William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland

His Grace The Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL
The Duke of Portland, circa 1900.
Master of the Horse
In office 9 August 1886 – 11 August 1892
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl of Cork
Succeeded by	The Viscount Oxenbridge
In office 16 July 1895 – 4 December 1905
Monarch	Victoria Edward VII
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour
Preceded by	The Earl of Cork
Succeeded by	The Earl of Sefton
Personal details
Born	28 December 1857
Died	26 April 1943
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Winifred Dallas-Yorke (1863–1954)

William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL (28 December 1857 – 26 April 1943), known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician. He notably served as Master of the Horse between 1886 and 1892 and again between 1895 and 1905.

Background and education

Portland was the son of Lieutenant-General Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck by his first wife Elizabeth Sophia Hawkins-Whitshed, daughter of Sir St Vincent Hawkins-Whitshed, 2nd Baronet and grand-daughter of Admiral Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed, 1st Baronet. His paternal grandparents were Lord Charles Bentinck and his second wife Lady Anne Wellesley, daughter of Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley. Lord Charles was the third son of Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland by his wife Lady Dorothy Cavendish, daughter of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire and Lady Charlotte Boyle. Portland's mother died only a few days after his birth. He was educated at Eton.^[1] He inherited the Cavendish-Bentinck estates, based around Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire, from his cousin William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland, in 1879. He also succeeded his stepmother as second Baron Bolsover in 1893. His half-sister Lady Ottoline Morrell was a society hostess and patron of the arts associated with the Bloomsbury Group.

Public life

Portland initially embarked on a military career and served as a lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards.^[2] He sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords and held office as Master of the Horse under Lord Salisbury from 1886^[3] to 1892^[1] and from 1895^[4] to 1902 and under Arthur Balfour from 1902 to 1905.^[1] In 1886 he was sworn of the Privy Council.^[5] He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1896^[6] and a Knight of the Garter in 1900.^[7]

He also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness from 1889 to 1919 and as Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire from 1898 to 1939 and was a Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire and a trustee of the British Museum. From 1937 to 1943 he was Chancellor of the Order of the Garter.^[1] At the coronation of King George VI Portland carried the crown of Queen Elizabeth, whose mother (the Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne) was his cousin. It was at his estate in Langwell that the Sunderland Flying boat carrying the Duke of Kent (the King's youngest brother) crashed while in route to a RAF Base in Iceland.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Portland inherited the estate and stud farm near Clumber Park in North Nottinghamshire. Among the horses he owned was St. Simon, who won the 1884 Ascot Gold Cup. He also bred and owned Ayrshire and Donovan, who won the 1888 and 1889 runnings of the Epsom Derby.

Family

Portland married Winifred Anna Dallas-Yorke, daughter of Thomas Dallas-Yorke, on 11 June 1889. They had three children:

• Lady Victoria Alexandrina Violet Cavendish-Bentinck (1890–1994), married Captain Michael Erskine-Wemyss and had issue.
• William Arthur Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland (1893–1977), married Ivy Gordon-Lennox
• Lord (Francis) Morven Dallas Cavendish-Bentinck (1900–1950), died unmarried.

Portland died in April 1943, aged 85, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William. The Duchess of Portland died in July 1954, aged 90.^[1] The department of Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham holds estate papers of the 6th Duke in the Portland (London) Collection (Pl).^[2]

References

The Duke of Portland to the left with Rosamond Rose and an unknown man.

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} thepeerage.com William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
2. ^ ^{a b} Biography of the 6th Duke, with links to online catalogues, from Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
3. ^ London Gazette: no. 25615. p. 3854. 10 August 1886.
4. ^ London Gazette: no. 26645. p. 4101. 19 July 1895.
5. ^ London Gazette: no. 25617. p. 4005. 17 August 1886.
6. ^ London Gazette: no. 26743. p. 3123. 26 May 1896.
7. ^ London Gazette: no. 27175. p. 1875. 20 March 1900.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland

Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Cork	Master of the Horse 1886 – 1892	Succeeded by The Viscount Oxenbridge
	Master of the Horse 1895 – 1905	Succeeded by The Earl of Sefton
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Caithness	Lord Lieutenant of Caithness 1889–1919	Succeeded by Sir Archibald Sinclair
Preceded by The Duke of St Albans	Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire 1898–1939	Succeeded by Marquess of Titchfield
Preceded by The Bishop of Oxford	Chancellor of the Order of the Garter 1937–1943	Succeeded by The Earl of Halifax
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck	Duke of Portland 1879–1943	Succeeded by William Cavendish-Bentinck