This series of papers contains correspondence; petitions regarding elections; official lists of public offices and appointees and official orders. The majority of the papers relate to the 3rd Duke's involvement in elections but there are also records relating to the 4th Duke as Lord Hartington and the 5th and 6th Dukes.
Significant items in this series include:
- letters from the Corporation of Derby and other interested people to William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, concerning the election of aldermen and the campaign to elect a member of parliament for Derby to replace John Stanhope in the 1748 election [that was won by Thomas Rivett] and to the 6th Duke for his work as High Steward of the Corporation, 1818;
- letter from James Gisbourne concerning a motion to be raised by Mr Poles for merging the sessions for Chesterfield and Bakewell into the Derby ones, 1749;
- letter from Samuel Crompton to Lord Hartington concerning the election of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr Vernon, 1754.