Contents [hide]

Cavendish History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Cavendish History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Cavendish is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cavendish family lived in Suffolk where Gernon de Montfichet was granted the lands of Cavendish by Duke William of Normandy. 1

"The descent of the Cavendish family from Gernon has been disputed, but (as I intend to show) without reason. The Gernons were a branch of the Barons of Montfichet, Montfiquet, or Montfiket in Normandy, so named after their Scandinavian ancestor. The castle of Montfichet long remained, as well as the Church of St. Catherine in the castle, a foundation of this family. About 1050 Robert, surnamed Guernon (moustache), Baron of Montfichet, witnessed a charter of Duke William (Gall. Christ. xi. Instr. 229). He had issue, 1, William de Montfichet, who d. s. p., when the barony devolved on William, the son of his brother; 2, Robert Guernon or Gernon, who held a great barony in Essex, &c., 1086. From his elder son William de Montfichet descended the Barons of that name, whose seats were at Stanstead Montfichet, Essex, and Montfichet Tower, London, of which city the Montfichets were hereditary standard-bearers or military chiefs in time of war. The younger branches retained the name of Gernon. Alured Gernon, brother of William de Montfichet, had estates in Essex and Middlesex 1130 (Rot. Pip.). Matthew, his son, 1135 witnessed a charter of William Montfichet (Mon. i. 803). Ralph, his son, 1165, held a fief from Montfichet in Essex, and was granted Bakewell, Derbyshire, by Richard I. (Testa de Neville). He had Ralph G., founder of Lees Priory, Essex, father of William G., who had two sons : l, Ralph, ancestor of a line of Gernon frequently mentioned in Essex, Suffolk, and Derby, and which long continued; 2, Geoffry. Geoffry, surnamed de Cavendish from his residence at Cavendish, Suffolk, appears in 1302 as bailsman with Walter de Cavendish, his son, for certain citizens of London who had been charged with the unlawful possession of some crown jewels." 2

Early Origins of the Cavendish family

The surname Cavendish was first found in Suffolk, when Gernon de Montfichet was granted the lands of Cavendish by Duke William of Normandy, his liege lord, for distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. The Montfichets from Montfiquet, Calvados, in Normandy, sired the family of Cavendish, Bacon, Fitchet, and Montfitchet.

The family trace their lineage back to "Sir John Canvendish, who in the reign of Edward III was Chief Justice of the King's Bench. It was John, a younger son of the Judge, who killed Wat Tyler, and from him the family are descended." 3

"Chief Justice Cavendish had a tragic end. He was beheaded in the market place of Bury, during an insurrection in 1382." 4

Early History of the Cavendish family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cavendish research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1384, 1592, 1594, 1599, 1601, 1617, 1623, 1624, 1630, 1654, 1659, 1660, 1673, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1684, 1691, 1695, 1700 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Cavendish History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cavendish Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cavendish include Cavendish, Cavendesh, Cavandish, Cavondish, Cavindish, Caviness and many more.

Early Notables of the Cavendish family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Thomas Cavendish (d. 1592), a British circumnavigator of the globe, often regarded as a privateer
Sir William Cavendish (1592-1676), 4th Duke of Norcastle, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a prominent soldier, writer, and noted patron of the arts
Sir Charles Cavendish (ca. 1594-1654), an English aristocrat, Member of Parliament, and patron of Philosophers and mathematicians
Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, KG, PC (1630-1691), English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1676
William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire (c.1617-1684), an English nobleman, Royalist supporter
Margaret Cavendish, (1624-1674), the Dutchess of Newcastle, was one of the outstanding writers of her sex in the 17th century, and was known for her eccentricity of dress and behavior. Margaret wrote...
Christiana Cavendish, Countess of Devonshire (died 1675), an Anglo-Scottish landowner and Royalist
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1623-1673), an English aristocrat, a prolific writer, and a scientist

Migration of the Cavendish family to Ireland

Some of the Cavendish family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cavendish migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Cavendishs to arrive on North American shores:

Cavendish Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Cavendish, who settled in New England in 1752

Cavendish Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander Cavendish, who settled in New Orleans in 1849
John Cavendish, who was naturalized in New York in 1852

Cavendish migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cavendish Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Michael Cavendish, who immigrated to New Brunswick in 1847

Contemporary Notables of the name Cavendish (post 1700) +

Duke Henry Cavendish (1731-1810), English natural philosopher and chemist who performed important experiments on hydrogen gas, water, and determining the density of the Earth
William Cavendish (1592-1676), English soldier
Thomas Cavendish (1555-1592), English navigator and circumnavigator
Duke George Cavendish (1500-1562), English courtier and author
Duke William Cavendish (1748-1811), English nobleman
Duke William Cavendish (1720-1764), English statesman
Duke William Cavendish (1640-1707), English soldier/statesman
Spencer Compton Cavendish (1833-1908), English statesman
Dola Frances Dunsmuir Cavendish (1903-1966), Canadian socialite, the youngest daughter of James Dunsmuir, thought to have been Tallulah Bankhead's long lasting companion
Mark Simon Cavendish MBE, (b. 1985), Manx professional road racing cyclist, he won gold in the madison at the 2005 and 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games riding for Isle of Man. with his third UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2016, and an individual silver medal in the Omnium at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2012, he became the first person to win the final Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France in four consecutive years. He won stage one of the 2016 Tour de France, claiming him his first Tour de France yellow jersey of his career. In 2018 he was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus. In 2011 he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, he also won the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cavendish family +

RMS Titanic

Mrs. Julia Florence Cavendish, (née Siegel), aged 25, English First Class passenger from London, England who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 6 5
Mr. Tyrell William Cavendish (d. 1912), aged 36, English First Class passenger from London, England who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 5

The Cavendish Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cavendo tutus
Motto Translation: Safe by being cautious.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html