History

The major collectors in the history of the Collection were the 2nd and 6th Dukes, and the 3rd Earl of Burlington, whose collection and library were inherited by his grandson, the 5th Duke. In the early 18th century the 2nd Duke (1673-1729), a connoisseur of the arts, was recorded by a contemporary as having “an infinite love of the arts, as well as deep knowledge”. He acquired not only the bulk of the superlative collection of Old Master drawings, but also many of the finest paintings, which were shown at Devonshire House, London. The 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694-1753), the architect and advocate for Palladianism, formed an important collection, which included Old Master paintings, furniture designed by William Kent for Chiswick, architectural drawings and Inigo Jones masque designs. In the 19th century the 6th Duke (1790-1858), the ‘Bachelor’ Duke, finding he was no longer able to form a good collection of antique sculpture, concentrated on commissioning and acquiring works from the international group of neo-classical sculptors in Rome, including Canova and Thorvaldsen. His important collection of sculpture was brought to Chatsworth and can be seen in the Sculpture Gallery, which he built to house it.

Library
One of the greatest private libraries in the world, the Library at Chatsworth comprises over 30,000 books. These include printed books from the past six centuries, fine bindings and illuminated manuscripts. Collected over many generations, they were brought together at Chatsworth in the early 19th century from the family’s various houses. Notable strengths include the libraries of the scientist Henry Cavendish and the 3rd Earl of Burlington, patron of the Palladian revival in architecture.

The 6th Duke of Devonshire, the greatest book collector in the history of the family, made purchases at important auctions such as the Roxburghe sale of 1812 and, in the same year, negotiated the acquisition of the classical library of Thomas Dampier, the Bishop of Ely.

The 11th Duke of Devonshire continued the family tradition by purchasing many fine illustrated flower books, and creating an Irish Library.

Archives
The Chatsworth archives reflect the daily lives and concerns of the Cavendish family, their estates in England, Ireland and Scotland, and of the people who worked for and with the family. Spanning over 450 years of history, from Bess of Hardwick to the 20th century, the archives encompass not only Chatsworth but also the bulk of the surviving records of the other houses and estates owned at various times by the Cavendish family. These include Hardwick Hall, Bolton Abbey, Devonshire House, Burlington House, Chiswick House, Compton Place, Londesborough and Lismore Castle, and of the associated estates in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Sussex, Somerset, Cumberland, Westmorland, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, London and Ireland.

The archives include deeds, leases and other legal papers; building accounts for Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall; household records; estate and rental records and maps, together with an extensive collection of Derbyshire lead mining records.

The archives also contain the family and political correspondence of the Dukes of Devonshire up to the early 20th century. There are substantial holdings of Compton, Boyle and Savile family papers, and of the manuscripts, notes and correspondence of the philosopher Thomas Hobbes and the scientist Henry Cavendish.

There are also collections of estate records in the following repositories
1. Cumbria Record Office
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2. East Sussex Record Office
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3. National Library of Ireland
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4. Nottinghamshire Archives
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5. Somerset Archive and Record Service
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6. Sheffield Archives
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7. Waterford County Council
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8. West Yorkshire Archive Service
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There is an overview of the archival collections in Guide to sources for British History 10, Principal Family and Estate Collections, Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, London, HMSO, 1996.

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