William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, KG, KB, PC (c. 16 December 1593 – 25 December 1676), who after 1665 styled himself as Prince William Cavendish, was an English courtier and supporter of the arts. He was a renowned horse breeder, as well as being patron of the playwright Ben Jonson and the intellectual group known as the Welbeck Circle.
The Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne
c. 16 December 1593
Handsworth, South Yorkshire, England
25 December 1676 (aged 83)
Welbeck, Nottinghamshire, England
Elizabeth Howard (1599–1643)
Margaret Lucas (1623–1673)
William, Earl of Devonshire (1590–1628)
Sir Charles Cavendish (1594–1654)
Jane (1621–1669)
Charles (1626–1659)
Elizabeth (1626–1663)
Henry, 2nd Duke of Newcastle (1630–1691)
Frances
Sir Charles and Lady Catherine Cavendish
Courtier, arts patron, soldier
1642—1644
Royalist commander for the North
Despite spending the then enormous sum of £15,000 entertaining Charles I in 1634, he failed to gain a significant political post. In the early stages of the First English Civil War, he was appointed Royalist Captain-General in Northern England; he financed much of the war effort himself, later claiming this totalled in excess of £1,000,000. After the defeat at Marston Moor in July 1644, a battle fought against his advice, he went into exile in Europe.
He returned to England after the Stuart Restoration in 1660, and although created Duke of Newcastle in 1665, he remained on the fringes of the court and became critical of Charles II. He died in 1676 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.[1]
Personal details[edit]
William Cavendish was born at Handsworth, South Yorkshire, the eldest surviving son of Sir Charles Cavendish and Catherine Ogle, descended from the Barons Ogle. He was a grandson of Bess of Hardwick and courtier William Cavendish. He had a younger brother, Charles (1594–1654), and the two remained close friends throughout their lives.[2]
In 1618, Cavendish married Elizabeth Howard (1599–1643), with whom he had five children – Jane (1621–1669), Charles (1626–1659), Elizabeth (1626–1663), Henry, 2nd Duke of Newcastle (1630–1691), and Frances. Encouraged by their father, Jane and Elizabeth became minor poets and writers. In 1645, he married Margaret Lucas, a natural philosopher and writer.[2] With his help and support, she became a popular writer of plays, poetry, and fiction, and was known as "mad Madge" for her extravagant style and affected manner.[3]
Restoration of Marquis of Newcastle Act 1660
An Act for restoring unto William Marquis of Newcastle, all his Honours, Manors, Lands, and Tenements, in England, whereof he was in Possession on the 20th Day of May, 1640, or at any Time since.
12 Cha. 2. c. 4
13 September 1660
Plays:
