William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle

William Cavendish inherited extensive northern estates and became a prominent patron of art, architecture, drama and horsemanship. During the English Civil War he raised and commanded the king’s northern army and fought in the campaign that ended with the royalist defeat at Marston Moor.

Cavendish spent years in continental exile before returning after the Restoration. With his second wife Margaret Cavendish he created a notable literary and intellectual household, while his writings on horsemanship and drama preserved the culture of aristocratic service that the civil wars had disrupted.