Results for William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
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William Cavendish Devonshire

Devonshire, William Cavendish, 4th duke of (1720-64). Cavendish came from a highly political Whig family. He entered Parliament at the age of 21 for Derbyshire, and succeeded as duke in 1755. After serving as master of the horse 1751-5, he was made lord-lieutenant of Ireland. In the crisis of 1756, conciliatory and trusted, he became 1st lord of the Treasury with Pitt as the driving force. When Pitt was obliged to come to terms with Newcastle, Devonshire was moved to be lord chamberlain 1757-62. In the new reign he and his Whig colleagues resented the ascendancy of Bute. After Newcastle resigned, Devonshire refused to attend councils and in November 1762 was dismissed by George III and his name removed from the Privy Council. Devonshire's early death robbed the Whigs of a future leader.

 
 
Wikipedia: William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
His Grace The Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire

In office
16 November, 1756 – 25 June 1757
Monarch George II
Preceded by The Duke of Newcastle
Succeeded by The Duke of Newcastle

Born 1720
Died 2 October 1764
Spa, Belgium
Political party n/a (Whig)

William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC (8 May 1720[1]2 October 1764), styled Lord Cavendish of Hardwick before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman who was briefly titular Prime Minister of Great Britain.

He was elected MP for Derbyshire in 1741 and 1747, but left the House of Commons for the Lords in 1751 by a writ of acceleration as Baron Cavendish of Hardwick and was sworn of the Privy Council. He was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 2 April 1755 until 3 January 1757, when his successor, the 4th Duke of Bedford, entered the office. After inheriting his father's peerage titles (chiefly the Dukedom of Devonshire), Devonshire was given the Garter 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 the Elder. In 1762, he was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland.

He married Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle, Baroness Clifford (17311754), the daughter and heiress of the 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:

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)

References

External links


Political offices
Preceded by
The Duke of Richmond
Master of the Horse
1750 – 1755
Succeeded by
The Duke of Dorset
Preceded by
The Duke of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
1755 – 1757
Succeeded by
The Duke of Bedford
Preceded by
The Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Prime Minister of Great Britain
16 November 1756 – 25 June 1757
Succeeded by
The Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Leader of the House of Lords
1756 – 1757
Preceded by
The Duke of Grafton
Lord Chamberlain
1757 – 1762
Succeeded by
The Duke of Marlborough
Parliament of Great Britain (1707–1800)
Preceded by
Sir Nathaniel Curzon, Bt
Lord Charles Cavendish
Member of Parliament for Derbyshire
with Sir Nathaniel Curzon, Bt

1741 – 1751
Succeeded by
Sir Nathaniel Curzon, Bt
Lord Frederick Cavendish
Honorary titles
Preceded by
The Duke of Devonshire
Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
1756 – 1764
Succeeded by
Marquess of Granby
Peerage of England
Preceded by
William Cavendish
Duke of Devonshire
1755 – 1764
Succeeded by
William Cavendish
Baron Cavendish of Hardwick
(writ of acceleration)

1751 – 1764

 
 

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Copyrights:

British History. A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire" Read more

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