Sir William Cecil

Not even I could make up scandals like these!

The shocking tales he dug up researching his new series on Britain's great houses make his Downton plots seem positively tame, Julian Fellowes tells Jenny Johnston...


By JENNY JOHNSTON FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30 GMT, 18 January 2013 | UPDATED: 22:30 GMT, 18 January 2013

Julian Fellowes looks aghast. Horrified. Incredulous. The sense of injustice he feels is writ large all over his face. Were someone organising a protest march about the situation we’re discussing he would be likely to sign up.
Now, the creator of Downton Abbey isn’t normally a man you can imagine marching on Parliament to express his fury. But some things are beyond the pale.
‘You know I’m not a revolutionary,’ he admits. ‘But sometimes you do see their point.’ We shouldn’t worry that Lord Fellowes – actor, writer and a Conservative life peer – is about to go too radical, though. The ‘appalling, brutal, dreadful’ incident he’s talking about happened in 1567, although he’s only just found out about it.

He’s on the set of his latest TV project, Great Houses With Julian Fellowes, in which he sets off around Britain visiting some of our grandest stately homes, Burghley House in Cambridgeshire and Goodwood House in West Sussex included.

His brief isn’t just to gawp at the art collections and waft through the vast corridors, however. The emphasis is more on the people who inhabited these places, both above and below stairs, and the real-life dramas that befell them.
Obviously the clash between classes – his specialist subject, one might say – is a constant theme.

But one episode is more jaw-dropping than most. It involves the then 17-year-old Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who was practising his fencing one July day in the yard of Cecil House, the home of his tutor and mentor Sir William Cecil. One Thomas Brincknell, an under-cook in the Cecil household, ventured into the yard – and ended up dead, stabbed by the young Earl.

Was it murder or misadventure? Neither, according to the official reports, which Fellowes read with increasing disbelief. ‘The coroner’s inquest was told that this poor Brincknell had been drunk and had run into the blade, which is quite ridiculous. Everything was covered up to preserve reputations – at the sacrifice of poor Brincknell.

'But what happened next was even more appalling. Because he was deemed to have killed himself, he was not allowed a proper burial and his wife, who was pregnant at the time, lost her home and everything she had. The truth had been covered up by Cecil, who could not allow his protégé to be involved in any scandal. Now, I understand the need for the ruling classes to sometimes rule with an iron hand. But this was something else, it was savage.’
Lord Fellowes, of course, has penned no end of scandals himself. Downton Abbey has had its fair share of imprisoned valets and dead lovers. Yet he thinks the real-life shockers he unearths in this series are somehow more horrifying than anything fiction writers can create.
‘Let’s face it, if I’d written something like that I’d have been accused of being far too outlandish.
That’s the amazing thing about this series. You simply couldn’t make up some of the stories.’

Or be failed to be moved by them, it seems. He gets a bit weepy remembering reading of one unfortunate dairy maid who hid a dead baby – and paid a terrible price for it. ‘The account of what happened came from a court reporter, not a lyrical novelist, but the true sense of her anguish was laid bare.’
It’s a fascinating series, and one can imagine some of the tales eventually finding their way into Downton. The fourth series has been confirmed and Fellowes is mid-way through writing it. There is just the mildest hint of panic in his voice as we discuss where he’s up to.
‘No, no, nowhere near finished yet. What can I say? We have the first read-through in February so the hounds are snapping. I’ve been at it quite furiously, but my wife did insist that I take Christmas Day off.’

Burghley’s ‘dark secrets’ revealed in new TV series

Burghley’s ‘dark secrets’ revealed in new TV series

A new peak time TV series from the creator of smash hit show Downton Abbey airing tonight at 9pm on ITV unveils a secret side to England’s greatest Elizabethan house.

‘Great Houses’ with Julian Fellowes is a compelling two-part factual series that takes viewers on a journey to discover the real people behind two of Britain’s most incredible houses, Lincolnshire’s Burghley House and Goodwood House in West Sussex.

The man who has penned the most successful period dramas of recent years turns his attention to the real life stories and secrets of not only those that owned these grand houses, but also those that served in them Burghley, which sits on the edge of the picturesque Georgian stone town of Stamford, provides a few historic surprises – including the shocking murder of a cook.

For the last four centuries Burghley has wowed visitors, whether Elizabethan royalty, locals enjoying the parkland or tourists from across the globe. Built for Elizabeth I’s chief minister William Cecil, Lord Burghley, it now offers a packed family day out with a combined ticket giving access to the stunning history and architecture of the House, and its huge collection of treasures, plus two gardens, including the Tudor-inspired Gardens of Surprise.

The new TV show discovers some new stories from its past too. ‘We so enjoyed working with Julian Fellowes on the making of this programme. His extraordinary knowledge of life upstairs and downstairs in the English country house was invaluable in the discoveries he made about the history of Burghley. Understanding more about those who have lived and worked here has been fascinating and it really brings the story of the house to life,“ said ‘ Miranda Rock, House Director.

Beginning on Tuesday 22 Jan 2013, 9-10pm, the one-hour programmes offer an insight into the most significant moments in British history as well as uncovering untold stories. For Burghley, those darker secrets include the murder of cook Thomas Brinknell. Added Burghley Curator Jon Culverhouse: ‘The makers of Julian Fellowes’s programme went to extraordinary lengths to track down little-known scraps of the history of Burghley, its occupants and those who worked here.”

Burghley House opens for its 2013 season on Saturday 16th March, but although the house might have closed, Burghley’s popular Orangery Restaurant continues to serve up foodie treats this winter from 10am until 4pm Wednesday to Sunday. Visitors are welcome to come and visit the Orangery Restaurant and take a walk through Burghley’s sweeping parkland, free of charge throughout the year. Burghley’s Sculpture Garden is also open free of charge from 11am to 4pm daily through until Friday 15th March 2013 (Garden may be closed for essential maintenance work).

Burghley House

Investigation launched into butler 'crushed to death by lift' at Burghley House

JACK SIMPSON Saturday 26 July 2014


An investigation has been launched into the death of a butler who was crushed by a lift at the Burghley House in Lincolnshire.

Arthur Mellar, who had worked at the 16th century Tudor mansion for nine years, was said to have been lifting luggage off an out of order lift on 12 July, when it gave way and fell on his head - fatally wounding him.

Mellar was rushed to hospital after children heard the butler’s cries for help and alerted Burghley House’s owner, Orlando Rock.

However, after losing consciousness attempts by paramedics and doctors to revive Mellar were unsuccessful and he died from his injuries four hours later.

Mellar’s partner Gerwin Castillo arrived at the house to find Mellar unconscious and surrounded by paramedics.

Recounting the event to The Telegraph, Castillo said: “Orlando met us at the entrance and took me to where Arthur was.

"There were lots of people, paramedics all stood round him. He was unconscious. It was awful.

"When I got there, I knew he was not going to survive. His face was bloated and purple and he had bruises all over his neck.”

"I stayed beside him until his very last breathe. I was hoping for a miracle.”

He added: "Now I have to accept that he is no longer here. What I find heart-breaking is that he died in such an awful way."

The fatal accident has led to an inquiry being launched into the safety standards in the home that was built by William Cecil during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Both the police and the Health and Safety Executive are looking into the Health and Safety practices at the property that appeared in the 2005 film The Da Vinci Code and has served as location for the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.

With over 100 hundred rooms and Elizabethan interiors, investigators will be trying to find out whether more safety checks could have been put in place that could have prevented Mellar’s death.

Originally from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Mellar had 30 years of experience working as a butler behind him, and had previously served the Queen’s Mother.

Just months before the accident, he had posted a status update on Facebook that read "Stately Homes are an occupational hazard, such a bore", next to a picture of himself at work.

Burghley House's estate director David Pennell said the death was a “tragedy” and that the house would co-operate fully with the investigation into the butler’s death.

He added: "It is with the deepest sadness that we confirm the tragic death of Arthur Mellar, a highly-valued member of the household team at Burghley.”

Death of Lord Burghley

One of Elizabeth I's court favourites died on August 4th, 1598, aged 77.

By Richard Cavendish
Published in History Today Volume 48 Issue 8 August 1998

William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, was Lord High Treasurer of England when he died, aged seventy-seven, in his London house in Covent Garden. Sprung from a comfortably-off country gentry family with connections at court, Cecil had made his way up originally as personal secretary to Protector Somerset after Henry VIII's death. Highly intelligent, prudent, shrewd and titanically industrious, he was thirty-eight when Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558. She immediately appointed him her principal secretary. 'This judgement I have of you,' she told him, 'that you will not be corrupted with any manner of gift, and that you will be faithful to the State, and that without respect of my private will you will give me that counsel that you think best.'

For almost the next forty years Cecil was at Elizabeth's side as her chief minister and trusted counsellor and though she frequently drove him almost to distraction, he was always true to her confidence in him. In his last illness she came to nurse him personally, sitting by his bedside and feeding him with a spoon, and she once told him that she did not wish to live any longer than she had him with her, a remark that brought tears to his eyes.

In private life Cecil was a kindly, gentle man, a lover of books and learning, a builder of great houses, including Burghley House at Stamford, and a bold gardener, who spent much time and money on importing and acclimatising trees from abroad. He married two exceptionally gifted women. The first was Mary Cheke, sister of the great Greek scholar Sir John Cheke. After her death in 1543 he married Mildred, one of the brilliant daughters of Sir Anthony Cooke, who was rated as one of the most learned women in England (her sister Anne was Sir Francis Bacon's mother).

An adminstrator of genius with a vast, whale-like maw for detail , Cecil spent his working life voyaging thriough tumultous oceans of papers of which he left tens of thousands behind him. He was a fluent writer in Latin, French and Italian as well as English, and and he spawned documents on a heroic scale. His prodigious appetite - perhaps desperate need - for work eventually damaged his health. In his final years he suffered agonies from decayed teeth and the gout, and he had been ill long before his final passing, though he attended meetings of the queen's council almost to the end. He finally took to his bed late in July 1598, often tearfully wishing for death. At the end he called his children and grandchildren about him and took leave of them. As the hours went on after midnight, he said: 'Oh, what a heart have I that will not die!' and rebuked the doctor for trying to revive him. His last recorded words were, 'The Lord have mercy upon me', and about 7 o'clock in the morning of August 4th he passed quietly away. His funeral was conducted with elaborate splendour in Westminster Abbey and his body was taken to be buried in St Martin's church in Stamford, his Lincolnshire home.

William Cecil, Lord Burghley

William Cecil, Lord Burghley
written by C N Trueman

Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, was one of the major political figures in the reign of Elizabeth I. Burghley held all the major political posts in the land and was to all intents the most powerful non-royal in England and Wales.

Link to photo HERE

William Cecil was born on September 13th 1520. He was born into a minor Welsh noble family that had fought for Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Rewarded for their loyalty, the Cecil family worked for Henry VIII and Edward VI. Cecil was educated at Grantham and Stamford Grammar Schools and at St. John’s College, Cambridge University. At Cambridge, Cecil was very influenced by Humanism and Protestantism. After Cambridge, Cecil went to Gray’s Inn in London. In 1543, Cecil became a Member of Parliament and quickly developed a reputation as a fine administrator.

Cecil impressed his colleagues with his ability to hold a seemingly vast amount of information. He worked very long hours, was tactful and all his decisions were based on sound judgement. He was also a very patient man who knew that Elizabeth always wanted to have the last word in any arguments.

He had known Elizabeth when she was a princess. In 1550, he was appointed her surveyor of estates. Cecil was appointed her Secretary when Elizabeth became Queen in 1558. He remained in royal employment until his death.

Cecil was given a number of important positions other than Principal Secretary. In 1561, he was appointed Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries – a position that had great responsibility for the collection of royal revenue. It was a post that also allowed Cecil to build up his own personal fortune. In 1572, now Baron Burghley, Cecil was also appointed Lord Treasurer.

His rise to power made him enemies. The old noble families, such as the Norfolk’s, disliked the fact that Cecil came from a ‘lesser’ family. The likes of the Earl of Leicester disliked the fact that Elizabeth could see no fault in him while the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, saw him as a rival for power. Cecil dealt with the likes of these men with discretion, humbleness and tact. Above anything else, Cecil knew how to handle the Queen. The value he had for Elizabeth is shown in the positions she gave him and the fact that Cecil worked for her for 40 years. If the others were dispensable to the Queen, Cecil was not.

Cecil’s influence touched on just about all aspects of policy that occurred during Elizabeth’s long reign. In the Royal Court he brought order and stability. A conservative by nature, he believed that anyone in public office was there to serve the Queen and he expected everyone else to think this. He controlled the House of Lords once he was elevated to it. Cecil also believed in toleration where religion was concerned. As long as Catholics and Puritans were loyal to the Queen, he believed that they should be allowed to worship but quietly and discreetly. Cecil in one sense was a Puritan – he recognised that the clergy at the lower end of Church hierarchy had to be improved if they were to serve the function that was intended. Cecil wanted men to join the Church who were highly educated and who could give a lead to people. In this, the Puritans would have agreed. However, he was also aware that the Puritans were a potential threat to the Queen and he had no qualms in supporting action against them. Loyalty to the Queen was uppermost in his mind and he doubted if the Puritans could offer this.

Cecil was also willing to tolerate Catholics as long as they were loyal. However, any Catholic who betrayed the Queen had to expect the most severe of consequences. It was for this reason that Cecil was one of the prime movers in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Cecil believed that her very being in England was a threat to Elizabeth as Mary could have been a figure that disloyal Catholics would have rallied around. It is no coincidence that Cecil first employed the Queen’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, in the Court in 1568. It was the evidence provided by Walsingham that led to Mary’s execution for treason.

Cecil was also highly influential in foreign policy. He saw France and Spain as threats to England – but not just because of their Catholicism. Spain was expanding in the New World and Cecil was appreciative of the potential value such a colony had. France was the nearest major rival to England and this simple fact alone made her a threat in the mind of Cecil. However, he was shrewd enough to realise that despite having the same religion, Spain and France were also rivals. He was content to support one at the expense of the other. To start with, this support went to Spain. Cecil believed that if France felt threatened on both her northern and southern borders, she would be less of a threat to England. However, this policy of supporting Spain changed when the Revolt of the Netherlands started. Least of all did Cecil want thousands of Spanish troops just a few hours sailing from the English coast. England’s support of the rebels obviously led to a break with Spain. Compounded with the trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, the former ally became a deadly enemy. With the Treaty of Nonsuch, England sent military aid to the Dutch rebels. Cecil took charge of organising the whole venture. When Leicester went beyond his orders while leading the English army in the Netherlands, it was Cecil who advised the Queen to censure her favourite.

Cecil stayed in office until his death. His remarkable career at the very top of Elizabethan politics had spanned four decades. Cecil had managed to avoid any entanglement with those who were jealous of his positions and power. He had the full confidence of the Queen and few could doubt his loyalty to her.

In his political lifetime Cecil had been Principal Secretary to the Queen, Lord Treasurer and Chief Minister – all the major posts that could have been held. His son, Robert, was to have an equally successful political career under James I.

Sir William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, died on August 4th 1598.