Papers of Lord William H. Cavendish Bentinck (1774-1839), soldier, politician and...

The correspondence and papers cover the period of Lord William's military service as a young officer in the English armies in Flanders and Italy during the French Revolutionary Wars. Bentinck served as an ensign in the Coldstream Guards from 1791 and as a captain in the 2nd Light Dragoons in 1792. He was gazetted Lieutenant-Colonel in the 24th Light Dragoons in 1794 and served on the staff of the Duke of York in the Netherlands. From May 1799 he served at the headquarters of Marshal Suwarrof's army in north Italy and was present at the battles of Trebbia, Novi, Savigliano and Marengo (June 1800), serving with the Austrian forces until 1801. He was also involved in various other actions including the passages of the Mincio and Adige and the sieges of Alessandria and Coni.

During this period he was also M.P. for Camelford (March-May 1796) and for Nottinghamshire (1796-1803) and in 1803 he married Lady Mary Acheson, daughter of the 1st Earl of Gosford. The correspondents are mainly military colleagues and a few family members and friends.