George Cavendish-Bentinck
Encyclopedia
George Augustus Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck PC, JP
(9 July 1821 – 9 April 1891), was a British barrister and Conservative
politician. An MP from 1859 to 1891, he served under Benjamin Disraeli as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
from 1874 to 1875 and as Judge Advocate General from 1875 to 1880.
. His mother was Mary, daughter of William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale
. He was educated at Westminster School
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. In 1840 he joined the Grenadier Guards
and retired in 1841. He was called to the Bar
, Lincoln's Inn
, in 1846 and became an equity draftsman and conveyancer.
at the general election April 1859
, but was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for the borough at a by-election in August that year. He held the seat until the 1865 general election
, when he was returned unopposed for Whitehaven
. He held that seat until his death in 1891. He served in the second Conservative administration
of Benjamin Disraeli as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
from 1874 to 1875 and as Judge Advocate General from 1875 to 1880. In 1875 he was sworn of the Privy Council.
Apart from his legal and political career, Cavendish-Bentinck was a Trustee of the British Museum
from 1875 until his death and a Justice of the Peace
for Cumberland
and Dorset
. In 1885, he was one of the staunchest adversary of William Thomas Stead
during the Eliza Armstrong case
.
, and Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland
. Their daughter, Christina Anne Jessica Cavendish-Bentinck, married Sir Tatton Sykes, 5th Baronet, and was the mother of Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet
. Cavendish-Bentinck purchased Branksea Castle on Brownsea Island
in 1873 and introduced Jersey cows and developed agriculture on the island. He died there in April 1891, aged 69. His wife survived him by five years and died in June 1896.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(9 July 1821 – 9 April 1891), was a British barrister and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. An MP from 1859 to 1891, he served under Benjamin Disraeli as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in the United Kingdom was a member of Parliament assigned to assist the Board of Trade and its President with administration and liaison with Parliament. It replaced the Vice-President of the Board of Trade....
from 1874 to 1875 and as Judge Advocate General from 1875 to 1880.
Background and education
Cavendish-Bentinck was the only son of Major-General Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck, fourth son of Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of PortlandWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, KG, PC was a British Whig and Tory statesman, Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Prime Minister. He was known before 1762 by the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield. He held a title of every degree of British nobility—Duke,...
. His mother was Mary, daughter of William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale
William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale
William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale of the second creation KG was a British Tory politician and nobleman.-Life:...
. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. In 1840 he joined the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and retired in 1841. He was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
, Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
, in 1846 and became an equity draftsman and conveyancer.
Political career
Cavendish-Bentinck stood unsuccessfully for the borough of TauntonTaunton (UK Parliament constituency)
Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset...
at the general election April 1859
United Kingdom general election, 1859
In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives...
, but was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the borough at a by-election in August that year. He held the seat until the 1865 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
, when he was returned unopposed for Whitehaven
Whitehaven (UK Parliament constituency)
Whitehaven was a constituency centred on the town of Whitehaven in Cumberland , which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was created in 1832 and renamed Copeland at the 1983 general election....
. He held that seat until his death in 1891. He served in the second Conservative administration
Conservative Government 1874-1880
Benjamin Disraeli became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the second time after Mr Gladstone's government was defeated in the General Election of 1874. Disraeli's foreign policy was seen as immoral by Gladstone, and following the latter's Midlothian Campaign, the government was heavily...
of Benjamin Disraeli as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in the United Kingdom was a member of Parliament assigned to assist the Board of Trade and its President with administration and liaison with Parliament. It replaced the Vice-President of the Board of Trade....
from 1874 to 1875 and as Judge Advocate General from 1875 to 1880. In 1875 he was sworn of the Privy Council.
Apart from his legal and political career, Cavendish-Bentinck was a Trustee of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
from 1875 until his death and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
and Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. In 1885, he was one of the staunchest adversary of William Thomas Stead
William Thomas Stead
William Thomas Stead was an English journalist and editor who, as one of the early pioneers of investigative journalism, became one of the most controversial figures of the Victorian era. His 'New Journalism' paved the way for today's tabloid press...
during the Eliza Armstrong case
Eliza Armstrong case
The Eliza Armstrong case was a major scandal in the United Kingdom involving a child supposedly bought for prostitution for the purpose of exposing the evils of white slavery...
.
Family
Cavendish-Bentinck married Prudentia Penelope Leslie, daughter of Charles Powell Leslie, in 1850. They had two sons and two daughters. His youngest son William was the father of Ferdinand Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of PortlandFerdinand Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland
Ferdinand William Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland was a British peer.As the great-grandson of Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck , he was the surviving male heir of his third cousin, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland, and succeeded to the title on the latter's death in...
, and Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland
Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland
Victor Frederick William Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland , the younger brother of Ferdinand William Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland, was a British diplomat and held the post of Ambassador to Poland...
. Their daughter, Christina Anne Jessica Cavendish-Bentinck, married Sir Tatton Sykes, 5th Baronet, and was the mother of Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet
Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet
Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet was an English traveller, Conservative Party politician and diplomatic adviser, particularly about matters respecting the Middle East at the time of World War I...
. Cavendish-Bentinck purchased Branksea Castle on Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole...
in 1873 and introduced Jersey cows and developed agriculture on the island. He died there in April 1891, aged 69. His wife survived him by five years and died in June 1896.
External links
- Picture: Mrs George Augustus Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck and her Children (3 children shown; exhibited 1860), George Frederic WattsGeorge Frederic WattsGeorge Frederic Watts, OM was a popular English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as Hope and Love and Life...
(1817-1904) Tate GalleryTate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, accessed 16 September 2008