= William Cavendish = '''William Cavendish''' was a [[UnitedKingdom/WhigParty|Whig]] politician and member of the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|Parliament]] in [[UnitedKingdom/Democratization|Great Britain]]. <<TableOfContents>> ---- == History == William was the eldest son of '''William Cavendish''' (same name). In 1729, his grandfather '''William Cavendish''' (again, same name) died, leaving his father to inherit as '''duke of Devonshire'''. In turn, the courtesy title '''marquess of Hartington''' progressed from his father to him. Cavendish entered the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|House of Commons]] in 1741 for Derbyshire, a [[EnglandInTheAgeOfTheAmericanRevolution|pocket borough]]. He married '''Charlotte Boyle''', heir to the '''duchy of Burlington''' and '''baroness de Clifford''' in her own right. This afforded him several pocket boroughs, and he emerged as a major political force. He supported [[UnitedKingdom/HenryFox|Fox]] over [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamPitt|Pitt]] as Pelham's successor. His father died in 1755, leaving Cavendish to inherit his titles. In 1754, border skirmishes in the Ohio territory escalated into the '''French and Indian War'''. [[Germany/FrederickII|Frederick the Great]] invaded [[Austria/MariaTheresa|Austria]] to seize Saxony and Bohemia, and [[WorldHistory/Hanover|Hanover]] stood between [[France/LouisXV|French]] armies and the emerging war front. England was not prepared for the [[WorldHistory/SevenYearsWar|Seven Years' War]], and suffered a devastating loss in [[WorldHistory/BalearicIslands|Menorca]]. There were calls to execute members of the government, up to and including [[UnitedKingdom/ThomasPelhamHolles|Pelham-Holles]]. A court marshal against MP and Admiral '''John Byng''' was offered up as a scapegoat. Pelham-Holles resigned in late 1756, and Cavendish was offered the opportunity to form a new government. His ministry was largely controlled by Pitt. Under Cavendish's nominal leadership, the government pushed for clemency after Byng was handed a death sentence. [[UnitedKingdom/GeorgeII|George II]] refused these and rapidly lost confidence in the government. [[UnitedKingdom/William|William]] demanded that Pitt be removed as a condition to taking command over the defense of Hanover, which was accepted. The backlash was so great that the appointees of a prospective Fox government were turned away in June, and Cavendish began clearing way for a Pitt government. He resigned in April 1757, though he retained a lesser position in the government. ---- CategoryRicottone