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William Cecil, Lord Burghley, And Managing With The Men-Of-Business, Norman L. Jones

History Faculty Publications

Michael Graves taught us to think of parliamentary management done through the parliamentary ‘men-of-business’, gentlemen with close ties to powerful men in the privy council. This article asks how ‘men-of-business’ were managed by Elizabeth's head manager, Lord Burghley. Choosing justices of the peace was a complex, fraught activity, and one which Lord Burghley did with a great deal of care. However, despite his best efforts to have only men of probity and proper religious inclinations, he was hampered by local concerns. Managing the men-of-business meant careful awareness of their places, their connections, and their independence. Burghley was managing shared governance, …