CECIL, Sir Edward (1572-1638), of Wimbledon House, Surr.

Probably Cecil’s first journey to the Continent was in September 1594, when he received a licence to travel with his elder brother Richard: his earliest surviving letter to his uncle Robert was written from Florence in November 1596. Then, as his monumental inscription states, he ‘followed the wars in the Netherlands’ for 35 years. He distinguished himself in a cavalry charge at Nieuport (July 1600), and after a short period in England he commanded a force to relieve Ostend. On his next visit to England, in September 1601, he was knighted by the Queen at Basing, and remained in the country long enough to sit in the Parliament of that year. His seat for Aldborough was no doubt provided by his father, the president of the council in the north. Cecil made no recorded contribution to the business of the House. Back in the Low Countries by June 1602, he served at Brabant, Graves and Emden, but was recalled in time to be with his father at York when the Queen died. His father at once sent him to Scotland to offer his services to James, who soon provided him with a court appointment. He nevertheless continued his military career and was still fighting in the Netherlands as late as 1631. He died at Wimbledon 16 Nov. 1638, and was buried at St. Mary’s church.CSP Dom. 1547-80, p. 437; CP, xii(2), pp. 740-2; C. Dalton, Visct. Wimbledon, i. 13-16, 28-79, 82-97, 116-19, 137-8; ii. 352-6; Lansd. 151, f. 81; A. Brown, Genesis of U.S. i. 231; Rymer, Foedera, xvi. 742; HMC Hatfield, vi. 467.