Correspondence of William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire and Lord Lieutenant of Derby

This group of correspondence mostly comprises communications from Whitehall for William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire and his son Lord Cavendish in their capacity as lord lieutenants for Derby.

It includes the annual request from Whitehall for the lord lieutenants to muster their county militia to asses the condition and training of both footmen and horsemen and ensure the men are ready to be at service when required both locally, nationally and abroad. It also the includes more detailed communications regarding militia required by the King in May 1625.

Most of these communications are endorsed with an address to the Earl and Lord Cavendish and include the signatures of Palace officials at Whitehall such as the Lord Treasurer.

CS1/3.3 is addressed from Charles I just before he was crowned king and bears his signature.

The first letter in this collection is unrelated to the Whitehall communications and is from William Cavendish to the Earl of Shrewsbury regarding tenants in the Peak.

William Cavendish (1552-1626), 1st Earl of Devonshire, was the second son of Sir William Cavendish and Elizabeth Shrewsbury, nee Hardwick. His mother showed him special favour, despite being the younger son, and made him a rich allowance in his youth. In 1580 he married Anne Keighley and the couple had three sons and three daughters. He later remarried, to Elizabeth Boughton and they had one son He was MP for Newport in 1588, high sheriff of Derbyshire in 1595 and justice of the peace in 1603. He was created Baron Cavendish of Hardwicke in 1605. The death of his mother in 1608, then his elder brother in 1616 gave him vast fortune. In 1618 he was created Earl of Devonshire, reportedly paying £10,000 for the title. Cavendish died in March 1626 and was buried at Edensor, Derbyshire.

Principle Source: Carole Levin, 'Cavendish, William, first earl of Devonshire', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004). By permission of Oxford University Press.

William Cavendish (1590-1628), 2nd Earl of Devonshire, was the second son of William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire and Anne Keighley. He was educated by Thomas Hobbes, the philosopher, who resided at Chatsworth as his private tutor for many years and accompanied him on his Grand Tour when he came of age.Cavendish was knighted at Whitehall in 1609, and in 1612 married Christina Bruce, and the couple had three sons. He was M.P for Derby in 1621, 1624, 1625 and 1626; lord-leiutenant of Derbyshire in 1619 and in 1625-1626, and high bailiff of Tutubury in 1626. Upon the death of his father in 1626, he was given a seat in the House of Lords. He died in 1628 from'excessive indulgence in good living' and was buried in All-Hallows Church, Derby.

Principle Source: Sidney Lee, 'Cavendish, William, second earl of Devonshire (1590-1628), nobleman', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004). By permission of Oxford University Press.