House of Bentinck
The Bentinck family (also known as the House of Bentinck) is a prominent family belonging to both Dutch and British nobility. Its members have served in the armed forces and as ambassadors and politicians, including Governor General of India and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The family is related to the British Royal Family.
History
The name Bentinck is a patronymic variation of the Old Germanic name Bento. The family is originally from the East of the Netherlands. The oldest known ancestor is Johan Bentinck, who is mentioned in documents between 1343 and 1386 and owned land near Heerde. An important branch was founded by Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland who accompanied William Henry, Prince of Orange to England during the Glorious Revolution. This British branch were initially given the title of Earl of Portland, later Duke of Portland. Furthermore, in 1732 the title Graf (Count) Bentinck, of the Holy Roman Empire, was created for William Bentinck, son of the 1st Earl of Portland. A Royal Licence of 1886 was created which allowed the use of this title in England as well. This title continues to be held by Tim Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland and his heirs. In the Netherlands another branch with the title Count existed, but died out in the male line. However, till today an older baronial branch still exists in that country. The Dutch and British branches of the family continue to exist and belong to the Dutch nobility and British nobility.
Possessions
The family estate since the 16th century, Schoonheten House, is situated between the villages Heeten and Raalte in Overijssel, Netherlands. The area contains 5 square kilometres of forests and cultivated land. Nowadays, the Bentincks mainly earn their living by forestry, agriculture and renting holiday houses. The British branch of the family owns Bothal Castle (Bothal Estates) in Northumberland and Welbeck Abbey (Welbeck Estates), the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Portland in Notthinghamshire.
Notable members
- William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649–1709), a Dutch and English nobleman, and a friend of King William III
- Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland (1682–1726), son of the 1st Earl of Portland, and a British politician and colonial statesman
- William Bentinck, 1st Count Bentinck (1704–1774), son of the 1st Earl of Portland
- William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland (1709–1762), a British peer
- John Bentinck (1737–1775), a British captain, and member of the younger line of the house of Bentinck
- William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (1738—1809), British politician and Prime Minister twice (1783 & 1807-9).
- Carel, Baron Bentinck (1751–1825), a famous Lieutenant General in the Dutch army
- Berend Hendrik, Baron Bentinck tot Buckhorst (1753–1830), a Dutch soldier and statesman
- Willem Gustaaf Frederik Bentinck, 2nd Count Bentinck (1762–1835), a Dutch politician, and son of the 1st Count Bentinck
- Charles Ferdinand, Count Bentinck (1764–1811), a Dutch politician and colonial statesman
- Adolf Carel, Baron Bentinck van Nijenhuis (1764–1837), a Dutch politician
- William Bentinck (1764–1813), vice-admiral in the British Navy
- William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland (1768–1854), a British politician
- Lord William Bentinck (1774—1839), a British Governor General of India
- Arnold Adolf, Baron Bentinck van Nijenhuis (1798–1868), a Dutch politician, son of Adolf Carel, Baron Bentinck van Nijenhuis
- William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland (1800–1879), a British aristocratic eccentric who preferred to live in seclusion
- Lord George Bentinck (1802—1848), son of the 4th Duke of Portland and a British Conservative politician
- Charles William Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (1817–1865), great grandfather Queen Elizabeth II
- William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland (1857–1943), a British Conservative politician
- Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck (1862–1938), grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II
- Ottoline Cavendish-Bentinck (1873–1938), British society hostess
- William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland (1893–1977), a British Conservative politician
- Henry Bentinck, 11th Earl of Portland, 7th Count Bentinck (1919—1997), a British non-conformist intellectual, concerned about the environment
- Udo Willem, Baron Bentinck (born 1940), a well-known Dutch Judge
- Tim Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland, 8th Count Bentinck (born 1953), plays David Archer in The Archers on BBC Radio 4 and is a British voice artist and actor
- Rev. Charles Donald Bentinck (1866–1940) presided over Dornoch Cathedral, Dornoch Scotland from 1906–1936 and was instrumental in the extensive renovations occurring in the 1920s. He authored the book Dornoch Cathedral and Parish published in 1926 (ISBN#B000WG9VR0). He is survived by his granddaughter Heather Elizabeth Dennis (née Bentinck) and great grandchildren Katherine Michelle Dennis and Jeffrey Stuart Dennis
Trivia
- Bentinck Island near Victoria, British Columbia at may have been named after Lord George Bentinck.[1]
- North and South Bentinck Arms, off Burke Channel, were named after William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland by Captain Vancouver in 1793.[2]:48. North Bentinck Arm is significant in the history of Canada because it was here in 1793 that Sir Alexander Mackenzie completed the first recorded transcontinental crossing of North America by a European north of Mexico.
- HMS Bentinck (K314) is a ship named after John Bentinck.
- After Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to Holland at the end of World War I, he was housed at Kasteel Amerongen, belonging to Count Bentinck.
- In the 1976 BBC mini-series "The Duchess of Duke Street", the lead character, Louisa Trotter, buys and renovates the Hotel Bentinck in west London.
- HMS Portland (F79) is a type 23 frigate (Duke class) named after the Dukes of Portland. It is the eighth ship to hold the title, but the first to be named after the Portland family, rather than Portland Harbour.
References
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