Sir Henry Cavendish, 2nd Baronet facts for kids

Sir Henry Cavendish, 2nd Baronet (born September 29, 1732 – died August 3, 1804) was an important politician from both Ireland and Great Britain. He is best known for writing down many of the discussions that happened in Parliament during the late 1760s and early 1770s. A "Baronet" is a special title, like a knight, that can be passed down in a family.

Who Was Henry Cavendish?

Henry Cavendish came from an important family. His father was also named Sir Henry Cavendish, 1st Baronet. His mother, Anne, came from the Pyne family, who owned a lot of land in County Cork, Ireland, including Ballyvolane House and Mogeely Castle. This shows that Henry Cavendish grew up in a well-known and wealthy family.

His Time in Parliament

Henry Cavendish was a member of Parliament in both Ireland and Great Britain.

Serving in Ireland

He was a Member of the Irish House of Commons for:

• Lismore from 1766 to 1768
• Lismore again from 1776 to 1791
• Killybegs from 1791 to 1797
• Lismore one last time from 1798 until 1800/01, when Ireland and Great Britain joined together.

While in the Irish Parliament, he also held important jobs like Vice-Treasurer of Ireland and Receiver-General. In 1779, he became a member of the Irish Privy Council, which was a group of important advisors to the King.

Serving in Great Britain

Cavendish was also a Member of the British House of Commons for Lostwithiel between 1768 and 1774. This meant he served in both parliaments at different times, which was quite unusual.

Recording History: The Parliamentary Diarist

Sir Henry Cavendish is most famous for the huge amount of notes he took during parliamentary debates. Debates are formal discussions where politicians talk about new laws and important issues.

Why Were His Notes Important?

From 1768 to 1774, it was actually forbidden to report what was said in Parliament. This period is sometimes called the "unreported Parliament." Because of this, Cavendish's detailed notes are a very important historical source. They give us a rare look into what was discussed and said by famous politicians like Edmund Burke, George Grenville, Lord North, and Charles James Fox.

How He Took Notes

Cavendish used a special system called shorthand, which is a fast way of writing using symbols. He wrote so much that his original notebooks are now missing, but a clerk copied them all out. These copies fill 50 large books and contain almost 3 million words! They are now kept in the British Library.

He also kept records of the Irish House of Commons debates from 1776 to 1789. These notes fill 37 books and have over 2 million words.

Accuracy of His Records

Experts say that Cavendish's notes were incredibly full and accurate. One expert, P. D. G. Thomas, said that out of 12,000 speeches he noted in Westminster, fewer than 100 were missed. It seems he wrote down almost exactly what was said. This makes his work a priceless record of history.

Family Life

In 1757, Henry Cavendish married Sarah Bradshaw. They had eight children together. In 1792, his wife Sarah was given a special title and became Baroness Waterpark. This was done to honor her husband, Henry.

Henry Cavendish passed away in August 1804 when he was 71 years old. His son, Richard, took over his baronetcy title. Sarah, Lady Waterpark, died a few years later in August 1807. Another of their sons, George, also became a politician.