William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire
Encyclopedia
William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire (c. 1590 – 20 June 1628) was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons
from 1614 until 1626 when he succeeded to the peerage and sat in the House of Lords
.
, by his first wife Anne Keighley. He was educated by Thomas Hobbes
, the philosopher, who lived at Chatsworth as his private tutor for many years. He was knighted at Whitehall in 1609. He was accompanied by Hobbes on the Grand Tour
from about 1610, when he visited France and Italy before his coming of age. He was a leader of court society, and an intimate friend of James I, and Hobbes praised his learning in the dedication of his translation of Thucydides
.
In 1614, Cavendish was elected Member of Parliament
for Derbyshire
. He became Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
in 1619. In 1621 he was re-elected MP for Derbyshire. In April 1622 he introduced to audiences with the king Schwarzenburg, ambassador from the Emperor Ferdinand
, Valerssio from Venice, and d'Arsennes and Joachimi from the United Provinces
. He was re-elected MP for Derbyshire in 1624 and 1625. In 1625 he was present at Charles I's marriage with Henrietta Maria. He was high bailiff of Tutbury in 1626 and was re-elected MP for Derbyshire in 1626, until the death of his father early in 1626 gave him a seat in the House of Lords
. In the Lords, he resisted George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
's attempt to find a treasonable meaning on a speech of Sir Dudley Digges (13 May 1626).
Cavendish's spending strained his resources, and he procured a private act of parliament to enable him to sell some of the entailed estates in discharge of his debts in 1628. His London house was in Bishopsgate
, on the site afterwards occupied by Devonshire Square.
Cavendish died at his London house, from over-indulgence it was said, at the age of about 35 and was buried in Allhallows Church, Derby.
, on 10 April 1608. They had three children:
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
from 1614 until 1626 when he succeeded to the peerage and sat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Life
Cavendish was the second son of William Cavendish, 1st Earl of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire was an English politician and courtier.-Life:The second son of Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick, he was educated with the children of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, whom his mother married after his father's death. She made him a rich...
, by his first wife Anne Keighley. He was educated by Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy...
, the philosopher, who lived at Chatsworth as his private tutor for many years. He was knighted at Whitehall in 1609. He was accompanied by Hobbes on the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
from about 1610, when he visited France and Italy before his coming of age. He was a leader of court society, and an intimate friend of James I, and Hobbes praised his learning in the dedication of his translation of Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
.
In 1614, Cavendish was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Derbyshire
Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Derbyshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
. He became Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire. Since 1689, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Derbyshire.*Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon...
in 1619. In 1621 he was re-elected MP for Derbyshire. In April 1622 he introduced to audiences with the king Schwarzenburg, ambassador from the Emperor Ferdinand
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
, Valerssio from Venice, and d'Arsennes and Joachimi from the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. He was re-elected MP for Derbyshire in 1624 and 1625. In 1625 he was present at Charles I's marriage with Henrietta Maria. He was high bailiff of Tutbury in 1626 and was re-elected MP for Derbyshire in 1626, until the death of his father early in 1626 gave him a seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In the Lords, he resisted George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
's attempt to find a treasonable meaning on a speech of Sir Dudley Digges (13 May 1626).
Cavendish's spending strained his resources, and he procured a private act of parliament to enable him to sell some of the entailed estates in discharge of his debts in 1628. His London house was in Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate is a road and ward in the northeast part of the City of London, extending north from Gracechurch Street to Norton Folgate. It is named after one of the original seven gates in London Wall...
, on the site afterwards occupied by Devonshire Square.
Cavendish died at his London house, from over-indulgence it was said, at the age of about 35 and was buried in Allhallows Church, Derby.
Family
Cavendish married Christian(a) Bruce, daughter of Edward Bruce, 1st Lord KinlossEdward Bruce, 1st Lord Kinloss
Edward Bruce, 1st Lord Kinloss PC was an Anglo-Scottish lawyer and judge.Kinloss was the second son of Edward Bruce of Blairhall and Alison Reid. He served as a Lord of Session from 1597 to 1603 and was created Lord Kinloss in 1602, with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever...
, on 10 April 1608. They had three children:
- Anne Cavendish (c. 1611–?), married Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of WarwickRobert Rich, 3rd Earl of WarwickRobert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick , was the son of Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick and Frances Hatton. His only son, also Robert, predeceased him by 15 months dying of consumption...
and had issue. - William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 3rd Earl of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire was the son of William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire....
(1617–1684) - Charles CavendishCharles Cavendish (general)Charles Cavendish was an English royalist general, killed at the battle of Gainsborough.-Life:He was second son of William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire and his wife Christiana, born on 30 May 1620, and named after Prince Charles, his godfather. In 1638 he was sent abroad to travel with a...
(1620–1643)