Sir William Cavendish MP (c. 150525 October 1557) was an English politician, knight and courtier. Cavendish held public office and accumulated a considerable fortune, and became one of Thomas Cromwell's "visitors of the monasteries" during the dissolution of the monasteries. He was MP for Thirsk in 1547. In 1547 he married Bess of Hardwick, and the couple began the construction of Chatsworth House in 1552, a project which would not be completed until after his death. His second son William Cavendish (1552–1626) became the first Earl of Devonshire, purchasing his title from the impecunious King James I.
Early life
He was the younger son of Thomas Cavendish (1472–1524), who was a senior financial official, the Clerk of the Pipe, in the Court of Exchequer, and his wife, Alice Smith of Padbrook Hall.
thumb|Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, begun by Cavendish
He was connected to the Seymour brothers Edward and Thomas, and via them to the family of Jane Grey, but he also took care to send tokens of goodwill to the Lady Mary. He was appointed Treasurer of the Chamber from 1546 to 1553 but, after an audit, was accused of embezzling a significant amount of money. Only his death saved the family from disgrace.
During the reign of Mary I, a favourable biography of Thomas Wolsey was first published, written from the perspective of one of his closest aides, the one who had taken King Henry news of Wolsey's death. Although for centuries Sir William was said to be its author, historians now attribute it to his older brother George Cavendish (1494–1562). He sold his property in Suffolk and moved to Bess's native county of Derbyshire. He purchased the Chatsworth estate in 1549 and the couple began to build Chatsworth House in 1552.
In the ten years before he died, they had eight children, six of whom survived infancy:
- Frances Cavendish (1548–1632), married Henry Pierrepont
- Henry Cavendish (1550–1616), eldest son, Knight of the Shire and MP for Derbyshire for over 20 years,