Politician. He is most remembered for being the secretary to the Duke of Marlborough during unstable British events. His family were French Protestant or Huguenot refugees arriving in England about 1641. His grandfather had owned the Chateau de Cardonnel in France and it was his father, Adam, and his older uncle, Peter, who came to England. The family wealth seems to have been largely lost during the Civil War, when his family apparently lent King Charles I some nearly $26,000, that was never repaid. Strangely some years later, the family was imprisoned for their debts. Born the second son, he was not educated as the older son, thus entered service at the War Office at an early age, but advancing rapidly with overlapping positions: Chief clerk to the Secretary of War from 1692 to 1702; treasurer for the hospital serving the military overseas from 1693 to 1711; and was the Secretary of War from January to August of 1710. His knowledge of languages such as French and administrative skills had become invaluable. He became a colleague of Marlborough becoming his secretary in 1701 and accompanied the commander-in-chief on many campaigns. He was present at many of Marlborough battles, including the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. In April of 1707, he was with Marlborough when visiting King Charles XII of Sweden. Although he was promised a promotion by Marlborough, he was bypassed by the Secretary of War twice and to the dismay of Marlborough, who had the promotion promised to him by the crown. In the summer of 1710, he was very ill and away from home. During this time he was representing Southampton as a Member of Parliament for five years. Sir Solomone de Medina stated that Cardonnel was given money by him to insure an annual contract for bread to be supplied to the military. Although there was no solid evidence to prove this, he gave a weak defense stating he was paid to translate Dutch contracts for Medina and to keep English contract forms written correctly. On February 19, 1712 he was expelled for acts "unwarrantable and corrupt from the House of Commons by a vote of 125 in favor to 99 against. He did not consider being a candidate in the 1713 MP election but did unsuccessfully make a bit for Southampton in 1715. At this point, he retired but was known to give Marlborough advice until his death. He was married twice with no children from the first marriage. From his second marriage, he had a son, Adam, who died on September 22, 1735 and a daughter, Mary, who married, at the age of fifteen, to the 1st Earl of Talbot. His burial site is documented in the "Dictionary of National Biographies, Volume 3." The birth date listed is actually his baptismal date.