r, sixteen aldermen and
forty-eight councillors. Area, 3044 acres.

DEVONPORT, EAST and WEST, a town of Devon county, Tasmania, situated on
both sides of the mouth of the river Mersey, 193 m. by rail N.W. of
Hobart. Pop. (1901), East Devonport, 673, West Devonport, 2101. There is
regular communication from this port to Melbourne and Sydney, and it
ranks as the third port in Tasmania. A celebrated regatta is held on the
Mersey annually on New Year's day.

DEVONSHIRE, EARLS AND DUKES OF. The Devonshire title, now in the
Cavendish family, had previously been held by Charles Blount
(1563-1606), 8th Lord Mountjoy, great-grandson of the 4th Lord Mountjoy
(d. 1534), the pupil of Erasmus; he was created earl of Devonshire in
1603 for his services in Ireland, where he became famous in subduing the
rebellion between 1600 and 1603; but the title became extinct at his
death. In the Cavendish line the 1st earl of Devonshire was William (d.
1626), second son of Sir William Cavendish (q.v.), and of Elizabeth
Hardwick, who afterwards married the 6th earl of Shrewsbury. He was
created earl of Devonshire in 1618 by James I., and was succeeded by
William, 2nd earl (1591-1628), and the latter by his son William
(1617-1684), a prominent royalist, and one of the original members of
the Royal Society, who married a daughter of the 2nd earl of Salisbury.

WILLIAM CAVENDISH, 1st duke of Devonshire (1640-1707), English
statesman, eldest son of the earl of Devonshire last mentioned, was born
on the 25th of January 1640. After completing his education he made the
tour of Europe according to the custom of young men of his rank, being
accompanied on his travels by Dr Killigrew. On his return he obtained,
in 1661, a seat in parliament for Derbyshire, and soon became
conspicuous as one of the most determined and daring opponents of the
general policy of the court. In 1678 he was one of the committee
appointed to draw up articles of impeachment against the lord treasurer
Danby. In 1679 he was re-elected for Derby, and made a privy councillor
by Charles II.; but he soon withdrew from the board with his friend Lord
Russell, when he found that the Roman Catholic interest uniformly
prevailed. He carried up to the House of Lords the articles of
impeachment against Lord Chief-Justice Scroggs, for his arbitrary and
illegal proceedings in the court of King's bench; and when the king
declared his resolution not to sign the bill for excluding the duke of