Biography

Excerpt from biographical entry provided by Archive Hub, Papers of Lord Edward Cavendish: Lord Edward Cavendish (1838-1891) was the fifth child, and fourth son, of William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire, and his wife Lady Blanche Georgiana, née Howard. Edward was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and entered the Rifle Brigade in 1860. On retiring from the regular army in 1865, he joined the 2nd Derbyshire Militia and later transferred to the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.

Also in 1865, he was elected as a Liberal MP for East Sussex, an office he held until 1868. He was Private Secretary to Lord Spencer, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1873-1874. He was MP for North Derbyshire from 1880 to 1885, when the constituency was abolished, and for the new constituency of West Derbyshire from 1885 to 1891. Like his eldest brother, he became a Liberal Unionist in reaction to the Liberal Party's policy on Irish Home Rule. He also held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire.