Cavendish, William George Spencer, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790 -1858)

William George Spencer was the only son of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, and Georgiana, elder daughter of John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer. He was educated at Harrow School, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was admitted a nobleman, as Marquess of Hartington, on 16 October 1817. He matriculated in 1818, took his M.A. in 1820, and was created an Hon. LL.D. in 1821. He succeeded his father 29 July 1811. In 1826 he attended the coronation of the Czar Nicholas who conferred on him the orders of St Andrew and of St Alexander Nevski. The following year he was made Lord Chamberlain of George IV's Household and continued as such throughout the reign of William IV 1830 1834. Also in 1827, he became a member of the Privy Council and a Knight of the Garter. He never married. He was President of the Horticultural Society 1838 1858, and a collector of coins. One of the great book collectors, he bought the library of Thomas Dampier, Bishop of Ely, for £10,000 in 1821, and John Kemble's dramatic collections for £2,000, which is now housed in the Huntington Library. He sold duplicates from his library at auction at the rooms of R.H. Evans on the 29 May and 24 November 1815. There were Chatsworth sales in 1958 and 1982.