William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
Encyclopedia
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC (8 May 1720 – 2 October 1764), styled Lord Cavendish before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British
Whig statesman
who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great Britain
. He was the first son of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
and Catherine Hoskins.
for Derbyshire
in 1741 and 1747. Devonshire was a supporter of Sir Robert Walpole
and, after Walpole's fall from power, of the Pelhams. Henry Pelham
wrote to Devonshire's father that he was "our mainstay among the young ones, of themselves liable to wander".
Horace Walpole described him as "a favourite by descent of the Old Whigs" and "errant bigot to the Pelham faction as ever Jacques Clément
was to the Jesuits".
He had been offered the post of governor to the Prince of Wales
but he declined.
Pelham appointed him Master of the House, a post he held until 1755 and which necessitated his leaving the House of Commons for the House of Lords by writ of acceleration
as Baron Cavendish and joining the Privy Council. Devonshire supported the Duke of Newcastle after Henry Pelham's death in 1754 and was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
from 2 April 1755 until 3 January 1757 in Newcastle's administration. In April 1755 Devonshire was one of the Lords Justices of the realm upon the King's absence in Hanover.
Devonshire succeeded the dukedom in December 1755 after his father died.
The Seven Years War was going badly for Britain under the leadership of the Duke of Newcastle and when he resigned in October 1756, George II eventually asked Devonshire to form an administration. Devonshire accepted on the condition that his tenure would last only until the end of the parliamentary session. Devonshire believed his duty to the King required an administration capable of prosecuting the war successfully.
and appointed First Lord of the Treasury
(most historians consider him Prime Minister during this service) in November 1756, and he served as First Lord until May 1757 in an administration effectively run by William Pitt
. Devonshire's administration secured increased money for the war, troops were sent to America and a Militia Act was passed.
The administration was eventually brought down for a variety of reasons including the opposition of George II
and the alleged mishandling of the trial and execution of Admiral John Byng
. It was replaced by the Second Newcastle Ministry
headed by the Duke of Newcastle and including Pitt, Henry Fox
and the Duke of Bedford
. This government steered Britain through most of the Seven Years War leading the country to ultimate victory.
in Newcastle's government (with a seat in the inner Cabinet) and his relations with him were close. George II died in October 1760 and was succeeded by his grandson George III
, who was suspicious of Devonshire and Newcastle. When Newcastle resigned in May 1762 Devonshire said that he would rarely attend Lord Bute's Councils. When in October George III requested that he attend a Cabinet meeting on peace terms, Devonshire declined, claiming he had inadequate knowledge of the subject. On 28 October, travelling from Kew to London, the King overtook Devonshire and Newcastle's coach in the belief that the two dukes were plotting and that Devonshire was coming to tender his resignation. Devonshire in fact was passing through London to Chatsworth and had come to give his leave to the King. When Devonshire arrived, George III refused to see him, as he later wrote: "I ordered the page to tell him I would not see him, on which he bid him ask me with whom he should leave his wand...I said he would receive my orders...On the Duke of Devonshire's going away he said to the page, “God bless you, it will be very long before you see me here again”." At a meeting of the Privy Council four days later the King personally struck out Devonshire's name from the list of Privy Councillors. In the opinion of one of his biographers, John Brooke
, "Few things in King George III's long life show him in so poor a light".
in solidarity with Newcastle and Rockingham when they were dismissed from their Lord Lieutenancies.
He had long had a weak constitution and he gradually grew more ill during these years. He ultimately died in the Austrian Netherlands where he had gone to take the waters at Spa
. His death was a large political loss to his allies, the Whig magnates such as Duke of Newcastle. Dying at the age of 44 years and 147 days, he is the shortest lived British Prime Minister.
(1731–1754), the daughter and heiress of Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
of the 1st creation, a famous architect
and art
collector. Through her, the Devonshires inherited Chiswick House
and Burlington House
in London; Bolton Abbey
and Londesborough Hall
in Yorkshire; and Lismore Castle
in County Waterford
, Ireland
. The Duke employed Capability Brown
to landscape the garden and park at Chatsworth House
, his main residence. He hired James Paine to design the new stable block.
The Duke had four children:
Horace Walpole described Devonshire as possessing "an impatience to do everything, and a fear to do anything, he was always in a hurry to do nothing". Paul Langford
said Devonshire was "eminently sensible and highly respected" whose death "left a marked gap in the ranks" of the opposition and "effectively destroyed a generation in the ‘Old Whig’ leadership". Gerald Howat
summed up Devonshire's life:
Karl Wolfgang Schweizer says of Devonshire:
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
Whig statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great Britain
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. He was the first son of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC was a British nobleman and Whig politician, the son of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire and Hon. Rachel Russell....
and Catherine Hoskins.
Early career: 1741–1756
He was elected MPMember 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...
in 1741 and 1747. Devonshire was a supporter of Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
and, after Walpole's fall from power, of the Pelhams. Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
wrote to Devonshire's father that he was "our mainstay among the young ones, of themselves liable to wander".
Horace Walpole described him as "a favourite by descent of the Old Whigs" and "errant bigot to the Pelham faction as ever Jacques Clément
Jacques Clément
Jacques Clément was the assassin of the French king Henry III.He was born at Serbonnes, in today's Yonne département, in Burgundy, and became a Dominican lay brother....
was to the Jesuits".
He had been offered the post of governor to the Prince of Wales
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
but he declined.
Pelham appointed him Master of the House, a post he held until 1755 and which necessitated his leaving the House of Commons for the House of Lords by writ of acceleration
Writ of acceleration
A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, was a type of writ of summons to the British House of Lords that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with multiple peerage titles to attend the British House of Lords or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father's...
as Baron Cavendish and joining the Privy Council. Devonshire supported the Duke of Newcastle after Henry Pelham's death in 1754 and was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
from 2 April 1755 until 3 January 1757 in Newcastle's administration. In April 1755 Devonshire was one of the Lords Justices of the realm upon the King's absence in Hanover.
Devonshire succeeded the dukedom in December 1755 after his father died.
The Seven Years War was going badly for Britain under the leadership of the Duke of Newcastle and when he resigned in October 1756, George II eventually asked Devonshire to form an administration. Devonshire accepted on the condition that his tenure would last only until the end of the parliamentary session. Devonshire believed his duty to the King required an administration capable of prosecuting the war successfully.
Prime Minister: 1756–1757
Devonshire was given the GarterOrder of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
and appointed First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
(most historians consider him Prime Minister during this service) in November 1756, and he served as First Lord until May 1757 in an administration effectively run by William Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
. Devonshire's administration secured increased money for the war, troops were sent to America and a Militia Act was passed.
The administration was eventually brought down for a variety of reasons including the opposition of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and the alleged mishandling of the trial and execution of Admiral John Byng
John Byng
Admiral John Byng was a Royal Navy officer. After joining the navy at the age of thirteen he participated at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. Over the next thirty years he built up a reputation as a solid naval officer and received promotion to Vice-Admiral in 1747...
. It was replaced by the Second Newcastle Ministry
Second Newcastle Ministry
The Second Newcastle Ministry was a British government which served between 1757 and 1762, at the height of the Seven Years War. It was headed by the Duke of Newcastle, who was serving in his second term as Prime Minister...
headed by the Duke of Newcastle and including Pitt, Henry Fox
Henry Fox
Henry Fox may refer to:* Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland , British politician of the eighteenth century* Henry Edward Fox , British Army general* Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland...
and the Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, FRS was an 18th century British statesman. He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey...
. This government steered Britain through most of the Seven Years War leading the country to ultimate victory.
Lord Chamberlain: 1757–1762
Devonshire was Lord ChamberlainLord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
in Newcastle's government (with a seat in the inner Cabinet) and his relations with him were close. George II died in October 1760 and was succeeded by his grandson George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, who was suspicious of Devonshire and Newcastle. When Newcastle resigned in May 1762 Devonshire said that he would rarely attend Lord Bute's Councils. When in October George III requested that he attend a Cabinet meeting on peace terms, Devonshire declined, claiming he had inadequate knowledge of the subject. On 28 October, travelling from Kew to London, the King overtook Devonshire and Newcastle's coach in the belief that the two dukes were plotting and that Devonshire was coming to tender his resignation. Devonshire in fact was passing through London to Chatsworth and had come to give his leave to the King. When Devonshire arrived, George III refused to see him, as he later wrote: "I ordered the page to tell him I would not see him, on which he bid him ask me with whom he should leave his wand...I said he would receive my orders...On the Duke of Devonshire's going away he said to the page, “God bless you, it will be very long before you see me here again”." At a meeting of the Privy Council four days later the King personally struck out Devonshire's name from the list of Privy Councillors. In the opinion of one of his biographers, John Brooke
John Brooke
John Brooke was a significant British historian. He studied history at the University of Manchester under Lewis Namier:, and in 1951 became Namier's principal assistant for the History of Parliament. When Namier died in 1960, Brooke succeeded him as editor of the section dealing with 1754 to 1790...
, "Few things in King George III's long life show him in so poor a light".
Last years: 1762–1764
Devonshire resigned his Lord Lieutenancy of DerbyshireLord 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 solidarity with Newcastle and Rockingham when they were dismissed from their Lord Lieutenancies.
He had long had a weak constitution and he gradually grew more ill during these years. He ultimately died in the Austrian Netherlands where he had gone to take the waters at Spa
Spa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
. His death was a large political loss to his allies, the Whig magnates such as Duke of Newcastle. Dying at the age of 44 years and 147 days, he is the shortest lived British Prime Minister.
Family
He married Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle, 6th Baroness CliffordBaron Clifford
The barony of this name has been in abeyance since 1858 – for the baronies with similar names that remain extant see Baron Clifford of Chudleigh and Baron de Clifford----...
(1731–1754), the daughter and heiress of Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork PC , born in Yorkshire, England, was the son of Charles Boyle, 2nd Earl of Burlington and 3rd Earl of Cork...
of the 1st creation, a famous architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
collector. Through her, the Devonshires inherited Chiswick House
Chiswick House
Chiswick House is a Palladian villa in Burlington Lane, Chiswick, in the London Borough of Hounslow in England. Set in , the house was completed in 1729 during the reign of George II and designed by Lord Burlington. William Kent , who took a leading role in designing the gardens, created one of the...
and Burlington House
Burlington House
Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...
in London; Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is the estate within which is located the ruined 12th-century Augustinian Bolton Priory in North Yorkshire, England. It gives its name to the parish of Bolton Abbey.-Bolton Priory:...
and Londesborough Hall
Londesborough Hall
Londesborough Hall was a country house in the village of Londesborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, close to the towns of Market Weighton and Pocklington....
in Yorkshire; and Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle is located in the town of Lismore, in County Waterford in Ireland. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style during the mid-nineteenth century by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire.-Early history:...
in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The Duke employed Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
to landscape the garden and park at Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
, his main residence. He hired James Paine to design the new stable block.
The Duke had four children:
- William Cavendish, 5th Duke of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 5th Duke of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, KG was a British aristocrat and politician. He was the eldest son of the William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire by his wife the heiress Lady Charlotte Boyle, suo jure Baroness Clifford of Lanesborough, who brought in considerable money and estates to...
(1748–1811) - Lady Dorothy Cavendish (August 27, 1750–June 3, 1794). Married 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,...
, who also became Prime Minister. Through her, the 4th Duke of Devonshire is the great-great-great-great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II - Lord Richard Cavendish (1752–1781)
- George Augustus Henry CavendishGeorge Cavendish, 1st Earl of BurlingtonGeorge Augustus Henry Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington , styled Lord George Cavendish before 1831, was a British politician.-Background:...
, created 1st Earl of BurlingtonEarl of BurlingtonEarl of Burlington is a title that has been created twice, the first time in the Peerage of England and the second in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation was for Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork, on 20 March 1664...
of the 2nd creation (1754–1834). Lord Burlington's grandson, the 2nd Earl of BurlingtonWilliam Cavendish, 7th Duke of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire KG, PC , styled as Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1831 and 1834 and known as The Earl of Burlington between 1834 and 1858, was a British landowner, benefactor and politician.-Background and education:Cavendish was the son of William Cavendish, eldest...
, would later inherit the Devonshire dukedom as 7th Duke of Devonshire.
Legacy
Paul Langford
Professor Paul Langford is a British historian, currently Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford.Educated at Monmouth School and Hertford College, Oxford, he was elected to a Junior Research Fellowship in modern history at Lincoln College in 1969, becoming a tutorial fellow in 1970...
said Devonshire was "eminently sensible and highly respected" whose death "left a marked gap in the ranks" of the opposition and "effectively destroyed a generation in the ‘Old Whig’ leadership". Gerald Howat
Gerald Howat
Gerald Howat, born Gerald Malcolm David Howat , was a British writer on cricket, a historian and a schoolmaster.-Early life:...
summed up Devonshire's life:
Devonshire had been a moderate among men of great political passion. If scarcely a spectator in the play of events, he had never bestrode the stage. His death, coming just after those of Hardwicke and Legge, deprived the Whigs of three material men. Given health, he might have returned to office in the Crown's restless pursuit of ministers up to 1770. He had been a man with a concern for king and country. He died the acknowledged leader of the Whigs.
Karl Wolfgang Schweizer says of Devonshire:
Devonshire was a man of solid if not outstanding abilities. He was endowed with the qualities—devotion to friends and duty, patriotism, and unswerving integrity—which made him the ideal sounding board and factotum among the prominent politicians of his day. Unlike Pitt or Fox he lacked a brilliant mind, and his diary provides evidence of devotion to king, country, and duty rather than quickness of intellect. A political broker rather than a leader, he exploited his personal popularity and family prestige to mediate between the factious and egotistical individuals who dominated Dublin and Westminster politics in the 1750s and early 1760s.
Titles from birth to death
- Lord Cavendish of Hardwick (1720–1729)
- Marquess of Hartington (1729–1741)
- Marquess of Hartington, MP (1741–1751)
- The Rt. Hon. Marquess of Hartington (1751–1755)
- His Grace The Duke of Devonshire, PC (1755–1756)
- His Grace The Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC (1756–1764)
External links
- More about William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire on the Downing Street website.