William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
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Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, PC (26 September 1698 – 5 December 1755) was a British nobleman 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, the son of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire KG, PC was a British nobleman and politician, the eldest son of William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire and Lady Mary Butler. A prominent Whig, he was sworn of the Privy Council in 1707, and served as Lord President of the Council from 1716 to 1717 and...
and Hon. Rachel Russell.
He married Catherine Hoskins (or Hoskyn) (d. 8 May 1777) on 27 March 1718. They had seven children:
- Lady Caroline Cavendish (22 May 1719 – 20 January 1760), married William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of BessboroughWilliam Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of BessboroughWilliam Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough PC PC was an Irish and English peer and member of the House of Lords, styled Hon. William Ponsonby from 1723 to 1739 and Viscount Duncannon from 1739 to 1758...
and had issue - William Cavendish, 4th Duke of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 4th Duke of DevonshireWilliam 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...
(1720 – 2 October 1764) - Lord George Augustus Cavendish (d. 2 May 1794), died unmarried
- Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (bef. 1727–1796), married Hon. John Ponsonby and had issue
- Field Marshal Lord Frederick CavendishLord Frederick Cavendish (soldier)Field Marshal Lord Frederick Cavendish was a British field marshal and Whig politician, a younger son of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire.-Military career:...
(c. 1729 – 21 October 1803), died unmarried - Lord John CavendishLord John CavendishLord John Cavendish PC was a British politician.-Background:Cavendish was the youngest son of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, and his wife Catherine, daughter of John Hoskins. Prime Minister William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, Lord George Cavendish and Field Marshal Lord...
(c. 1734–1796) - Lady Rachel Cavendish (d. 1805), married Horatio Walpole, 1st Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford was a British Whig politician.Walpole was the eldest son and heir of the 1st Baron Walpole. In 1747, he was elected as Member of Parliament for King's Lynn and held the seat until 1757 when he inherited his father's barony of Walpole...
.
He was made a Privy Counsellor (PC) in 1731, and served as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
from 1731 to 1733. He was invested as a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(KG) in 1733. In 1739, he was enlisted as a founding governor for the new children's charity, the Foundling Hospital
Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital in London, England was founded in 1741 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" was used in a more general sense than it is today, simply...
in London
London
London 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...
, which aimed to alleviate the problem of babies being abandoned by destitute mothers and ended up becoming a centre for British art and music.
William Cavendish is also notable as the most recent common ancestor
Most recent common ancestor
In genetics, the most recent common ancestor of any set of organisms is the most recent individual from which all organisms in the group are directly descended...
of Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. Charles and Diana were seventh cousins once removed
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
as Charles descends from William’s son, the 4th Duke, and Diana was descended from William’s daughter, Lady Elizabeth.