Although the Cavendish
family estates are centred in
Derbyshire, they hold the titles of "Duke of
Devonshire" and their subsidiary title of
earldom of Devonshire (neither peerage is related to the ancient title of
Earl of Devon). The first Earl may have chosen "Devonshire" simply because places and lands he was associated with were already attached to existing peerages at the
College of Arms. The title remains associated with "Devonshire" even though in modern usage it is the
county of
Devon. Another reason for the choice of a non-local or regional name was to avoid antagonising the powerful
Stanley family from the
Midlands who had strong associations with Derbyshire since their ancestors had been gifted estates in the county by
William the Conqueror, and they had also been the
Earls of Derby since the late 15th century. (See
British peerage ranks.) Every Duke of Devonshire has so far been appointed a
Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, except () the present one.
Cavendish knights, and the 1st Earl of Devonshire briefly Prime Minister between 1756 and 1757. The Cavendish family descends from
Sir John Cavendish, who took his name from the village of
Cavendish, Suffolk, where he held an estate 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 in 1381. Two of his great-grandsons were
George Cavendish,
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's biographer, and George's younger brother
Sir William Cavendish. Sir William gained great wealth from his position in the
Exchequer and also (allegedly) from unfairly taking advantage of the
dissolution of the Monasteries. He married (1547) as his third wife the famous
Bess of Hardwick, with whom he had eight children. One of their sons, Sir Charles Cavendish (1553–1617), was the father of
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1592–1676; see
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 (1552–1626), was a politician and a supporter of the colonization of
Virginia. In 1605 he was raised to the peerage as
Baron Cavendish, of Hardwicke in the County of Derby, and in 1618 he was further honoured when he was made
Earl of Devonshire. Both titles are in the
Peerage of England.
The 2nd Earl of Devonshire and the first five Dukes of Devonshire He was succeeded by his eldest son,
William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire, who served as
Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire and was a patron of the philosopher
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679). On his early death in 1628 the titles passed to his son,
William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire, who also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire. He was succeeded by his son, the
fourth Earl. He was a strong supporter of the
Glorious Revolution of 1688 and later served under
William III and
Mary II 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, who 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 (from 1737 to 1745) 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 recreated
Earl of Burlington in 1831. Devonshire was succeeded by his eldest son,
William Cavendish, who became the fifth Duke of Devonshire. 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 (1774) to
Lady Georgiana Spencer (1757–1806), the celebrated beauty and society hostess.
The sixth, seventh and eighth Dukes 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. The eighth Duke 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
Louise, Dowager Duchess of Manchester, who became known as the "Double Duchess".
The ninth, tenth and eleventh Dukes (c.1916–1921) 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 elder son, the tenth Duke, also a Conservative politician, 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. He married
Lady Mary Gascoyne-Cecil, who was
Mistress of the Robes to
Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1966. Their elder 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 and only 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 under
Alec Douglas-Home) from 1960 to 1964. Devonshire married the Hon.
Deborah Mitford, the youngest of the famous
Mitford sisters. As of 2022, the titles are held by their second and only surviving son,
Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, who succeeded in 2004. The ninth and tenth dukes both served as
Chancellor of the
University of Leeds.
Other notable members of the Cavendish family Numerous other members of the Cavendish family have also gained distinction.
Lord Henry Cavendish (1673–1700), second son of the first Duke, was Member of Parliament for
Derby.
Lord James Cavendish (died 1751), third son of the first Duke, also represented this constituency in the
House of Commons.
Lord Charles Cavendish (1704–1783), second son of the second Duke, was a politician and scientist. His son
Henry Cavendish (1731–1810) was an influential scientist noted for his discovery of
hydrogen.
Lord James Cavendish (1701–1741), third son of the second Duke, was a soldier and briefly represented
Malton in Parliament.
Lord George Cavendish (died 1794), 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. , the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Devonshire
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).
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 Frederick (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 Bill that was to become the
Parliament Act 1911 was not 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.
Courtesy titles and family seats 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, and his eldest son may use the title
Lord Cavendish. , Cavendish family plot with the graves of the Dukes of Devonshire The family seats are
Chatsworth House,
Bolton Abbey in
Yorkshire, and
Lismore Castle in
County Waterford, in the
Republic of Ireland.
Compton Place in
Eastbourne belongs to the family (which developed Eastbourne as a seaside resort in the 19th century) but is let. In 1908
Holker Hall, then in
Lancashire, now in
Cumbria, was left to a junior branch of the family. The family previously owned
Londesborough Hall,
Yorkshire;
Hardwick Hall,
Derbyshire;
Chiswick House,
Middlesex. In 1907 the Duke owned 192,322 acres across the
British Isles, principally in
Derbyshire,
Yorkshire,
County Cork and
County Waterford. The traditional burial place of the Dukes of Devonshire is at
St Peter's Church, Edensor, in the closest village to
Chatsworth House. The ducal graves can be found on the highest spot of Edensor's churchyard in the Cavendish family plot.
London residences The family historically occupied two
London mansions on
Piccadilly:
Burlington House, and the palatial
Devonshire House.
Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire sold Devonshire House in 1920 for £750,000 to the industrialists Shurmer Sibthorpe and Lawrence Harrison, who subsequently demolished the house to make way for hotel and block of flats. Following the sale of Devonshire House the family's London residence was No. 2
Carlton Gardens from the early 1920s until it was badly damaged during the Second World War. During the final months of his life
Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire purchased a new London residence at No. 19
Hill Street, Mayfair. This house was subsequently sold by
Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire in 1952 due to the substantial death duties levied on the estate after the death of his father
Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire in 1950. which remained as his London home for the remainder of his life. Following his death in May 2004, the house was reportedly offered for sale in July 2004 with an asking price of £1.75 million. ==Earls of Devonshire (1618)==