Welbeck Abbey
Encyclopedia
Welbeck Abbey near Clumber Park
in North Nottinghamshire
was the principal abbey
of the Premonstratensian
order in England and later the principal residence of the Dukes of Portland.
The Abbey's estate was first mentioned in the Domesday Book
, where it is recorded as belonging to one Hugh FitzBaldric. Thomas de Cuckney founded a religious house there in 1140. It was an abbey of Premonstratensian
canons, dedicated to St James the Great
. The abbey was enriched by liberal gifts from the Goushills, D’Eyncourts, Bassets, and other families of Nottinghamshire
; and it also received a considerable grant from King Edward I
.
In 1393 the abbey came under serious investigation by King Richard II.
With so much wealth at his disposal, the Abbot of Welbeck was an influential man, and in 1512 all the houses of the order in England were placed under his care.
In 1538, the abbot, Richard Bentley was awarded a pension of £50 (£ as of ),, and the 17 canons received pensions of between £40 and £4 (£ as of ), and (£ as of ), a year.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, the site was granted by Henry VIII
to Richard Whalley, of Screveton. After being owned by a City of London
clothier, the abbey was purchased by Gilbert, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
for the sum of £555 6s 6d (£ as of ),, in 1599, and then sold to Sir Charles Cavendish, son of Bess of Hardwick
in 1607. It then passed to Sir Charles's son William Cavendish, later first Duke of Newcastle
. Members of the Cavendish family converted it into a country house
and added a riding house in the 17th century to the design of Robert Smythson
and his son John Smythson. Only a few basements and inner walls were retained from the original fabric of the former Abbey buildings.
Welbeck became the principal family seat of the early Dukes of Newcastle
. In the 18th century, it passed through an heiress into the Bentinck family and became the main seat of the Earls and Dukes of Portland
.
The 5th Duke of Portland
undertook what are considered the most substantial building works at Welbeck.
The kitchen gardens covered 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) and were surrounded by high walls with recesses behind them in which brazier
s could be placed to hasten the ripening of fruit. One of the walls, a peach wall, measured over 1000 feet (304.8 m) in length.
An immense new riding house was built which was 396' long, 108' wide and 50' high,'At the time it was the second largest riding house in the world, exceeded only by the huge Manege adjacent to the Kremlin in Moscow'. Nearby was a tan gallops of 422 yards (385.9 m). It was lit by 4,000 gas jets and was heated to enable training at night and in winter. The 'Tan Gallops' is named after the spongy oak chips that covered its floor. They were a by-product from leather tanning and a good surface for the horses to run on.
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A longer and more elaborate tunnel, one and a half miles long and intended as a carriage drive broad enough for two carriages to pass, led towards Worksop. This was abandoned in the late nineteenth century when the section of the tunnel forming part of the lake dam failed. Remaining stretches of tunnel survive on either side of the lake. The sites of skylights can be seen from the Robin Hood Way
footpath which follows the course of the tunnel, and a masonry tunnel entrance can be seen between two lodges at the northeastern limit of the park.
The 5th Duke also excavated underground chambers. The largest is a great hall, 160 feet (48.8 m) long and 63 feet (19.2 m) wide and originally intended as a chapel, then used as a picture gallery and occasionally as a ballroom. There is also a suite of five adjacent rooms constructed to house the Duke's Library. Although often cited as being "underground", these apartments are strictly "below ground", as they are not covered by earth or lawn; the flat roofs and skylights are visible in aerial photographs, although at ground level they are concealed from most directions by shrubbery.
The Duke also made many alterations to the house above ground. A vast amount of plumbing was done with elaborate new bathrooms made and a great many new pipes laid. New lodges were built at different entrances to the Park.
This work cost prodigious sums and involved the employment of thousands of men - masons, bricklayers, joiners, plumbers, navvies etc. While there were disputes from time to time (wages, hours, etc.) the Duke personally got on very well with his employees and earned the nickname 'the workman's friend'. He created employment in the district both for the skilled and the unskilled.
The House was repaired and brought into full occupation by 6th Duke
, and became notable as a centre of late Victorian and Edwardian upper-class "society". The Duke was a keen horse-owner, and the almhouses he constructed on the estate are known as the Winnings, because they were funded from the proceeds of money won by his horses in seven "high purse" races from 1888-1890.
The Oxford Wing of the Abbey, which contained some of the oldest parts of the building, burned down in October 1900 although most of the contents were saved from the fire. The wing was rebuilt to the designs of Ernest George
by 1905.
Between 1914 and 1919 the kitchen block was used as an army hospital.
After the Second World War, Welbeck was leased by the Dukes of Portland to the Ministry of Defence and was used as an army training college, 'Welbeck College
' until 2005.
in 1930-31. This was built to a design by Walter Brierley
but executed after Brierley's death by his partner James Hervey Rutherford.
and his Duchess
,. Parente served as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
in 2003-04.
Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck
, the elder daughter of the 7th Duke, lived at Welbeck Woodhouse, and owned most of the 17000 acres (68.8 km²) estate, up until her death on December 29, 2008.
The family-controlled Welbeck Estates company and the charitable Harley Foundation have converted various buildings on the estate to new uses, and there is general public access to these from the A60 road on the western side of the estate. These include the Dukeries Garden Centre within the original estate glasshouses, The School of Artisan Food in the former Fire Stables, Harley Gallery and Foundation - http://www.harleygallery.co.uk and the Welbeck Farm shop in the former estate gasworks, and a range of craft workshops, designed by John Outram in a former kitchen garden.
The Farm Shops sells unpasteurised Stichelton
cheese, made from organic milk from a herd of Holstein-Friesian cows at Collingthwaite Farm on the estate. Stichelton is the first organic raw milk blue cheese produced in Britain since the late 1960s, as Stilton
is now required to be pasteurised.
The Harley Gallery, managed by the Harley Foundation trust, shows a combination of contemporary arts and crafts together with changing displays of items from the Cavendish-Bentick family art collections (now known as The Portland Collection).
As the estate remains privately owned, pedestrian access across the rest of the Welbeck estate is confined to footpaths forming part of the Robin Hood Way.
Clumber Park
Clumber Park is a country park in the Dukeries near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, England. It was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle.It is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.-History:...
in North Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
was the principal abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of the Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
order in England and later the principal residence of the Dukes of Portland.
Monastic period
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, where it is recorded as belonging to one Hugh FitzBaldric. Thomas de Cuckney founded a religious house there in 1140. It was an abbey of Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
canons, dedicated to St James the Great
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
. The abbey was enriched by liberal gifts from the Goushills, D’Eyncourts, Bassets, and other families of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
; and it also received a considerable grant from King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
.
In 1393 the abbey came under serious investigation by King Richard II.
Pardon to William Broun of Norton by Welbeck of suit of the King’s peace for felonies, treasons and other offences under the following circumstances: Robert Veel, keeper of the rolls of the King’s Bench, and John Wynchecombe, appointed by the king to take carts for the carriage of the rolls, being directed on Saturday before the feast of St Katherine last by Walter CloptonWalter CloptonSir Walter Clopton was an English lawyer, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1388 until his death in 1400. Little is known of his origin and early years, but he was probably from Clapton, near Crewkerne in Somerset. His first appearance in the records is in 1376, as king's serjeant...
, Chief Justice, and other justices to carry the said rolls from YorkOrkOrk or ORK may refer to:*ORK, the IATA airport code for Cork Airport in Ireland*An alternate spelling of Orc, the name of a fantasy creature popularized by J. R. R...
to NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, where upon by reason
of excessive rainfall affecting the roads, they could not without additional horses reach NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, where upon by virtue of their commission and the justices order they took at Norton aforesaid two horses of John Levet and John Turnour of Norton, to be paid for in due course. There upon the said William Broun, John Northeryn, Robert Bocher, all of Norton, and Hugh Matt, servant of John Baukwell, Abbot of Welbeck, with divers other evil doers came armed with bows and arrows, sticks and swords, and at dusk of the same day raised all the men of Norton to insurrection, pursued the said Robert and John to Warsop and instigated by Simon de Castleton, canon of Welbeck, and John Worsop, vicar of Cuckney and canon of Welbeck, assaulted them, shot at and pierced the books in the carriage and took the horses, and would have carried the same away but that by the grace of God and their help they made too good a defence.
With so much wealth at his disposal, the Abbot of Welbeck was an influential man, and in 1512 all the houses of the order in England were placed under his care.
In 1538, the abbot, Richard Bentley was awarded a pension of £50 (£ as of ),, and the 17 canons received pensions of between £40 and £4 (£ as of ), and (£ as of ), a year.
Abbots of Welbeck Abbey
- Berengar, occurs between 1153 and 1169
- Adam, occurs between 1183 and 1194
- Richard, occurs between 1194 and 1224
- William, occurs 1229, 1236, 1243
- Richard, occurs 1250, 1252, 1256-7
- Adam, occurs 1263, 1272, 1276
- Thomas, occurs 1281, 1292
- John de Duckmanton, 1309
- John de Cestrefeld, 1310
- William de Kendall, 1316
- John de Nottingham, 1322
- William de Aslakeden, 1335
- Robert Spalding, 1341
- John de Wirksop, 1349
- Hugh de Langley, 1360
- George de Gamelston, occurs 1369, 1383, 1387
- William de Staveley, occurs 1389
- John Bankwell, occurs 1393
- John de Norton, occurs 1412, dies 1450
- John GreeneJohn GreeneJohn Greene may refer to:* John Greene , early settler and co-founder of Warwick, Rhode Island* John Greene, Jr. Deputy Governor of Rhode Island...
, 1450 - William Burton, occurs 1475, 1482
- John Lancaster alias Acastre, occurs 1488, 1491
- John Copper, occurs 1492
- Thomas Wydur, occurs 1494, 1497, 1500
- Robert, occurs 1502
- Thomas Wilkinson, 1503
- John Maxey, 1520, died 1536
- Richard Bentley, surrendered 1538
Country house
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the site was granted by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to Richard Whalley, of Screveton. After being owned by a City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
clothier, the abbey was purchased by Gilbert, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was...
for the sum of £555 6s 6d (£ as of ),, in 1599, and then sold to Sir Charles Cavendish, son of Bess of Hardwick
Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
in 1607. It then passed to Sir Charles's son William Cavendish, later first Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
. Members of the Cavendish family converted it into a country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
and added a riding house in the 17th century to the design of Robert Smythson
Robert Smythson
Robert Smythson was an English architect. Smythson designed a number of notable houses during the Elizabethan era. Little is known about his birth and upbringing—his first mention in historical records comes in 1556, when he was stonemason for the house at Longleat, built by Sir John Thynne...
and his son John Smythson. Only a few basements and inner walls were retained from the original fabric of the former Abbey buildings.
Welbeck became the principal family seat of the early Dukes of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
. In the 18th century, it passed through an heiress into the Bentinck family and became the main seat of the Earls and Dukes of Portland
Earl of Portland
Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, first in 1633 and again in 1689.-First creation :The title of Earl of Portland was first created for the politician Richard Weston, 1st Baron Weston, in 1633...
.
The 5th Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland
William John Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland , styled Lord William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck before 1824 and Marquess of Titchfield between 1824 and 1854, was a British aristocratic eccentric who preferred to live in seclusion...
undertook what are considered the most substantial building works at Welbeck.
The kitchen gardens covered 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) and were surrounded by high walls with recesses behind them in which brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
s could be placed to hasten the ripening of fruit. One of the walls, a peach wall, measured over 1000 feet (304.8 m) in length.
An immense new riding house was built which was 396' long, 108' wide and 50' high,'At the time it was the second largest riding house in the world, exceeded only by the huge Manege adjacent to the Kremlin in Moscow'. Nearby was a tan gallops of 422 yards (385.9 m). It was lit by 4,000 gas jets and was heated to enable training at night and in winter. The 'Tan Gallops' is named after the spongy oak chips that covered its floor. They were a by-product from leather tanning and a good surface for the horses to run on.
Tunnels
There was a tunnel over one thousand yards in length, leading from the house to the riding school and wide enough for several people to walk side by side. Parallel to this tunnel was another, more roughly constructed, which was used by workmen.A longer and more elaborate tunnel, one and a half miles long and intended as a carriage drive broad enough for two carriages to pass, led towards Worksop. This was abandoned in the late nineteenth century when the section of the tunnel forming part of the lake dam failed. Remaining stretches of tunnel survive on either side of the lake. The sites of skylights can be seen from the Robin Hood Way
Robin Hood Way
The Robin Hood Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in the Midlands of England in the United Kingdom.-The route:The Robin Hood way commemorates the famous folklore figure Robin Hood and starts from Nottingham Castle running to Edwinstowe....
footpath which follows the course of the tunnel, and a masonry tunnel entrance can be seen between two lodges at the northeastern limit of the park.
The 5th Duke also excavated underground chambers. The largest is a great hall, 160 feet (48.8 m) long and 63 feet (19.2 m) wide and originally intended as a chapel, then used as a picture gallery and occasionally as a ballroom. There is also a suite of five adjacent rooms constructed to house the Duke's Library. Although often cited as being "underground", these apartments are strictly "below ground", as they are not covered by earth or lawn; the flat roofs and skylights are visible in aerial photographs, although at ground level they are concealed from most directions by shrubbery.
The Duke also made many alterations to the house above ground. A vast amount of plumbing was done with elaborate new bathrooms made and a great many new pipes laid. New lodges were built at different entrances to the Park.
This work cost prodigious sums and involved the employment of thousands of men - masons, bricklayers, joiners, plumbers, navvies etc. While there were disputes from time to time (wages, hours, etc.) the Duke personally got on very well with his employees and earned the nickname 'the workman's friend'. He created employment in the district both for the skilled and the unskilled.
Disrepair and restoration
By 1879 Welbeck was in a state of disrepair. The only rooms habitable were the four or five rooms used by the 5th Duke in the west wing. All the rooms were painted pink, with parquet floors, all bare and without furniture, except that almost every room had a 'convenience' in the corner.The House was repaired and brought into full occupation by 6th Duke
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
, and became notable as a centre of late Victorian and Edwardian upper-class "society". The Duke was a keen horse-owner, and the almhouses he constructed on the estate are known as the Winnings, because they were funded from the proceeds of money won by his horses in seven "high purse" races from 1888-1890.
The Oxford Wing of the Abbey, which contained some of the oldest parts of the building, burned down in October 1900 although most of the contents were saved from the fire. The wing was rebuilt to the designs of Ernest George
Ernest George
Sir Ernest George RA was an English architect, landscape and architectural watercolour painter, and etcher.-Life and work:...
by 1905.
Between 1914 and 1919 the kitchen block was used as an army hospital.
After the Second World War, Welbeck was leased by the Dukes of Portland to the Ministry of Defence and was used as an army training college, 'Welbeck College
Welbeck College
Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College is a selective sixth form college in Woodhouse, Leicestershire, England, providing A-Level education for candidates to the technical branches of the British Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence civil service and privately funded students.Welbeck is located near...
' until 2005.
Welbeck Woodhouse
A smaller house known as Welbeck Woodhouse was built on the northern side of the estate for the then Marquess of TitchfieldWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland
William Arthur Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland KG , known as Marquess of Titchfield until 1943, was a British Conservative Party politician....
in 1930-31. This was built to a design by Walter Brierley
Walter Brierley
Walter Henry Brierley was a York architect whopractised in the city for 40 years. He is known as "the Yorkshire Lutyens".He is also credited with being an exponent of the "Wrenaissance" style - incorporating elements of Christopher Wren....
but executed after Brierley's death by his partner James Hervey Rutherford.
Welbeck today
The descendents of the Cavendish Bentinck family still live on the estate. Since the MoD moved out in 2005, the Abbey itself has been the home of William Parente, the only grandchild of the 7th Duke of PortlandWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland
William Arthur Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland KG , known as Marquess of Titchfield until 1943, was a British Conservative Party politician....
and his Duchess
Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland
Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland DBE , born Ivy Gordon-Lennox, was Duchess of Portland from 1943 to 1977 and afterwards Dowager Duchess. She founded the Harley Foundation, "to encourage creativity"....
,. Parente served as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
’The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
in 2003-04.
Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck
Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck
Lady Alexandra Margaret Anne Cavendish-Bentinck was a member of the British nobility and one of the richest landowners in the country. Her father was William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland, a British Conservative politician. The Duke was also known as "Chopper" for the wooden house he...
, the elder daughter of the 7th Duke, lived at Welbeck Woodhouse, and owned most of the 17000 acres (68.8 km²) estate, up until her death on December 29, 2008.
The family-controlled Welbeck Estates company and the charitable Harley Foundation have converted various buildings on the estate to new uses, and there is general public access to these from the A60 road on the western side of the estate. These include the Dukeries Garden Centre within the original estate glasshouses, The School of Artisan Food in the former Fire Stables, Harley Gallery and Foundation - http://www.harleygallery.co.uk and the Welbeck Farm shop in the former estate gasworks, and a range of craft workshops, designed by John Outram in a former kitchen garden.
The Farm Shops sells unpasteurised Stichelton
Stichelton
Stichelton is an English blue cheese. It is similar to Blue Stilton cheese, except that it does not use pasteurised milk or factory produced rennet. Randolph Hodgson of Neal's Yard Dairy and American Joe Schneider produce Stichelton in small batches in a dairy on the northern edge of Sherwood...
cheese, made from organic milk from a herd of Holstein-Friesian cows at Collingthwaite Farm on the estate. Stichelton is the first organic raw milk blue cheese produced in Britain since the late 1960s, as Stilton
Stilton
Stilton is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, and within the historic county boundary of Huntingdonshire.-Geography:Stilton lies south of the city of Peterborough. It lies on the old Great North Road, from London and was an important coaching stop in the days before motorised transport. It...
is now required to be pasteurised.
The Harley Gallery, managed by the Harley Foundation trust, shows a combination of contemporary arts and crafts together with changing displays of items from the Cavendish-Bentick family art collections (now known as The Portland Collection).
As the estate remains privately owned, pedestrian access across the rest of the Welbeck estate is confined to footpaths forming part of the Robin Hood Way.
List of owners and occupiers
- ca 1086 Hugh FitzBaldric
- 1140 - 1538 PremonstratensianPremonstratensianThe Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
canons in the Abbey of St. James - 1538 - 1558 Richard Whalley of Screveton
- 1558 - 1595 Edward Osborne of London, citizen and clothworker
- 1595 - 1599 Robert Booth and Ranulph Catterall
- 1599 - 1607 Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of ShrewsburyGilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of ShrewsburyGilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was...
and Mary Talbot, Countess of ShrewsburyMary Talbot, Countess of ShrewsburyMary Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury was the wife of Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury.-Family:Born Mary Cavendish, she was the daughter of Sir William Cavendish, who died when she was about a year old, and his wife Bess of Hardwick. By all accounts, Mary inherited her mother's strong will and... - 1607 - 1617 Sir Charles Cavendish
- 1617 - 1676 William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- 1676 - 1691 Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- 1691 - 1711 John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Lady Margaret Cavendish
- 1711 - 1734 Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl MortimerEdward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl MortimerEdward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer , styled Lord Harley between 1711 and 1724, was a British politician, bibliophile, collector and patron of the arts.-Background:...
and Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles - 1734 - 1785 William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of PortlandWilliam Bentinck, 2nd Duke of PortlandWilliam Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland KG , styled Viscount Woodstock from 1709 to 1715 and Marquess of Titchfield from 1715 to 1726, was a British peer....
and Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of PortlandMargaret Bentinck, Duchess of PortlandMargaret Cavendish Bentinck, Duchess of Portland , styled Lady Margaret Harley before 1734, Duchess of Portland from 1734 to her husband's death in 1761, and Dowager Duchess of Portland from 1761 until her own death in 1785... - 1785 - 1809 William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of PortlandWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of PortlandWilliam Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, KG, PC was a British Whig and Tory statesman, Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Prime Minister. He was known before 1762 by the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield. He held a title of every degree of British nobility—Duke,...
- 1809 - 1854 William Bentinck, 4th Duke of PortlandWilliam Bentinck, 4th Duke of PortlandWilliam Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland PC, FRS, FSA , styled Marquess of Titchfield until 1809, was a British politician who served in various positions in the governments of George Canning and Lord Goderich.-Background and education:Portland was the eldest son of...
- 1854 - 1879 William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of PortlandWilliam Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of PortlandWilliam John Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland , styled Lord William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck before 1824 and Marquess of Titchfield between 1824 and 1854, was a British aristocratic eccentric who preferred to live in seclusion...
- 1879 - 1943 William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
- 1943 - 1977 William Arthur Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland and Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of PortlandIvy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of PortlandIvy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland DBE , born Ivy Gordon-Lennox, was Duchess of Portland from 1943 to 1977 and afterwards Dowager Duchess. She founded the Harley Foundation, "to encourage creativity"....
- 1977 - 2008 Lady Anne Cavendish-BentinckLady Anne Cavendish-BentinckLady Alexandra Margaret Anne Cavendish-Bentinck was a member of the British nobility and one of the richest landowners in the country. Her father was William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland, a British Conservative politician. The Duke was also known as "Chopper" for the wooden house he...
- 1943 - 2005 Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(leasing the majority of the abbey from the 7th Duke and his successors) - 1992–Present Parente and BentinckBentinckthumb|[[Welbeck Abbey]] thumb|Schoonheten House thumb|[[Bothal Castle]]The Bentinck family is a prominent family belonging to both Dutch and British nobility. Its members have served in the armed forces and as ambassadors and politicians, including Governor General of India and Prime Minister of...
families (family of the 7th Duke, occupying part of the abbey)