Cavendish | |
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Noble house | |
![]() Arms: Sable, three buck's heads cabossed argent | |
Country | Kingdom of England Kingdom of Ireland United Kingdom |
Place of origin | Normandy |
Founded | 1346 |
Founder | Sir John Cavendish |
Current head | Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire |
Titles |
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Connected families | |
Motto | Cavendo tutus ('Safe through caution') |
Estate(s) |
The Cavendish (or de Cavendish) family (/ˈkævəndɪʃ/ KAV-ən-dish; /ˈkændɪʃ/ KAN-dish)[1] is a British noble family, of Anglo-Norman origins (though with an Anglo-Saxon name, originally from a place-name in Suffolk). They rose to their highest prominence as Duke of Devonshire and Duke of Newcastle.
Leading branches have held high offices in English and then in British politics, especially since the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the participation of William Cavendish (then Earl of Devonshire) in the Invitation to William, though the family appears to date to the Norman Conquest of England,[citation needed] with Cavendish being used (in one form or another) as a surname per se since the beginning of the 13th century. As a place-name, it is first recorded in 1086.[2]