James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury KG GCVO CB PC
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 27 April 1925 – 4 June 1929
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
Succeeded by	The Lord Parmoor
Other ministerial offices Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal In office 6 November 1924 – 4 June 1929 Monarch George V Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin Preceded by John Robert Clynes Succeeded by James Henry Thomas In office 17 October 1903 – 4 December 1905 Monarch Edward VII Prime Minister The Marquess of Salisbury (his father) Arthur Balfour Preceded by Arthur Balfour Succeeded by The Marquess of Ripon Lord President of the Council In office 24 October 1922 – 22 January 1924 Monarch George V Prime Minister Bonar Law Stanley Baldwin Preceded by Arthur Balfour Succeeded by The Lord Parmoor Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster In office 24 October 1922 – 25 May 1923 Monarch George V Prime Minister Bonar Law Stanley Baldwin Preceded by Sir William Sutherland Succeeded by J. C. C. Davidson President of the Board of Trade In office 12 March 1905 – 4 December 1905 Monarch Edward VII Prime Minister Arthur Balfour Preceded by Gerald Balfour Succeeded by David Lloyd George Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs In office 12 November 1900 – 9 October 1903 Monarch Victoria Edward VII Prime Minister The Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour Preceded by The Earl Midleton Succeeded by The Earl Percy
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 22 August 1903 – 4 April 1947 Hereditary peerage
Preceded by	The 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Succeeded by	The 5th Marquess of Salisbury
Member of Parliament for Rochester
In office 8 February 1893 – 22 August 1903
Preceded by	Horatio Davies
Succeeded by	Charles Tuff
Member of Parliament for Darwen
In office 18 December 1885 – 26 July 1892
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Sir Charles Huntington
Personal details
Born	(1861-10-23)23 October 1861 London, United Kingdom
Died	4 April 1947(1947-04-04) (aged 85) London, United Kingdom
Political party	Conservative
Spouses	Lady Cicely Gore (1867–1955)
Alma mater	University College, Oxford

James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury (born October 23, 1861 – died April 4, 1947) was an important British politician. He was known as Viscount Cranborne until 1903. He held many high-ranking positions in the British government.

Early Life and Education

James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil was born in London. He was the oldest son of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury. His father was a Prime Minister of Britain. His mother was Georgina Alderson.

James had several younger brothers, including Lord William Cecil and Lord Cecil of Chelwood. His first cousin was Arthur Balfour, who also became Prime Minister. James went to Eton College, a famous school, and then studied at University College, Oxford. He finished his university studies in 1885.

Beginning His Political Journey

James started his public life very early. When he was young, he went with his father to important international meetings. These included the Constantinople Conference in 1876-1877 and the Congress of Berlin in 1878.

Serving as a Member of Parliament

Lord Cranborne, as he was then known, became a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP). He represented the area of Darwen from 1885 to 1892. He lost his seat in the 1892 election.

However, he was elected again in 1893 for Rochester. He continued to be an MP for Rochester until 1903. In 1903, he took over his father's title and joined the House of Lords.

Military Service and Honors

In 1892, Lord Cranborne became a lieutenant-colonel in the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. This battalion saw active service in South Africa during the Second Boer War from March to November 1900. Lord Cranborne led the battalion during this time.

For his service in the war, he received the Queen's South Africa Medal. He was also made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). In 1902, he received the Honorary Freedom of the borough of Hertford. He continued to be involved with the military, serving as an aide-de-camp to King Edward VII and King George V.

Key Government Roles

James Salisbury held many important roles in the government. From 1900 to 1903, he worked under his father and then his cousin, Arthur Balfour, as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This role involved helping with foreign policy.

From 1903 to 1905, he was Lord Privy Seal. In 1905, he became the President of the Board of Trade. In 1903, he joined the Privy Council. This is a group of advisors to the monarch.

Leading in the House of Lords

Lord Salisbury played a big part in opposing new laws proposed by David Lloyd George in 1911. In 1917, he was given a very high honor, becoming a Knight of the Garter.

He returned to government in the 1920s. He served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1922 to 1923. He was also Lord President of the Council from 1922 to 1924. From 1924 to 1929, he was again Lord Privy Seal.

One of his most important roles was Leader of the House of Lords from 1925 to 1929. In this position, he led the Conservative peers in the House of Lords. He later became a strong opponent of Indian Home Rule.

Continued Military Involvement

Lord Salisbury remained very active in the Territorial Army. He was an Honorary Colonel for two different military units. These were the 86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, and the 48th (South Midland) Divisional Engineers.

In 1936, he was part of a group that spoke to Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. They were concerned about how slowly Britain was preparing its military against the threat from Nazi Germany. In 1937, he held the important ceremonial role of Lord High Steward at the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Family Life

Lord Salisbury married Lady Cicely Alice Gore on May 17, 1887. She was the daughter of the 5th Earl of Arran. Lady Cicely was also active in public life. She served as a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra and was a Justice of the Peace.

James and Cicely had four children:

• Lady Beatrice Edith Mildred Gascoyne-Cecil (born 1891, died 1980)
• Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury (born 1893, died 1972)
• Lady Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil (born 1895, died 1988)
• Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil (born 1902, died 1986)

Lord Salisbury passed away in April 1947 at the age of 85. His oldest son, Robert, took over his title. Lady Salisbury died in February 1955.