Duke of Devonshire
The Dukes of Devonshire are members of the aristocratic Cavendish family in the United Kingdom. They are related to the Dukes of Newcastle with whom they share the family name of Cavendish. The Duke's second title, Marquess of Hartington, is used as a courtesy title by his eldest son; the Marquess of Hartington's eldest son uses the title Earl of Burlington.The family name derives from the village of Cavendish, Suffolk, England and from Sir John Cavendish, who held the estate there in the 14th century and who died in the Peasants' Revolt.
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William Cavendish's descendants were Earls of Devonshire at first. The dukedom started when William Cavendish, the 4th Earl of Devonshire, was created the 1st Duke of Devonshire in 1694 (see below).
Many of the Dukes of Devonshire have been prominent politicians, including one prime minister, one leader of the Liberal Party, and one Governor-General of Canada.
The Duke of Devonshire holds the subsidiary titles of Marquess of Hartington, Earl of Devonshire, Earl of Burlington, Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, and Baron Cavendish of Keighley.
Despite the title, the family estates center in Derbyshire. It is sometimes speculated that Derbyshire rather than Devonshire was intended on the original letters patent for the earldom, but no hard evidence supports this.
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2 Earls of Devonshire, second Creation (1618) 3 Dukes of Devonshire (1694) |
Earls of Devonshire, first Creation (1603)
Earls of Devonshire, second Creation (1618)
Dukes of Devonshire (1694)
