_Tennyson's Lord of Burleigh_ (Vol. iii., p. 493.).--The poem of "The
Lord of Burleigh" is founded upon a supposed romance connected with the
marriage of the late Marquis of Exeter with his second wife, Miss
Hoggins. This marriage has also formed the groundwork of a play entitled
_The Lord of Burghley_, published by Churton in 1845. The story of the
courtship and marriage perpetuated by this poem, may be found in the
_Illustrated London News_ of the 16th November, 1844, having been
copied into that paper from the _Guide to Burghley House_, pp. 36.,
published by Drakard in 1812.
A very slight tinge of romance attends the real facts of this union,
which took place when the late Marquis was Mr. Henry Cecil. The lady was
not of so lowly an origin as the fiction relates. Mr. Cecil did not
become the Lord of Burghley until the death of his uncle, the 9th Earl
of Exeter, two years after this marriage, up to which time he resided at
Bolas, Salop, the residence of his wife before her marriage, and there
the two eldest of their _four_ children were born. The Countess of
Exeter died greatly beloved and respected at the early age of
twenty-four, having been married nearly seven years.