William Cavendish (courtier)

William Cavendish
Sir William Cavendish c. 1547
Bornc. 1505
Died25 October 1557
NationalityEnglish
Occupation(s)Politician, knight, courtier
TitleSir
Spouses
Children16 (including William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire, Elizabeth Stuart, Countess of Lennox, and Mary Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury)
Parent(s)Thomas Cavendish
Alice Smith
RelativesSir John Cavendish (great-grandfather)

Sir William Cavendish MP (c. 1505 – 25 October 1557) was an English politician, knight and courtier.[1] Cavendish held public office and accumulated a considerable fortune, and became one of Thomas Cromwell's "visitors of the monasteries" during the dissolution of the monasteries. He was MP for Thirsk in 1547.[2] In 1547 he married Bess of Hardwick, and the couple began the construction of Chatsworth House in 1552, a project which would not be completed until after his death. His second son William Cavendish (1552–1626) became the first Earl of Devonshire, purchasing his title from the impecunious King James I.

  1. ^ "Cavendish, William (1505?-1557)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  2. ^ "CAVENDISH, Sir William (c.1505-57), of Northaw, Herts. and Chatsworth, Derbys. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 23 July 2021.