Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 4.djvu/369

 DEVONSHIRE 351 Board of Education i qoo-o; ; G.C.V.O. 7 Jan. 1907; Chanc. of Man- chester Univ. 1907-08. He w., 16 Aug. 1892, privately, at Christ Church, Mayfair, Louise Fredericke Auguste, widow of VVilliam Drogo (Montagu), 7th Duke of Manchester, 2nd da. of Karl Franz 'ictor, Count von Alten, of Hanover, by Hcrmine, born de Schminke. He d. i.p., of pneumonia, at the Hotel Metropole, Cannes, 24, and was iitr. 28 Mar. 1908, at Edensor, aged 74. (•^) Will dat. 12 May 1902 to 28 June 1907, pr. 16 July 1908, gross under j^i, 165,000, net under /,"i,072,ooo. He was sue. by his nephew, C") who is outside the scope ot this work. His widow, who was b. 15 Jan. 1832, and was sometime (1858-59) Mistress of the Robes, ^. at Esher Place, 15, having had a seizure at Sandown races the day before, and was bur. 18 July 191 1, at Edensor, aged 79.(0 (•) "The Marquess of H.irtington is a hard working, conscientious, stolid man, wearing all the polish he is capable of receiving from high education and social intercourse, but withal somewhat surly in manner, greatly impressed with the vast gulf that is fixed between a Marquis and a man, to the despite of the latter; innocent of the slightest spark of humour, guiltless of gracefulness of diction, and free from the foible of fanciful thought." {Aleri and Alanners in Parliament, 1874). The Duke of Argyll, in a panegyric on him in 1886, no doubt glancing at Gladstone, said, " Oh Gentlemen, what a comfort it is to have a leader who means what he says, and means you to understand what he says." As early as 1873 he had, to use his own words, " come to hate office," and he could boast the unique distinction of having refused three times to be Prime Minister, i.e. in 1880, on the fall of Beacons- field, in July 1886, and again in Dec. of that year, after the resignation of Lord Randolph Churchill. "In the common sense of the word, the Duke was not quick- witted." He had, pace the author of Men and Manners as above, a good deal of dry humour, but no enthusiasm. He was a first-rate administrator with a vast power ot work; instead of, in modern fashion, swallowing his convictions, when he disagreed with his political associates he parted from them, as was the case with the Liberals about Home Rule, and the Conservatives about Tariff Reform. His " wise distrust of rhetoric " and disinclination for oratory led to his being jocosely called when lead- ing the Liberal opposition " Lieder ohne Worte." See a good article in Blackwood, Nov. 191 1, of which use has been made in this note. His quaint remark, "I don't know why it is, but whenever a man is caught cheating at cards the case is referred to me," forms a humorous illustration of the extent of his social influence. "Of the fair complexion and phlegmatic or moist Anglo-Saxon temperament [whatever that may mean], with light-coloured eyes and hair, hands and feet small, body tall, but not relatively broad, brow high in proportion to width, the bulk of the head not large, the movements slow and inexpressive." {Life, by Bernard Holland, 191 i, vol. i, p. 282). He was one of the numerous peers who have been directors of public companies, for a list of whom (in 1896) see vol. v, Appendix C. V.G. C") Victor Christian William Cavendish, 9th Duke, /^. 31 May 1868. His son, the Marquess of Harrington, served in the great European War as Lieut. Derbyshire Yeomanry; A.D.C. Personal Staff. Two of the 9th Duke's brothers also served, (i) Lord Richard Frederick Cavendish, Lt. Col. 5th Batt. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.), wounded May 191 5; (2) Lord John Spencer Cavendish, D.S.O., Major 1st Life Guards, killed in action Oct. 1 9 14. For a list of peers and sons of peers who served in this war, see vol. viii. Appendix F. V.G. (=) At the time of her first marriage she was a celebrated beauty. It was