Virtual Grub Street: Sir Robert Cecil to Michael Hicks, 1598 (Undated).

Edward de Vere & Robert Cecil

William Cecil, the Baron Burghley, died August 4. Shortly before, he delivered his will to his steward and executor Thomas Bellot. According to a letter from John Chamberlain to Dudley Carleton:

Of his private wealth there is but 11,000. come to light, and that all in silver, whereof 6000. (with eight or nine hundred poundes land) lie bequeathed to his two neeces of Oxford, the rest in other legacies. And his lands seme not so great as was thought, for Mr. Secretaire sayes his owne part will not rise to 1,600. a-yeare upon the racke.¹

Of course, Burghley also handed son Robert the trusteeship for the remaining lands, rents and chattel of the Earldom of Oxford in behalf of those neices. The following letter informs us that Edward, the Earl, and Burghley's eldest son, Thomas, were pressing objections to the terms of the will.

Edward wished to take legal custody of his unmarried daughters. Burghley had taken measures specifically to prevent such an outcome fearing that their father would fritter away the trusts he had formed for them. Instead, the Countess Bedford was given the custody.²

When Burghley died, the question of the wardship of his three granddaughters, the daughters of Lord Oxford, who had deserted their mother and now had married again, became a burning question. Their grandfather had made provision for them, but Thomas Cecil, who had been left no jewels, was in a mood to make difficulties, and then there seem to have been all the hackneyed disputes about personal possessions. Robert is weary of it all, he says, and only anxious that his nieces be not kidnapped.

I thank you for your letter and for your care. As for my Lord of Oxford's claim, if Mr. Bellot do not turn him to us we shall do well enough; and above all things we desire that he do say, though not swear, that such charge was given him by ' Parroll;' which Mr. Maynard shall witness.

In the doctor's cavil to defeat them of their portion, God knoweth I never intend it, but be you sure my brother thinks so hardly to have none of the Jewels, as I fear me he will stand now upon all advantages. But I will never consent in such a kind to break my father's testament.

For my private things at Theobald's, good Mr. Hycks end them, for I am weary of the noise of such beggarly things as they are and will be when they are best (I commit all to you).

Tell Mr. Bellot if the Earl of Oxford desire the custody he cannot have them of anybody. For if he look upon the deeds whereby my Lord hath conveyed them their lands, he shall find that, for default of issue, their land comes to the Heirs of his body. Now whether he that never gave them grant (and) hath a second wife and another child be a fit guardian, consider you. If once my Lady Bedford were come to town he would quickly conclude. I wish Mr. Bellot to have a good care they be not stolen

away by his means: I would they had some honest man there while Mr. Bellot's eye is absent from them. When you are there I pray you take order with my wardroper that any stuff they want, or anything else, may be given them.

On Monday night I shall be at London, but I pray you do not come from Theobald's without some end. I have written out my eyes to-day and therefore farewell. Your loving friend

Ro : Cecyll.³

Chamberlain made a curious statement in his letter concerning the aformentioned Maynard:

Mr. Maynard is become the Quenes man, and that with such high favor that in goode earnest he is thought to be neerest in election to be Secretarie, and the rather for that Mr. Secretarie is altogether for him.

Henry Maynard had been the favorite secretary of Lord High Treasurer, Baron Burghley, and this would seem to say that he was thought to be next in line for Robert Cecil's job of First Secretary to the Queen. Presumably the gossip was that Robert would take his father's job seeing as he had been filling in for his father in the post during the former's long illness.

A year later, Chamberlain was reporting that Maynard was indeed posted as secretary... to the new military government the Queen was appointing in expectation of another Spanish invasion force.⁴

1Williams, Sarah. Letters Written by John Chamberlain (1861). 15-6.

2Green, Nina. Commentary on BL Lansdowne 87-34 ff 96-7. http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/BritishLibrary/BL_Lansdowne_87-34_ff_96-7.pdf

3Hicks, William. A Cotswold Family: Hicks and Hicks Beach (1906). 132-3.

4Chamberlain, 59.