Charles William Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck
Encyclopedia
Charles William Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (8 November 1817 – 17 August 1865) was a great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. His significance lies in his being a royal ancestor, and in his own connections by birth to three powerful British ducal families.
His paternal grandparents were William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, and Dorothy Cavendish.
His maternal grandparents were Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley
and his wife Hyacinthe-Gabrielle Roland, an actress at the Palais Royal
for many years. Lord Wellesley, a former Governor-General of India
was an older brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
, another Prime Minister.
His paternal grandmother Dorothy Cavendish was a daughter of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
(another Prime Minister) and Lady Charlotte Boyle.
Thus between his own paternal and maternal connections, he was related to three dukes (the highest-ranking British peers) and several other aristocratic families. However, as a younger scion, at his birth he had little expectation of succeeding to the title, with his father's eldest brother having fathered several sons. He thus became a clergyman and had two unexceptional marriages, the second into minor landed gentry.
He married, secondly, (Caroline) Louisa Burnaby
, daughter of Edwyn Burnaby, High Sheriff of Leicestershire and Anne Caroline Salisbury
, on 13 December 1859. They had three children:
His paternal uncle William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland
had died on 27 March 1854. Two of his sons had predeceased the Duke, including politician Lord George Bentinck
who died suddenly, still unmarried, on 21 September 1848.
His first cousin William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland
remained unwed. His presumptive heir was his younger brother Lord Henry William Cavendish-Bentinck. Charles was the second-in-line heir at this point.
However both cousins outlived him. Lord Henry William died on 31 December 1870 and the 5th Duke followed on 6 December 1879. The heir was William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
, son of Lt.-Gen. Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck who was the younger brother of the Reverend.
Thus Charles's three daughters missed out on a chance to rise socially, although one daughter made a brilliant marriage despite her father's early death.
Family
He was born the elder son of Lieutenant Colonel Lord Charles Bentinck and Anne Wellesley, formerly Lady Abdy.His paternal grandparents were William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, KG, PC was a British Whig and Tory statesman, Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Prime Minister. He was known before 1762 by the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield. He held a title of every degree of British nobility—Duke,...
, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, and Dorothy Cavendish.
His maternal grandparents were Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley
Richard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
and his wife Hyacinthe-Gabrielle Roland, an actress at the Palais Royal
Palais Royal
The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and an associated garden located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris...
for many years. Lord Wellesley, a former Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
was an older brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, another Prime Minister.
His paternal grandmother Dorothy Cavendish was a daughter of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC , styled Lord Cavendish before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great Britain...
(another Prime Minister) and Lady Charlotte Boyle.
Thus between his own paternal and maternal connections, he was related to three dukes (the highest-ranking British peers) and several other aristocratic families. However, as a younger scion, at his birth he had little expectation of succeeding to the title, with his father's eldest brother having fathered several sons. He thus became a clergyman and had two unexceptional marriages, the second into minor landed gentry.
Marriages and Children
He married, firstly, Sinetta Lambourne, daughter of James Lambourne, on 26 September 1839. Sinetta died childless on 19 February 1850.He married, secondly, (Caroline) Louisa Burnaby
Louisa Cavendish-Bentinck
Louisa Cavendish-Bentinck was the second wife of the Reverend Charles Cavendish-Bentinck, and the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and great grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.She was the daughter of Edwyn Burnaby, of Baggrave Hall and Anne Caroline Salisbury.She married...
, daughter of Edwyn Burnaby, High Sheriff of Leicestershire and Anne Caroline Salisbury
Anne Caroline Salisbury
Anne Caroline Salisbury was the wife of Edwyn Burnaby, and mother of Edwyn Sherard Burnaby and Caroline Louisa Burnaby. She is a great grandmother of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and great great grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II....
, on 13 December 1859. They had three children:
- (Nina) Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck (1862–1938). Married Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and KinghorneClaude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and KinghorneClaude George Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, KG, KT, GCVO, TD, was a landowner and the maternal grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II....
. They were parents to Queen Elizabeth the Queen MotherElizabeth Bowes-LyonElizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(1900–2002) and thus maternal grandparents to Queen Elizabeth II. - Ann Violet Cavendish-Bentinck (1864–1932).
- Hyacinth Cavendish-Bentinck (1864–1916). Married Augustus Edward Jessop.
Heir to the Dukedom of Portland
Cavendish-Bentinck died on 17 August 1865 at age 47, thus missing out by more than a decade on the chance to succeed his first cousin as Duke of Portland.His paternal uncle William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland
William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland
William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland PC, FRS, FSA , styled Marquess of Titchfield until 1809, was a British politician who served in various positions in the governments of George Canning and Lord Goderich.-Background and education:Portland was the eldest son of...
had died on 27 March 1854. Two of his sons had predeceased the Duke, including politician Lord George Bentinck
Lord George Bentinck
Lord George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck , better known as simply Lord George Bentinck, was an English Conservative politician and racehorse owner, best known for his role in unseating Sir Robert Peel over the Corn Laws.Bentinck was a younger son of the 4th Duke of Portland, and elected a...
who died suddenly, still unmarried, on 21 September 1848.
His first cousin William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland
William John Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland , styled Lord William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck before 1824 and Marquess of Titchfield between 1824 and 1854, was a British aristocratic eccentric who preferred to live in seclusion...
remained unwed. His presumptive heir was his younger brother Lord Henry William Cavendish-Bentinck. Charles was the second-in-line heir at this point.
However both cousins outlived him. Lord Henry William died on 31 December 1870 and the 5th Duke followed on 6 December 1879. The heir was William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
, son of Lt.-Gen. Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck who was the younger brother of the Reverend.
Thus Charles's three daughters missed out on a chance to rise socially, although one daughter made a brilliant marriage despite her father's early death.
For further reading
- Usenet group Usenet discussions over 10 years A somewhat incomplete genealogy of the Wesley/Wellesley family that shows the relationship between Anne Wellesley, and her father Lord Wellesley and her uncle the Duke of Wellington.