Cecil Papers

The Cecil Papers are a privately held archive, consisting principally of the correspondence of William Cecil, Lord Burghley (1520-1598) and his son, Robert, the 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563-1612). These two men dominated the administration of government during the reign of Elizabeth I, to the extent that critics suggested that England was becoming a regnum Cecilianum. The collection documents their various official roles.

The Cecil Papers database offers full-color images digitized directly from the original Cecil Papers manuscripts at Hatfield House Archives. Also included is a digitized version of the Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Marquess of Salisbury, an essential bibliographic tool that provides descriptive records for each document, including many full transcriptions, extracts, and summary abstracts.

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Trial expires: Tuesday, December 13, 2011