The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-06
A GREAT CAVENDISH.
Notable Achievements of the
Marquis of Harrington.
HE BECAME FAMOUS At "a.
When . Young Man He Fell in Love
With Another's Wife, and Has Been
in Love With Her Ever Since.


Marquis of Harrington be produced or con-
tinue, year after year, without any effort
ON his part, to hold commanding influence
among his countrymen. He is the very
embodiment of the aristocratic instinct
which lies at the core of the national char
acter. 1t gives a good idea of the solidity
of English society to notice that the Cav
endish family have been in the first rank
for more than 500 years. with very little
change in their position, except that their
wealth has steadily increased and their
connections have steadily become more
powerful. Sir John Cavendish, direct
ancestor of Lord Harrington, was lord
chief justice in 1866, and was elected chan
cellor of the University of Cambridge.
Lord Hartington's father, the Duke of
Deyonshire, is chanceI or of the University
of Cambridge at the present day. 1t was
John Cavendish, a son of the chief justice,
that actually killed Wat Tyler, the leader
of the rebels in Richard lis reign, and
was knighted by the king at Smithfield,
the scene of his exploit. During the
stormy days of Henry VIII reign, when
to be very prominent was about as risky
IS trying to swim the rapids of Niagara,
the Cavendish family not only kept their
the foundations of their present grandeur.
In the civil war it was Just the same.
They took an active part on the side of the
popular liberties, but refused to go to
extremes. and the result was that
at the restoration they were raised to
the ducal rank and loaded with fresh
wealth and honors. There have now
been seven dukes of Devonshire, in un-
~.
has been a knight of the Garter, the high
est distinction in the empire. This is
record which no other family can show.
and it speaks volumes for the character of
the men and for the sturdy qualities of
the breed. They have always been at the
head of the whig, that is, the moderate
liberals, and especially of the progressive
and enlightened section of the landed gem
try who are really the backbone of the
British people Their enormous estates
are the best managed in the kingdom, and
while they keep up their own palatial
residences with princely splendor, they
take care that their tenants and laborers
have nothing to complain of. During the
worst trouble in Ireland they drew an in
come of s550,000 year from their Irish
properties; and the bitterest land-leaguers
in their attacks on landlords always
made an exception in favor of the
Duke of Devonshire. Chatsworth is
probably the finest residence of
private person in Europe. Yet it is only
one of six great historical seats of the Cav
endsh family. the others being Hard
wicke hail. in Derbyshire; Holkar hall, in
Westmoreland; Bolton abbey, in York
shire; Compton house, in Kent, and Lis
more castle, in County Waterford, besides
Deyonshire house and Burlington house
in London, the latter now occupied by the
London university, the Royal academy,
and half dozen other public institutions,
at a tremendous rental. The total revenue
of the dukedom must amount to millions
of dollars year; but it is so
collected and so administered that
it arouses no envy. but, on the contrary,
covers the family with popularity. The
Marquis of Harrington is the heir to all
this wealth and power, and for many years
past he has had the entire management of
it in his own hands, his father being 81
and in very feeble health for one of this
tough race.
There was very peculiar episode, by
the bye, in the last generation of the Dew
onshlre family, which may be recalled
with interest here. AS rule the Caven-
dishes have been prolific, as most of the
English country folk are. They married
into frst-rate families of their own rank.
and the succession went on from father to
son as regularly as clockwork. In the
middle of the last century, however, a
strange break occurred. William Caven-
dish, fifth Duke of Devonshire, married in
liza, a daughter of Earl Spencer-whence
Lord Hartington's first name of Spencer
but no son was born of the marriage for
sixteen years. There were two daughters,
who came in the usual course, within two
years or so of the marriage, but it was not
until 1870 that the arrival of an heir 10
the dukedom was announced. No other
children were born. The duke and
days, and William Spencer Cavendish,
the boy born in 1870, reigned at
Chatsworth. He was the most magnifi-
cent of all the Dukes of Devonshire, 1t
was he who raised up the celebrated Sir
Joseph Paxton from being working lad
in his garden 10 be the greatest genius in
certain line that the world ever pro-
duced. The vast glass-houses and water
works at Chatsw orth were the forerunners
OF the great exhi bition in 1851, the Crys-
tai Palace and all the worlds fair and
palace of industry, down to that now in
progress at Chicago. The duke lavished
money and kindness and support of every
sort on the wonderful man he had discov-
cred in his humble servitor, gave him
his hearty friendship all his life, and when
he died left him 100000 to support the
position he had acquired And Paxton
was only one of scores that he did the same
for, in proportion to their merits. He
built and planted and restored churches,
and founded schools and asyiums, and
gave away money with both hands. and
made thousands of his felloW-creatures
happy without ever making any profess
sions OF benevolenCe or attempting TO pa
tronize anybody. He was, in fact, the
most modest and retiring of men, and
lived so private and secluded a life that he
came 10 be shrouded at last in q sort of
mystery. The secret of it ali was that he
was not the Duke Of Deyonshire at all, 4
CaYendish he certainly was, and son Of
the hith Duke of Devonshire. His coun-
tenance was proof enough Of that. There
Is no more marked face than that OF the
Cayendishes. They are ali exactly alike
fai!, straight, bouy men, with a very long
head, overhanging brows. strong.
asqulilne nose and protruding under
lip, thick hair, coming low on the
head, and turning snowy white in
age, decidedly handsome, masterfui
looking men, but not of the fine drawn
type OF most OF the English nobility
much more ike the yeomen or country
gentlemen, type very often seen among
the iaoorng classes, bus seldom or never
among tradesmen. Now, William Spencer
taVendish. y no bore the title and enioyed
the position of sixth Duke OF Devonshire
Tor nearly sixty years, had all these physi-
cal characteristics in an exaggerated de-
gree. His portrait, hanging IN the great
hall 81 Clatswprth, or the sunny cham-
ters AZ CAiswitk, his favorite home, is 50
Ike his fathers Il is hard TO tel one from,