Description: Sir William Cavendish, First Duke of Devonshire (1640-1707). From the original of Riley in the collection of His Grace, the Duke of Devonshire.
Fourth Earl of Devonshire and 1st Duke of Devonshire (1694).
A famous womaniser and his last mistress, Mary Ann Campion, was a 17 year old actress, who bore him a daughter, Mary in 1706.
William married Lady Mary Butler (1646-1710), in 1662 (she was only 15 years old), daughter of the Duke of Ormonde in Kilkenny Castle.
The Cavendish family have lived at Chatsworth since the mid-sixteenth century.
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.