| Authorised form of name | Cavendish; William (1641 - 1707); 1st Duke of Devonshire; politician |
| Dates | 1641 - 1707 |
| Nationality | British |
| Date of birth | 25 January 1641 |
| Place of death | Devonshire House, Piccadilly, London, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 18 August 1707 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
All Saints' Church, Derby, England, Europe (5 September 1707) |
| Activity | Education:
Educated by variety of tutors, including Henry Killigrew, Henry Oldenburg (FRS 1663), and Franois du Prat; Oxford (MA 1663; LLD Com. Reg. 1705)
Career:
MP for Derby (1661-1681); Gentleman volunteer in second Anglo-Dutch war and served with the Duke of York in the defeat of the Dutch off Lowestoft (1665); Privy Councillor (1679-1680, 1689-1707); one of the seven signatories of the invitation to the Prince of Orange (1688); Lord Steward of the Household (1689-1707); Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire (1689-1707); Chief Justice in Eyre North of the Trent (1690-1707; Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire (1692-1694); built Chatsworth (1687-1706); benefactor of Greenwich Hospital
Honours:
KG 1689; Marquess of Hartingdon and Duke of Devonshire 1694 |
| Membership category | Original Fellow |
| Date of election | 20/05/1663 |
| Age at election | 22 |
| Date of ejection or withdrawal | 22 July 1685 (for non-payment of arrears) |
| Relationships | Parents: William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire (FRS 1663) and Elizabeth Cecil; succeeded his father as 4th Earl of Devonshire (1684)
Married Mary Butler
Children: Lord James Cavendish (FRS 1719); father of many natural children
Grandchildren: Lord Charles Cavendish (FRS 1727) |
| OtherInfo | In the years after the Restoration, Cavendish's political inclination aligned itself more with the Whig opposition and during sessions of partliament he frequently verbally attacked the privy councillor's of the Cabal. He was furthermore appointed to a variety of committees concerning French aggression against the Dutch and with the spreading rumours of the 'Popish Plot' which caused a renewed anti-Catholic hysteria in England and Scotland, Cavendish was tasked with the protection of the King and an investigation into the murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey. These tasks included and incurred a number of anti-Catholic measures, e.g. considering to remove all Catholics from London and to exclude them from parliament via law. Generally, Cavendish's are not as staunchly whig as has been judged previous and in his later political career, he did not fulfil any substantial leadership roles as would have maybe been expected. His overall legacy, however, includes the transformation of Chatsworth house and the supply of works of art for the architectural feat. |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Venn; Foster; GEC; Henning; ODNB
Notes:
The election date is Cavendish's election date into the Society after the grant of the second charter in April 1663. All Fellows admitted in a two-month window after this charter, until 22 June 1663, are considered Original Fellows. He served in Parliament as Baron Cavendish. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/3309403 |
| Code | NA6749 |