Brief Life History of William John Robert
When William John Robert Cavendish Marquess of Hartington was born on 10 December 1917, in London, England, his father, Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke of Devonshire, was 22 and his mother, Mary Alice Gasgoyne-Cecil, was 22. He married Kathleen Agnes Kennedy on 6 May 1944, in Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom. He registered for military service in 1944. He died on 10 September 1944, in Heppen, Limburg, Belgium, at the age of 26, and was buried in Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Leopoldsburg, Leopoldsburg, Limburg, Belgium.
Photos and Memories (3)
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Family Time Line
Sources (20)
- England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007
- Cavendish, "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005"
- UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
Spouse and Children
1917–1944 Male
1920–1948 Female
Parents and Siblings
1895–1950 Male
1895–1988 Female
Siblings (4)
1917–1944 Male
1920–2004 Male
1922–1922 Female
1927–2010 Female
World Events (4)
1920
Age 3
1920
Age 3
1940
Age 23
Name Meaning
English: habitational name from a place in Suffolk named Cavendish, from an Old English byname Cāfna (meaning ‘bold, daring’) + Old English edisc ‘enclosed pasture’. Cavendish is the surname of the Dukes of Devonshire. They are descended from Sir John Cavendish, who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench (1372–81). Under the Tudors and Stuarts, a succession of shrewd and powerful heads of the family achieved political prominence and became extremely wealthy. William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire, was a strong supporter of the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688 and of William of Orange (William III) against James II. In 1694 he was created Duke of Devonshire. The Latin family motto, Cavendo tutus ‘safe through taking care’ is a pun on the surname.
Manx: Anglicized form of Corjeag, a shortened form of Mac Quartag ‘son of Svarteygr’ (from Old Norse, meaning ‘black-eyed’). Folk etymology interpreted Corjeag incorrectly as Manx curjeig ‘alms-dish’ and equally incorrectly supposed that the surname Cavendish was a synonym meaning ‘giving-dish’. Manxmen's familiarity with the English surname presumably led to the substitution.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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