Everything about Marquess Of Hartington totally explained
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the
Peerage of England held by members of the
aristocratic Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only by the
Earls of Derby and the
Marquesses of Salisbury. Although in modern usage the county of
Devon is now rarely called 'Devonshire', the title remained 'Duke of Devonshire'. Despite the title of the dukedom and the subsidiary title the earldom of Devonshire, the family estates centre in
Derbyshire. It is sometimes speculated that Derbyshire rather than Devonshire was intended on the original letters patent for the earldom, but no hard evidence supports this.
The Cavendish family descends from
Sir John Cavendish, who took his name from the village of
Cavendish, Suffolk, where he held an estate there in the
14th century. He served as
Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1372 to 1381, and was killed in the
Peasants' Revolt. Two of his great-grandsons were
George Cavendish,
Thomas Cardinal Wolsey's biographer, and George's younger brother
Sir William Cavendish. Sir William gained great wealth from his position in the
Exchequer and also, as it was alleged, from unfairly taking advantage of the
Dissolution of the Monasteries. He married as his second wife the famous
Bess of Hardwick, with whom he'd eight children. One of their sons, Sir Charles Cavendish (1553-1617), was the father of
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (see the
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne for more information on this branch of the family), while another son, Henry Cavendish, was the ancestor of the
Barons Waterpark. Yet another son,
William Cavendish, was a politician and a supporter of the colonialization of
Virginia. In 1605 he was raised to the peerage as
Baron Cavendish of Hardwicke and in 1618 he was further honoured when he was made
Earl of Devonshire. Both titles are in the
Peerage of England.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He served as
Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire and was a patron of the philosopher
Thomas Hobbes. On his early death the titles passed to his son, the third Earl. He was also Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire. He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl. He was a strong supporter of the
Glorious Revolution and later served under
William II and
Queen Mary as
Lord Steward of the Household. In 1694 he was created
Marquess of Hartington and
Duke of Devonshire in the Peerage of England. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Duke. He held political office as
Lord President of the Council and
Lord Privy Seal and was also Lord-Lieutenant of Devonshire. His eldest son, the third Duke, served as Lord Privy Seal, as Lord Steward of the Household and as
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.
On his death the titles passed to his eldest son, the fourth Duke, who was a prominent politician. He was summoned to the
House of Lords through a
writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Cavendish of Hardwicke in 1751 and served as
First Lord of the Treasury and titular
Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1756 to 1757. Devonshire married
Charlotte Boyle, 6th Baroness Clifford, daughter of the famous architect
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (on whose death in 1753 the earldom of Burlington became extinct). Their third and youngest son
Lord George Cavendish was created
Earl of Burlington in 1831. Devonshire was succeeded by his eldest son, the fifth Duke. He had already succeeded his mother as seventh
Baron Clifford in 1754. He served as Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire from 1782 to 1811 but is best remembered for his first marriage to
Lady Georgiana Spencer, the celebrated beauty and society hostess. Because of this marriage, when
Prince William becomes king, the family will be related, although very distant, to the royal family. Since Georgiana was daughter of
John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer who is a direct ancestor to
Diana, Princess of Wales and thereby William.
Their only son, the sixth Duke, served as
Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 1827 to 1828 and from 1830 to 1834. Known as the "Bachelor Duke", he never married and on his death in 1858 the barony of Clifford fell into abeyance between his sisters. He was succeeded in the other titles by his first cousin once removed, the second Earl of Burlington, who became the seventh Duke (see the
Earl of Burlington for earlier history of this branch of the family). He was the son of
William Cavendish, eldest son of the aforementioned first Earl of Burlington, youngest son of the fourth Duke. He was
Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire and Derbyshire and Chancellor of the
University of London and of the
University of Cambridge. He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the eighth Duke. He was a noted statesman and the most famous member of the Cavendish family. Known under his
courtesy title of Marquess of Hartington until 1891, he held political office for a period spanning 40 years, notably as
Secretary of State for India and as
Secretary of State for War, and three times declined to become
Prime Minister. He married
Louisa, Dowager Duchess of Manchester, who became known as the "Double Duchess".
Devonshire died childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the ninth Duke. He was the eldest son of
Lord Edward Cavendish, third son of the seventh Duke. He was a
Conservative politician and served as
Governor General of Canada from 1916 to 1921 and as
Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1922 to 1924. His eldest son, the tenth Duke, was also a Conservative politician and served as
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, as
Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma and as
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. His eldest son and heir apparent
William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, married
Kathleen Kennedy, daughter of
Joseph Kennedy and sister of the future
President of the United States,
John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Lord Hartington was killed in the
Second World War in 1944 shortly after the marriage. The couple had no children. Devonshire was therefore succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the eleventh Duke. He sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords and held political office under his uncle
Harold Macmillan and later
Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1960 to 1964. Devonshire married the Hon.
Deborah Mitford, the youngest of the famous
Mitford sisters. As of 2007 the titles are held by their second and only surviving son, the twelfth Duke, who succeeded in 2004.
Numerous other members of the Cavendish family have also gained distinction.
Lord Henry Cavendish, second son of the first Duke, was Member of Parliament for
Derby.
Lord James Cavendish, third son of the first Duke, also represented this constituency in the
House of Commons.
Lord Charles Cavendish, second son of the second Duke, was a politician and scientist. His son
Henry Cavendish was an influential scientist noted for his discovery of
hydrogen.
Lord James Cavendish, third son of the second Duke, was a soldier and briefly represented
Malton in Parliament.
Lord George Cavendish, second son of the third Duke, was a long-standing Member of Parliament and served as
Comptroller of the Household from 1761 to 1762.
Lord Frederick Cavendish, third son of the third Duke, was a
Field Marshal in the Army.
Lord John Cavendish, fourth son of the third Duke, was a politician and served as
Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1782 and 1783.
Lord Richard Cavendish, second son of the fourth Duke, represented
Lancaster and
Derbyshire in the House of Commons. Lady Dorothy Cavendish, daughter of the fourth Duke, married Prime Minister
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (who assumed the additional surname of Cavendish) and was an ancestor of
Queen Elizabeth II.
Augustus Clifford, illegitimate son by the fifth Duke and his mistress and later second wife
Elizabeth Hervey, was a naval commander and was created a Baronet in 1838 (see
Clifford Baronets).
William Cavendish, eldest son of the first Earl of Burlington and father of the seventh Duke, represented
Aylesbury and Derby in Parliament.
George Henry Compton Cavendish, second son of the first Earl of Burlington, was Member of Parliament for Aylesbury. The Hon.
Henry Frederick Compton Cavendish, third son of the first Earl of Burlington, was a
General in the Army. The Hon.
Charles Compton Cavendish, fourth son of the first Earl of Burlington, was created
Baron Chesham in 1858.
Lord Frederick Cavendish, third son of the seventh Duke, was a
Liberal politician. He had just been appointed
Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1882 when he was assassinated by nationalists in
Phoenix Park,
Dublin. His wife
Lady Lucy Cavendish was a pioneer of women's education.
Lord Edward Cavendish, fourth and youngest son of the seventh Duke, sat as Member of Parliament for several constituencies. His second son
Lord Richard Cavendish represented
North Lonsdale in Parliament. In 1911 he was one of the proposed recipients of peerages in case the
Parliament Act wasn't accepted by the House of Lords. His grandson
Hugh Cavendish was created a
life peer as Baron Cavendish of Furness in 1990.
Lady Dorothy Cavendish, daughter of the ninth Duke, was the wife of Prime Minister
Harold Macmillan.
The Duke of Devonshire's eldest son may use the
courtesy title Marquess of Hartington, whilst the eldest son of the eldest son may use the title
Earl of Burlington; any sons he may have would use the title
Lord Cavendish.
The family seats are
Chatsworth House,
Bolton Abbey and
Lismore Castle in
Co Waterford, in the
Republic of Ireland. The family previously owned
Londesborough Hall,
Yorkshire,
Hardwick Hall,
Derbyshire, and the
London seat of
Devonshire House,
Piccadilly.
Earls of Devonshire (1618)
Dukes of Devonshire (1694)
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire (1640–1707)
William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire (1673–1729)
William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire (1698–1755)
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (1720–1764)
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (1748–1811). See also his wives: Georgiana and Elizabeth
William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790–1858)
William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire (1808–1891)
Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (1833–1908)
Victor Christian William Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire (1868–1938)
Edward William Spencer Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire (1895–1950)
Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire (1920–2004)
Peregrine Andrew Mornay Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire (b. 1944)
The Heir Apparent is the present holder's only son William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington (b. 1969)
Earls of Devon
The earldom of Devonshire was originally granted as a recreation of the title of Earl of Devon, then held to be extinct; but which was found to have been in existence de jure in 1831. These are held by different families, and are now held to be distinct titles.
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