Lord Frederick Cavendish (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Lord Frederick Cavendish (August 1729 – 21 October 1803) was a British field marshal
and Whig
politician, a younger son of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
.
in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards April 29, 1749. He entered parliament in 1751 for the family seat of Derbyshire
. On 17 March 1752, he was promoted to captain-lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards
. In 1754, he gave up the Derbyshire seat to his brother George and was returned for Derby
instead. He was seconded to the 29th Regiment of Foot
as lieutenant-colonel in 1755 and went to Ireland
with his brother William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington
, newly made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
. He was promoted to captain and lieutenant-colonel in the 1st Foot Guards on June 1, 1756 and served as an aide-de-camp
to the Duke of Cumberland
in 1757.
He was promoted to colonel
on 7 May 1758, and took part in the "descents" upon France that year. He was captured during the disastrous embarkation at St. Cast (11 September 1758), but was paroled in October.
He was shortly exchanged, and on 24 October 1759, appointed colonel of the 67th Regiment of Foot, which command he held for a year; on October 30, 1760, he took command of the 34th Regiment of Foot. On March 7, 1761, he was promoted to major-general, and sailed for Germany the next month. Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick gave him command of a brigade of chasseur
s in June 1762, which he led at the Battle of Wilhelmsthal on June 24. Part of his command was ambushed in October 1762 during the Siege of Kassel
.
He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 30 April 1770, but owing to his sympathies, took no part in the American Revolution
. In 1780, he left his seat in Parliament and was succeeded by his nephew Lord George Cavendish
. He was promoted to general
on 20 November 1782 and field marshal
on 30 July 1796. In 1797, he resigned the command of the 34th Regt., and he died in 1803 at Twickenham Park, where he had lived since 1788. He left most of his property to his nephew Lord George Cavendish, later the Earl of Burlington.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Lord Frederick Cavendish (August 1729 – 21 October 1803) was a British field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
and Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
politician, a younger son of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC was a British nobleman and Whig politician, the son of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire and Hon. Rachel Russell....
.
Military career
He chose a military career, and became an ensignEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards April 29, 1749. He entered parliament in 1751 for the family seat of Derbyshire
Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Derbyshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
. On 17 March 1752, he was promoted to captain-lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. In 1754, he gave up the Derbyshire seat to his brother George and was returned for Derby
Derby (UK Parliament constituency)
Derby is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It was represented by two Members of...
instead. He was seconded to the 29th Regiment of Foot
29th Regiment of Foot
The 29th Regiment of Foot was, from 1694 to 1881, an infantry regiment of the British Army. It now forms part of the Mercian Regiment.-Formation:...
as lieutenant-colonel in 1755 and went to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
with his brother William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC , styled Lord Cavendish before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great Britain...
, newly made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. He was promoted to captain and lieutenant-colonel in the 1st Foot Guards on June 1, 1756 and served as an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Duke of Cumberland
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...
in 1757.
He was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 7 May 1758, and took part in the "descents" upon France that year. He was captured during the disastrous embarkation at St. Cast (11 September 1758), but was paroled in October.
He was shortly exchanged, and on 24 October 1759, appointed colonel of the 67th Regiment of Foot, which command he held for a year; on October 30, 1760, he took command of the 34th Regiment of Foot. On March 7, 1761, he was promoted to major-general, and sailed for Germany the next month. Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick gave him command of a brigade of chasseur
Chasseur
Chasseur [sha-sur; Fr. sha-sœr] is the designation given to certain regiments of French light infantry or light cavalry troops, trained for rapid action.-History:...
s in June 1762, which he led at the Battle of Wilhelmsthal on June 24. Part of his command was ambushed in October 1762 during the Siege of Kassel
Siege of Cassel (1762)
The Siege of Cassel took place between October and November 1762, when an allied force of Hanoverian, Hessian and British troops under the command of the Duke of Brunswick besieged and captured the French-held town of Cassel...
.
He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 30 April 1770, but owing to his sympathies, took no part in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. In 1780, he left his seat in Parliament and was succeeded by his nephew Lord George Cavendish
George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington
George Augustus Henry Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington , styled Lord George Cavendish before 1831, was a British politician.-Background:...
. He was promoted to general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
on 20 November 1782 and field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
on 30 July 1796. In 1797, he resigned the command of the 34th Regt., and he died in 1803 at Twickenham Park, where he had lived since 1788. He left most of his property to his nephew Lord George Cavendish, later the Earl of Burlington.