The Duke of Portland | |
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 Portrait by Francis Grant,c. 1852 | |
| Lord Privy Seal | |
| In office 30 April 1827 – July 1827 | |
| Monarch | George IV |
| Prime Minister | George Canning |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Westmorland |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Carlisle |
| Lord President of the Council | |
| In office 17 August 1827 – 21 January 1828 | |
| Monarch | George IV |
| Prime Minister | The Viscount Goderich |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Harrowby |
| Succeeded by | The Earl Bathurst |
| Member of Parliament forPetersfield | |
| In office 29 December 1790 – 18 April 1791 | |
| Preceded by | Hon. George North William Jolliffe |
| Succeeded by | Welbore Ellis William Jolliffe |
| Member of Parliament forBuckinghamshire | |
| In office 18 April 1791 – 30 October 1809 | |
| Preceded by | The Earl Verney James Grenville |
| Succeeded by | Earl Temple William Selby Lowndes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (1768-06-24)24 June 1768 |
| Died | 27 March 1854(1854-03-27) (aged 85) Welbeck Abbey,Nottinghamshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 9, includingWilliam,John,George, andHenry |
| Parent(s) | William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland Lady Dorothy Cavendish |
William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland,PC (24 June 1768 – 27 March 1854), styledMarquess of Titchfield until 1809, was a British politician who served in various positions in the governments ofGeorge Canning andLord Goderich.
Portland was the eldest son of Prime MinisterWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland andLady Dorothy, daughter ofWilliam Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire andCharlotte Boyle, Baroness Clifford. He was the elder brother ofLord William Bentinck andLord Charles Bentinck.[2]
He was educated first inEaling under the tutelage ofSamuel Goodenough graduating in 1774, followed byWestminster School (1783). He attendedChrist Church, Oxford for two years but did not take a degree.[1] The third Duke, who spared no expense for his heir, sent him toThe Hague in 1786 for experience working with the crown's envoy, SirJames Harris. He returned in 1789.[3]
He later received an honorary degree ofDoctor of Civil Law from Oxford in 1793.[1] He also served as a Family Trustee of theBritish Museum;[2] in 1810, he loaned the famedPortland Vase to the museum.[4]
Portland was Member of Parliament forPetersfield between 1790 and 1791 and forBuckinghamshire between 1791 and 1809.[3]
He served under his father as aLord of the Treasury between March and September 1807. He remained out of office until April 1827 when he was appointedLord Privy Seal by his brother-in-lawGeorge Canning.[5] He was sworn of thePrivy Council the same year.[5] WhenLord Goderich became Prime Minister in August 1827, Portland becameLord President of the Council,[6] an office he retained until the government fell in January 1828. Over time the Duke became less of a staunch Conservative, softening to some of the more liberal stances of Canning.[1]
Portland also held the honorary post ofLord Lieutenant of Middlesex between 1794 and 1841.
Portland marriedHenrietta, eldest daughter and heiress ofMajor-General John Scott ofFife and his wife Margaret (née Dundas), in London on 4 August 1795. At the time of his marriage he obtained Royal Licence to take the name and arms of Scott in addition to that of Cavendish-Bentinck. They were parents of nine children:[2][7]
The Duchess of Portland died on 24 April 1844.[1] Nearly 10 years later, Portland died at the family seat ofWelbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire, in March 1854, aged 85. Two of their sons predeceased their parents; their eldest dying of a brain lesion and their third son dying of a heart attack.
The duke expressed a desire to be buried in the open churchyard inBolsover, Derbyshire, near the other family seat atBolsover Castle. However, he was instead interred in the ancient Cavendish vault, that had previously been unopened for 138 years.[7]
He was succeeded in the dukedom by his second son (but the eldest surviving),William.
The department ofManuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham holds a number of papers relating to Portland: His personal and political papers are part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection while the Portland (London) Collection contains papers relating to his estate business. The Portland Estate Papers held at Nottinghamshire Archives also contain items relating to Portland's properties.
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His full titles wereDuke of Portland, Marquess of Titchfield, Earl of Portland, Viscount Woodstock, andBaron Cirencester.[2]
| Ancestors of William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland |
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| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forPetersfield 1790–1791 With:William Jolliffe | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBuckinghamshire 1791–1800 With:James Grenville 1790–1797 Earl Temple 1797–1800 | Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain | Member of Parliament forBuckinghamshire 1801–1809 With:Earl Temple | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lord Privy Seal 1827 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by — | Minister without Portfolio 1827 | Succeeded by — |
| Preceded by | Lord President of the Council 1827–1828 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by In Commission | Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex 1794–1841 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Custos Rotulorum of Middlesex 1794–1841 | |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Portland 1809–1854 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
