Stretched out in the afternoon shade of a giant black walnut tree, in the Golden Triangle section of Centretown, is a tiny street named Hartington Place.
In fact, this street is so small that it’s about as long as this tree is tall.
Two OC Transpo buses would not be able to park bumper to bumper the length of this little road. It’s a quiet residential place tucked away off Gilmour Street, just one block east of Minto Park. While no match for the bustle of Bank or Bronson, Hartington still has its own charm and story.
Windows from the street’s four large, orange-brick houses peer down at the small, leafy gardens and sidewalks. How did such a small street get such a big name?
Spencer Compton Cavendish, the 8th Duke of Devonshire and the Marquess of Hartington — also known as Lord Hartington — is the street’s namesake. While he never lived in Canada, he did have a colourful life in British politics.
Born in 1833, he would serve as the leader of three different political parties, and was known for declining the position of prime minister of Britain on three separate occasions.
His peers spoke of him as having a quiet demeanour and as never answering questions too hastily. The word wise was often used to describe him.
When he passed away in 1908, his nephew became his successor to the Dukedom of Devonshire. Victor Christian William Cavendish, the 9th Duke of Devonshire, became the 11th Governor General of Canada in 1916.
Perhaps he rallied for the naming of Hartington Place, or was honoured by others who chose the name. But the precise story isn’t known.