcarver, Herbert Read. A tablet in the floor by the throne expresses the wish that the statue will "keep for ever alive the memory" of Lord William Cecil.