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Biography of William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland (1857-1943)

William was the grandson of Lord [William] Charles Augustus Cavendish-Bentinck, and a great-grandson of the 3rd Duke of Portland. He succeeded to the title when his cousin the 5th Duke of Portland died without heirs in 1879. Educated at Eton, he embarked initially on a military career, serving in, amongst other regiments, the Coldstream Guards.

The 6th Duke held a number of honours, including Chairman of the First Royal Commission on Horsebreeding, President of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, and Lord Lieutenant of both Caithness and Nottinghamshire. He was also Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons for Nottinghamshire, as well as being Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, a trustee of the British Museum and Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

Like many members of his family, he was involved in horseracing and his horses won the Derby in both 1888 and 1889.

An engraved portrait of the duke is available on the National Portrait Gallery website.

Family

In 1889 he married Winifred Anna Dallas-Yorke (1863-1954), daughter of Thomas Dallas-Yorke and had:

• William Arthur Henry (1893-1977), later 7th Duke of Portland
• Francis Morven Dallas (d 1950) died unmarried
• Victoria Alexandrina Violet (b 1890) m Captain Michael J.E. Wemyss in 1918

Archive Collections

• The Portland (London) Collection (Pl) held in Manuscripts and Special Collections at The University of Nottingham contains papers relating to the estate business of the 6th Duke of Portland
• Details of collections held elsewhere are available through the National Register of Archives.

Published Works by the 6th Duke of Portland

• Bentinck, William J.A.C. Cavendish-, 6th Duke of Portland, Fifty years and more of sport in Scotland : deerstalking, salmon fishing, grouse shooting and other pleasant memories, 1800-1932 (London, 1933)
• Bentinck, William J.A.C. Cavendish-, 6th Duke of Portland, Memories of Racing and Hunting (London, 1935) [King’s Meadow Campus Oversize Not 468.V38 BEN]
• Bentinck, William J.A.C. Cavendish-, 6th Duke of Portland, The Red Deer of Langwell and Braemore, 1880-1934 (London, 1935)
• Bentinck, William J.A.C. Cavendish-, 6th Duke of Portland, Men, Women and Things (London, 1937) [King’s Meadow Campus Oversize Not 468.V38 BEN]