David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter

David George Brownlow Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter KCMG (9 February 1905 – 22 October 1981), styled Lord Burghley before 1956 and also known as David Burghley, was an English Conservative politician, sports official and athlete. He was the winner of 400m hurdles at the 1928 Summer Olympics.

Early life

Born near Stamford, Lincolnshire as heir to the 5th Marquess of Exeter, Lord Burghley was educated at Eton College, Institut Le Rosey, and Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Athlete

A notable runner at school and at Cambridge, he continued with his athletics and won the British AAA championships in 120 yd from 1929 to 1931 and the 440 yd (402m) hurdles from 1926 to 1928, and again in 1930 and 1932.

Burghley made his Olympics debut in Paris in 1924, when he was eliminated in the first round of the 110m hurdles. At the 1928 Summer Olympics, Burghley was eliminated in the semi final of the 110m hurdles, but won the 400m hurdles, beating second and third placed Americans Frank Cuhel and Morgan Taylor by 0.2 seconds. At the first Commonwealth Games in 1930, Burghley won both hurdling events and also was a member of gold medal winning British 4 x 400m relay team.

Burghley was elected to Parliament in 1931, but was granted a leave of absence to compete in the 1932 Summer Olympics, where he placed fifth in the 400m hurdles and won a silver medal as a member of British 4x400m relay team.

As an athlete, Burghley was a very keen practitioner who placed matchboxes on hurdles and practised knocking over the matchboxes with his lead foot without touching the hurdle. In 1927, his final year at Magdalene, Cambridge, he amazed colleagues by sprinting around the Great Court at Trinity College in the time it took the college clock to toll 12 o'clock, inspiring the scene in the film Chariots of Fire (whose character Lord Andrew Lindsay is based upon Burghley) in which Harold Abrahams accomplishes the same feat. Lord Burghley did not allow his name to be used in the film because of the inaccurate historical depiction in the movie. There was never a race upon which Harold Abrahams beat Lord Burghley in this feat as the movie depicts. Burghley is also said to have set another unusual record by racing around the upper promenade deck of the Queen Mary in 57 seconds, dressed in everyday clothes.

Burghley later served as president of the Amateur Athletic Association for 40 years, president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation for 30 years and as a member of the International Olympic Committee for 48 years. He was also chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 1948 Summer Olympics.

Family

Lord Burghley married firstly in 1929, Lady Therese Montagu-Douglas-Scott (4 March 1904-1 June 1984), fourth daughter of John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and they were divorced in 1946. They had four children:

• Lady Davina Mary Cecil (b. 29 June 1931), married 1952 (divorced) John Vane, 11th Baron Barnard and had issue.
• John William Edward Cecil (1933–1934), died young.
• Lady Gillian Moyra Katherine Cecil (b. 8 March 1935), married 1stly 1954 (divorced 1978) Sir Giles Floyd, 7th Baronet and had issue, two sons. She then married 1979 George Michael Kertesz (d. 16 February 2007), and thirdly April 2008 Jeremy Smith.
• Lady Angela Mary Rose Cecil (b. 21 May 1938), married William Oswald and had issue.

He married secondly, the war widow Diana Henderson, granddaughter of Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon and had a daughter,

• Lady Victoria Diana Cecil (b. 28 June 1947), married to Simon Leatham with issue. She was the chatelaine of Burghley House from 1982 until 2007.

References