Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) - Lord James Cavendish (after 1673–1751) - 1129181 - National Trust

Lord James Cavendish FRS (bef. 1707 – 14 December 1751) of Staveley Hall, Derbyshire was a British Whig politician who sat in the

English House of Commons The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of ...

between 1701 and 1707 and in the British House of Commons between 1707 and 1742. He was also a member of the

Cavendish family The Cavendish (or de Cavendish) family ( ) is a British noble family, of Anglo-Norman origins (though with an Anglo-Saxon name, originally from a place-name in Suffolk). They rose to their highest prominence as Duke of Devonshire and Duke of Newc ...

Early life

Chatsworth House, frontage perspective Steve p2008 - 22124519891

Cavendish was the third son of

William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, (25 January 164018 August 1707) was an English soldier, nobleman, and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1684 when he inherited his father's peerage as Earl of Devonshire. ...

of Chatsworth House, member of the

House of Cavendish The Cavendish (or de Cavendish) family ( ) is a British noble family, of Anglo-Norman origins (though with an Anglo-Saxon name, originally from a place-name in Suffolk). They rose to their highest prominence as Duke of Devonshire and Duke of Newc ...

, and his wife Lady Mary Butler, daughter of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde of

Kilkenny Castle Kilkenny Castle ( ga, Caisleán Chill Chainnigh, IPA: �kaʃlʲaːnˠˈçiːl̪ʲˈxan̪ʲiː is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. It was a symbol o ...

, member of the

Butler Dynasty Butler ( ga, de Buitléir) is the name of a noble family whose members were, for several centuries, prominent in the administration of the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of Ireland. They rose to their highest prominence as Dukes of Ormonde ...

. At the death of his father, his brother inherited the Dukedom, becoming the 2nd Duke of Devonshire, and was married to Rachel Russell,

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. They are ranked between the Mis ...

of Queen Anne and granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Bedford of

Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey (), occupying the east of the village of Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the family seat of the Duke of Bedford. Although it is still a family home to the current duke, it is open on specified days to visitors, ...

. He travelled abroad in France and Italy from 1696 to 1698 and attended

Padua University The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...

in 1697, in the region of Venetia.

Career

Cavendish was returned as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

in both the general elections of 1701. He did not stand in

1702 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 2 – A total solar eclipse is visible from the south ...

, but was elected in a contest at the

1705 English general election The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of "Church in Danger" occurring in several boroughs. During the pre ...

, defeating the sitting Tories. He voted for the Court candidate in the contest for Speaker on 25 October 1705 and supported the Court on the regency bill proceedings on 18 February 1706. He was returned unopposed for Derby at the 1708 general election. He acted as a teller on the petition of defeated Whig candidates at Coventry and later voted for the naturalization bill in 1709 and for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. At the 1710 British general election, he was defeated in a contest for Derby and decided not to stand in

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ref ...

. Cavendish was returned as MP for Derby at the 1715 general election and voted for the septennial bill in 1716 and the repeal of the Occasional Conformity and Schism Acts in 1719. He was returned unopposed at the

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), a ...

and

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

general elections. In the latter parliament he took an independent line, and voted against the Government on the Hessians 1730, the army 1732, and the repeal of the Septennial Act 1734, but with them on the civil list 1729, and the

Excise Bill The Excise Bill of 1733 was a proposal by the British government of Robert Walpole to impose an excise tax on a variety of products. This would have allowed Customs officers to search private dwellings to look for contraband untaxed goods. The per ...

1733. He was elected in a contest at Derby in 1734 and voted for the place bill 1740. He was returned unopposed at the 1741 general election, but on 8 March 1742 he vacated his seat to take up the post of Auditor of Foreign Accounts or Imposts in Ireland. He did not stand again for Derby at the ensuing by-election.

Death and legacy

City of Durham Dec 2012 Framwellgate bridge (10895567185)

Cavendish married with £8,000 Anne Yale (died 1734), daughter of Governor

Elihu Yale Elihu Yale (5 April 1649 – 8 July 1721) was a British-American colonial administrator and philanthropist. Although born in Boston, Massachusetts, he only lived in America as a child, spending the rest of his life in England, Wales and India ...

on 6 July 1708. They had two children: * William Cavendish (died July 1751) who married Barbara Chandler, daughter of the Prince-Bishop of Durham, Edward Chandler of

Durham Castle Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been occupied since 1837 by University College, Durham after its previous role as the residence of the Bishops of Durham. Designated since 1986 as a cultural World Heri ...

. They had no children, and his widow married secondly John Fitzwilliam, son of

Richard Fitzwilliam, 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam Richard FitzWilliam, 5th Viscount FitzWilliam, PC (Ireland) (c. 1677 – 6 June 1743), of Mount Merrion in Dublin, was an Irish nobleman and politician. Origins He was the only son of Thomas FitzWilliam, 4th Viscount FitzWilliam by his first ...

and brother-in-law of

Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke Lt.-Gen. Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke, 6th Earl of Montgomery (29 January 16939 January 1749) was an English peer and courtier. He was the heir and eldest son of Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke and his first wife Margaret Sawyer. H ...

* Elizabeth Cavendish, married Richard Chandler in February 1722, one of the two sons of Edward Chandler As his only son predeceased him by a few months, his heir was his son-in-law Richard Chandler, who subsequently adopted the name of Cavendish.Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1751 (25 Geo. 2). c. 28
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavendish, James, Lord 1751 deaths British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 Fellows of the Royal Society Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Derby Younger sons of dukes James Cavendish, Lord Year of birth uncertain English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1705–1707 English MPs 1701 Members of the Parliament of England for Derby Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England