Social Victorians/People/Spencer Compton Cavendish

Also Known As

 * Family name: Cavendish
 * The Duke of Devonshire (21 December 1891 –1908)
 * The Marquis of Hartington (1858–1891)
 * Harty Tarty (while he was Lord Hartington)
 * Lord Cavendish of Keighley (1834–1858)

Sexual Partners

 * Catherine Walters, "Skittles" (to c. 1862)
 * Louisa Cavendish, mistress (1862–1892), wife (16 August 1892 –24 March 1908)

Friends

 * Albert Edward, Prince of Wales

Employees

 * Almeric Fitzroy, later Sir Almeric Fitzroy, private secretary, 1895 –

Timeline
1862, Summer, "Gossip about Lord Hartington [Spencer Compton Cavendish] and Skittles [Catherine Walters] was rife in the summer of 1862, and matters came to a head after The Times and the Daily Telegraph published some articles about it. Skittles was referred to as Anonyma, and although Lord Hartington's name was not actually mentioned, everybody knew full well who was the subject of the article, which were written in highly disapproving terms. Lord Hartington unwillingly agreed to take up the suggestion that he should go to America to gain first-hand knowledge of the Civil War, which was then raging, while poor Skittles packed her bags and set off to Europe."

1862, end of, to the beginning of 1863 (about 6 months after he went to the U.S.), Spencer Compton Cavendish and Louisa Montagu began a sexual relationship.

1880s, early,"In the early 1880s, the income of the Duke of Devonshire was entirely derived from agricultural rentals, and from dividends in companies associated with his estates. There was also a debt of £2 million, the interest payments on which were taking some 60 per cent of his disposable income."

1891–1932,"Between 1891 and 1932, the eighth and ninth dukes mobilized £2.75 million by sales of land, of company shares, and of Devonshire House. They paid off most of the debt, and invested the remaining sum in equities, much of it in Canada. So, by the late 1920s, the ninth duke was enjoying a larger disposable income than his grandfather, the majority of which now dame from stock-exchange dividends."

1892, David Cannadine says, "When the eighth Duke of Devonshire inherited in 1892, he found the family's financial position so desperate he thought of quitting public life / altogether."

1892 August 16, Spencer Compton Cavendish (8th Duke) and Louisa Friederike Auguste Gräfin von Alten Montagu, the Duchess of Manchester, married in Christ Church, Mayfair.

1894 May 7, Monday, Edward Walter Hamilton, who was either Assistant Financial Secretary or "Assistant Secretary to the Treasury for financial business," wrote in his journal,"The Duke of Devonshire came to see me this afternoon, nominally about the staff of his Labour Commission (which is at last winding up), but really about the effect of the Death duty proposals on his successor. He made out, or I presume his Solicitor had made out for him, that V. Cavendish would on succeeding have to pay £600,000 in Estate and Succession Duties, which (he said) must result in the shutting up of Chatsworth and the sale of Devonshire House, because from figures which he showed me the margin of free income, vast as are the estates in the aggregate, is comparatively not very great — not more than about £30,000 a year for living and entertaining. It is most awkward for me, as I told him, to express any opinion or take any action about a measure of this kind which is to be violently attacked by the Opposition. My own belief is that the value of the estates has been taken much too high; that is to say, Devonshire House, instead of being as heretofore estimated at the life interest of the successor on its rateable value — say £1200 or £1500* <* I find it is rated at £3000 a year [The angle brackets enclose an interpolated explanatory note.]> a year, is probably put at what it might fetch if put up for sale as building ground, very likely £250,000. I think this would be a monstrous exaction. What might be done — and I imagine it is all that the Inland Revenue (if left to themselves) would do — is to take the capital value instead of the life interest in the rateable value, and then say the question would be reopened, if the property were subsequently sold. But it seems to me to be doubtful policy to give the Department a statutory lead in this direction..."

1897 July 2, Friday, Louise and Spencer Cavendish hosted their famous fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House in London.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball


With Louisa Cavendish, Spencer Compton Cavendish was host of the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, 2 July 1897, at Devonshire House. He sat at Table 2 at the first supper seating, escorting Alexandra, Princess of Wales in to dinner.

The Duke of Devonshire was dressed as Charles V, Emperor of Germany; he stood at the "head" of the stairs with Louisa Cavendish and greeted the guests. The Morning Post says he "came down to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales."

At the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 fancy-dress ball, Lafayette's portrait of "Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire" in costume (top right) is photogravure #6 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Duke of Devonshire, K.G. as The Emperor Charles V."

The Lafayette Negative Archive has a higher resolution copy of this portrait, making it easier to see detail in the trim and the black-on-black design: http://lafayette.org.uk/dev1433.html.

The Historical Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
The Duke of Devonshire was dressed as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for the ball.

Karl (or Charles) V (1500–1558), "the ablest and most powerful monarch of the 16th century," "was heir to and then head of the rising House of Habsburg during the first half of the 16th century, his dominions in Europe included the Holy Roman Empire, extending from Germany to northern Italy with direct rule over the Austrian hereditary lands and the Burgundian Low Countries, and Spain with its southern Italian possessions of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia."We cannot know if the Duke of Devonshire consulted any sources other than the portrait of Charles V now in the Bavarian State Paintings Collection, Alte Pinakotech, Munich (right). The 9th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica offers a sense of what was generally available to those interested in that kind of knowledge in 1897. Thomas Kirkup [T.K.]'s article on Charles V in the Britannica is substantial (running more than 5 pages, double column).

Kirkup says, "Seldom, if ever, in the history of the world has any one been born to such vast possessions and to such weighty responsibilities."

The beginning of Charles's reign was a consequential time in the history of a number of countries and ideas including, for example, Martin Luther's burning at the gate of Wittenberg the papal bull condemning him, which Kirkup calls "the chasm open[ing] up in the Christian world by the heroic defiance thus hurled at its spiritual chief." Kirkup goes on,

"but it soon became clear that the heart of Germany was with the Augustinian monk, and that many powerful influences, in the empire and out of it, religious, social, and national, — science, culture, patriotism, morality, and piety were working towards the overthrow of priestly domination. On all sides ... Charles had difficult work to do. In Italy and Navarre, and on the Flemish frontier, he had to make head against the armies of Francis; in Hungary and in the Mediterranean he had to arrest the progress of the Turks; he required to watch the wayward king of England [Henry] and the crafty popes, to manage the haughty susceptibility of Spanish grandees and the boisterous independent spirit of Flemish cities, to compose the religious troubles, and to stay the growing spirit of revolt against the old state of things. (414, Col. 1b)"

Charles was married in 1526 to Isabella of Portugal, who remained as regent of Spain when Charles left Spain for Italy in 15XX. ; Isabella died in 1539. Once established as emperor, Charles spent much of his reign attempting to suppress what Kirkup calls "the supreme question in European politics," Protestantism, but he also spent much of his time and resources in travel and in wars with the Ottoman Empire and with France. When she came to the throne in England, Mary I of England (daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) agreed to marry him, but Charles "transferred the state duty of marrying Mary to his son Philip, who accordingly did so in 1545."

Ultimately, Charles V abdicated, perhaps pursuing an earlier dream of ending his life in religious observance, the "process of abdication" ending in 1558. Kirkup says,

"But beyond a doubt the great reason for finally adopting the resolution to abdicate was his feeble health. The vigour which in his younger days had fitted him so well for the chase, the tournament, and the battle-field, was already completely undermined by incessant labour and anxiety, by repeated attacks of gout, and it must be added by the most extraordinary excess at table."

Original for the Costume
The newspapers seem agreed that the Duke of Devonshire's costume was inspired by a portrait (middle right) of Charles V that is now in the Bavarian State Paintings Collection, Alte Pinakotech, Munich. This museum was founded in 1836, the painting having been acquired from another gallery in Munich, the Kurfürstlichen Galeri. The extremely light photograph (bottom right) is useful for showing more detail of Charles V's dress. The original portrait is 203.5 x 122 cm (80.1 x 48 inches).

This unusually personal portrait of Karl (or Charles) V has been attributed to Titian, or Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (1488/90 – 1576). As the Alte Pinakotech puts it, this painting "is simultaneously a representational picture and character study," showing him surrounded by imperial signifiers but with his face "clearly revealing his advanced age and fatigue."

This portrait is "associated with Titian's time in Augsburg (but not always accepted as autograph)." (124, n. 14) Titian made a trip to Augsburg in 1548, when this painting — among other portraits of Charles V — was made. According to the Alte Pinakotech, in Augsburg "Titian largely left the execution of this work, which is based on a sketch made in his own hand, to an assistant in his workshop, probably Lambert Sustris." Sustris (c. 1515-1520 – c. 1584) accompanied Titian to Augsburg in 1548 and "executed portraits" on that trip.

The original for the Duke's costume was painted in 1548, making Charles V 48 years old at the time of his portrait; the Duke of Devonshire was 60, nearly 61. In its description of his costume, the Times notes that "the Hapsburgs and the Cavendishes are curiously alike in feature," suggesting one reason for the Duke's choice of this painting for his costume, especially if he thought he resembled Charles V as well.

The Duke's knowledge of this painting raises questions of when and where he saw it and why he remembered it. Thought to have been painted by Titian, perhaps this painting would have been considered more important and perhaps its place in the Alte Pinakotech collection been more prominent than it is now. (Although its provenance is not discussed clearly anywhere we can find, the painting seems likely to have been part of the collection at the Alte Pinakotech when the Duke could have seen it.)

In the two portraits, the Duke of Devonshire and Charles V are wearing different versions of the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Prince of Wales loaned the Duke of Devonshire his own insignia for the ball.

Newspaper Descriptions of His Costume
Some of the descriptions of the Duke's costume are so similar, they suggest a shared source or that one is the source of the other. Some sources also say that the Duke was dressed as Charles V of Germany, but Germany did not exist as a nation until formal unification began on 18 August 1866.
 * "The Duke of Devonshire, as Charles V. of Germany, after the picture by Titian. Surcoat black velvet lined satin, sleeves puffed large at shoulders. The surcoat turned back in front with black fur and ending in fur cape scolloped, black beaded embroidered pattern on end of surcoat. Doublet black Genoa velvet embroidered tiny jet black beads, slightly open on chest, showing white shirt. Black silk trunks slashed with white satin. Hose black silk high above the knee. Black velvet shoes. Toque black velvet with feather. Black Chain and Order of the Golden Fleece round neck. Sword belt, black leather and silver fastenings. Sword, scabbard black leather, oxydized hilt."
 * He was dressed as "Charles V., Emperor of Germany. Black velvet coat embroidered in black velvet and jet and lined with black fur, doublet and trunks of black brocaded velvet, the latter slashed with black satin, black tights, and black velvet cap."
 * The "Duke of Devonshire as Charles V., in a black dress."
 * "The Duke of Devonshire, as Charles V. of Germany, after the picture by Titian, wore a surcoat of black velvet, turned back in front with black fur, and ending in fur cape scolloped. The end of the surcoat was edged with thin fur. The doublet was of black Genoese velvet embroidered with tiny jet black beads slightly open on the chest, showing white shirt. The black silk trunks were slashed with white satin, hose of black silk high above the knee, shoes of black velvet, toque of black velvet with feathers, black chain and Order of the Golden Fleece round neck, sword belt of black leather and silver fastenings, sword, scabbard black leather, oxydised hilt, and steel blade."
 * "The Duke of Devonshire was an excellent foil to this mass of colour [worn by the Duchess of Devonshire], in his sombre suit of black velvet and satin, as Charles V. of Germany, after Titian’s famous picture."
 * "The host was dressed as Charles V. of Germany, in black velvet, satin, and fur; and the Duchess made the most gorgeous of Zenobias, in a gown of gold gauze, and a green velvet train — both a mass of exquisite oriental embroidery. The crown and hanging ropes of pearls, the jewelled girdle, and the train of children, fan-bearers, and trumpeters — all in Babylonish garb — as designed by M. Comelli, made a gloriously imposing and picturesque group."
 * "DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE as Charles V. of Germany, after the picture by Titian. Surcoat black velvet lined satin, sleeves puffed large at shoulders. The surcoat turned back in front with black fur, and ending in fur cape scalloped, black beaded embroidered pattern on end of surcoat. Doublet black Genoa velvet embroidered tiny jet black beads, slightly open on chest, showing white shirt. Black silk trunks slashed with white satin. Hose, black silk high above the knee. Black velvet shoes. Toque black velvet with feather. Black chain and Order of the Golden Fleece round neck. Sword belt, black leather and silver fastenings. Sword, scabbard black leather, oxydized hilt."
 * "The Duke of Devonshire was dressed after a Titian portrait of Charles V. of Germany, in black velvet surcoat turned back with fur and doublet of Genoa velvet embroidered in jet. The black silk trunks were slashed with white satin. The Order of the Golden Fleece hung round the neck by a black chain."
 * The Duke of Devonshire represented Charles V. of German, in a black velvet and satin dress."

The Insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece
According to Patrick Jackson, the Duke of Devonshire was "wearing a golden fleece lent to him for the occasion by the Prince of Wales."

The painting showing Albert Edward, Prince of Wales wearing his Insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece are of the young prince. (The Prince of Wales was granted this honor in 1853, when he was 11 years old. ) Now in Government House, Ottawa, the 1864 Franz Xaver Winterhalter portrait of the Prince of Wales (right) shows him wearing "the ribbon and star of the Garter, the badge of the Golden Fleece, and the Star of India." The insignia of the Golden Fleece is close to his neck and perhaps attached to the collar of his coat.

Newspaper Descriptions of the Duke of Devonshire Wearing the Golden Fleece

 * The "Duke of Devonshire represented Charles V. of Germany, the Order of the Golden Fleece hung upon his black velvet doublet.
 * "The Duke of Devonshire was attired as Charles V. of Germany, in sombre black velvet slashed with white satin, and relieved by the handsome Order of the Fleece."
 * The Duke of Devonshire was dressed "in the dress of Charles V — the Hapsburgs and the Cavendishes are curiously alike in feature — and wearing a genuine collar and badge of the Golden Fleece, lent him by the Prince of Wales."
 * "From the broad gold collar of the Golden Fleece round about his neck you recognised the Duke of Devonshire in a black velvet suit."
 * "The Duke of Devonshire was attired as Charles V. of Germany, in sombre black velvet, slashed with white satin, and relieved by the handsome Order of the Golden Fleece."
 * "At the head of the staircase stood the Duke of Devonshire, in the dress of Charles V. — the Hapsburgs and the Cavendishes are curiously alike in feature — and wearing a genuine collar and badge of the Golden Fleece, lent him by the Prince of Wales." [scissors and paste journalism: from the Times]

Observations about the Costume

 * The newspaper reports are very imprecise about this costume, suggesting that the reporters did not see it. Some of their descriptions do not match Lafayette's 1897 photograph of the Duke in costume.
 * The darkness of both the Lafayette 1897 portrait of the Duke and the 16th-century portrait makes it difficult to see details because of how black the garments were. However, the Lafayette Negative Archive has a higher resolution copy of this portrait that shows the beading on his doublet and mantle: http://lafayette.org.uk/dev1433.html.
 * The Duke's doublet and surcoat appear to be trimmed in braid, buttons, embroidery and jet beads. In the 1897 portrait, the trim on the sleeves consists of fur, satin and beaded embroidery. The surcoat is also trimmed in fur and beaded embroidery.
 * In both the 1897 and the 16th-century portraits, the surcoat and the doublet are impossible to distinguish from each other, so we can't tell if the sleeves are attached to the coat or are a part of the doublet. Historically, the sleeves were part of the doublet and should be in any accurate construction of the garment.
 * The slipper shoes and hose are similar in both portraits. In the Lafayette portrait, the shoes appear to be black velvet with a 3-dimensional trim perhaps of cord. The Duke's hose are wrinkled around his ankles, as one would expect.
 * Trunks
 * The Golden Fleece is hanging from a long collar that is possibly made of precious metals and jewels. An example of this kind of collar can be found above, in the first picture in the section on The Insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
 * The garments in the original painting and the portrait of the Duke of Devonshire are not identical:
 * In the 16th-century portrait, the skirts of the coat completely cover the trunks, so whoever made the Duke's costume made up whatever details are on the trunks. The trunks are period for Charles V.
 * In the 16th-century portrait, the sleeves appear to have small slashes and a mahoitre (roll at the top of the sleeves), but the sleeves in the 1897 portrait appear to have a slash or something at the shoulder.
 * The Times and the Evening Standard  say that the Duke's collar for the Golden Fleece is black, but in Lafayette's photograph, it appears as if it might be gold. It does appear to be black in the 16th-century portrait.
 * The crown of the Duke's hat in the 19th-century portrait is not the same as the hat worn by Charles V in the 16th-century portrait. The Duke's hat has black plumes on the side held in place by a jeweled ornament, with a decoration around the hat just above the brim. The Duke's hat is not consistent with the period: Charles V's hat is flat on top and, as far as we can tell, undecorated, but the Duke's hat seems to rise in the back and is somewhat poofy.
 * Charles V's shirt collar looks more modern to us than the Duke's collar: the lacy gathers in the 19th-century photograph look more Victorian.
 * Although the Times and the Evening Standard  say that the trunks are "slashed with white satin," the slashes on the trunks are not white like the edge of the collar in the Lafayette portrait. We cannot see slashes on the trunks in the 16th-century portrait because the coat covers them.
 * The Duke's coat in the 19th-century photograph seems to be based on the 16th-century portrait: they are very similar.

Organizations

 * Turf Club

Demographics

 * Nationality: English

Residences

 * Devonshire House, London (at least once he married Louisa, mid-April until mid-July, for the Season)
 * Compton Place, Eastbourne (at least once he married Louisa, mid-July until 12 August)
 * Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire (at least once he married Louisa, 12 August until the middle of September
 * Chatsworth, Derbyshire (at least once he married Louisa, middle of September until early Spring
 * Lismore Castle, County Waterford (at least once he married Louisa, early Spring until the middle of April

Family

 * William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire (27 April 1808 – 21 December 1891)
 * Blanche Georgiana Howard Cavendish (11 January 1812 – 27 April 1840)
 * 1) Louisa Caroline Cavendish (? – 21 September 1907)
 * 2) William Cavendish (8 October 1831 – 15 May 1834)
 * 3) Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (23 July 1833 – 24 March 1908)
 * 4) Frederick Charles Cavendish (30 November 1836 – 6 May 1882)
 * 5) Edward Cavendish (28 January 1838 – 18 May 1891)


 * Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (23 July 1833 – 24 March 1908)
 * Louisa (or Luise) Friederike Auguste Gräfin von Alten Montagu Cavendish (15 January 1832 – 15 November 1911)

Notes and Questions

 * 1) Does the Duke's costume still exist at Chatsworth House?
 * 2) Spencer Compton, Duke of Devonshire is #19 on the list of people who attended their ball in 1897.