  spencer compton cavendish, 8th duke of devonshire kg, gcvo, pc, pc (ire) (23 july 1833 â 24 march 1908), styled lord cavendish of keighley between 1834 and 1858 and marquess of hartington between 1858 and 1891, was a british statesman. he has the distinction of having served as leader of three political parties (as leader of the liberal party in the house of commons (1875â1880), as of the liberal unionist party (1886â1903) and of the unionists in the house of lords (1902â1903), though the conservatives and liberal unionists operated in close alliance from 1892â1903 and would eventually merge in 1912). he also declined to become prime minister on three occasions, not because he was not a serious politician but because the circumstances were never right. ==background and education== devonshire was the eldest son of william cavendish, 2nd earl of burlington, who succeeded his cousin as duke of devonshire in 1858, and lady blanche cavendish (nÃ©e howard). lord frederick cavendish and lord edward cavendish were his younger brothers. he was educated at the university of cambridge ([[trinity college, cambridge|trinity colle
1833_births 1908_deaths Alumni_of_Trinity_College,_Cambridge British_Secretaries_of_State British_Secretaries_of_State_for_Education Cavendish_family Chancellors_of_the_University_of_Cambridge Directors_of_the_Furness_Railway Dukes_of_Devonshire Earls_of_Burlington_(1831) Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Royal_Victorian_Order Knights_of_the_Garter Leaders_of_the_House_of_Lords Leaders_of_the_Liberal_Party_(UK) Liberal_Unionist_Party_MPs Lord-Lieutenants_of_Derbyshire Lord-Lieutenants_of_Waterford Lord_Presidents_of_the_Council Lords_of_the_Admiralty Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_English_constituencies Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_Welsh_constituencies Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_Ireland Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_the_United_Kingdom Rectors_of_the_University_of_Edinburgh UK_MPs_1857a59 UK_MPs_1859a65 UK_MPs_1865a68 UK_MPs_1868a74 UK_MPs_1874a80 UK_MPs_1880a85 UK_MPs_1885a86 UK_MPs_1886a92 United_Kingdom_Postmasters_General