Lord Thomas Cecil

Thomas Cecil was born on 1 Jan 1797, the son of Henry Cecil, 1st Marquess of Exeter and Sarah Hoggins. He entered the Navy and served at sea for 4 years. He obtained a commission in the 10th Hussars on 24 Oct 1816 as a cornet. He was a lieutenant in 1820 and a captain in 1821. He served in the expedition to Portugal in 1827. He commanded the 10th Hussars from April 1833 to 15 June 1838, being a strict disciplinarian and a fine horseman. Lord Cecil rode in many hunts, horse races and steeplechases. He retired on half pay in 1838 and sold out of the army in 1846 with the rank of colonel. He was married to Lady Sophia Lennox daughter of the 4th Duke of Richmond whose wife, the Duchess, gave the famous ball on 15 June 1815 in Brussels. Lord Thomas Cecil was MP for Stamford from 1808 to 1832 and opposed to Mr Charles Tennyson the Radical candidate in the 1831 election. Tennyson was offended by Cecil’s remarks about him and challenged him to a duel. This took place at Wormwood Scrubs but ended without any serious consequences. He died on 29 November 1873, aged 76.

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