Charles Cecil John Manners was born 16 May 1815 in Belvoir Castle, England. Manners
attended Eton College, and later Cambridge University. He was elected as the Tory
representative from Stamford, a position he would hold until 1847. Manners then moved to North Leicestershire in 1852, where he was elected as Tory,
running unopposed. Although, Manners was considered far less politically able than
his brother, John James Manners. In 1848, Manners was made leader of the Protectionist Party, but resigned after only
two months,
conscious of his own inadequacy.
Manners then joined a trio leadership, but resigned in 1852. Manners then took the
title of Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, and in 1857 the title of Lord Lieutenant
of Leicestershire. In 1857, when his father died, Manners left his title of Marquess
of Granby to become the Eighth Duke of Rutland. Rutland was used as a character reference for
Douglas Campbell in 1858, who was applying for the position in the Cape Constabulary Force. Rutland was knighted in 1867. He died unwed on 4 March 1888, and was succeeded by
his brother John James Manners.