Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the aristocraticCavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only by the Earls of Derby and the Marquesses of Salisbury.
Further reading
Pearson, John. The Serpent and the Stag. Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1984.
References
Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.