At about 4.10pm on Saturday July 29, 1963, the President of the United States, John F Kennedy, whirled into the village of Edensor in Derbyshire. The whirr of the President’s US Army helicopter caught the Edensor villagers by surprise and they rushed from their homes in shirt-sleeves and carpet slippers to join a posse of security men waiting for the touchdown in a field at the back of the churchyard. After visiting Ireland, JFK had flown to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire and then made a private hour-long pilgrimage from there to Edensor. He walked from a field over the deer leap on a specially-constructed bridge that the estate workmen had put up. For a brief moment he forgot all his troubles to stand in the quiet Derbyshire churchyard beside the grave of his sister, Kathleen Devonshire. Although his visit was informal, every movement the President made was scrutinized by a weighty corps of security men – including one who waited near the grave guarding the flowers until Mr Kennedy arrived. Seventy policemen were ranged round the church and patrolmen checked the names of reporters and photographers entering the village. JFK, his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver and members of the Devonshire family placed three sprays of roses and a spray or carnations by the simple memorial stone. The vicar, one of the few non-security people to see the President’s arrival, commented: “He said ‘Hello’’ and I asked him if this was the first visit to the grave. He replied that he had been here several years ago.”
This is the grave of Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington. She married William Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington — the powerful 10th Duke of Devonshire's son and heir not only to the title, but to the palatial Chatsworth House estate, among other rich properties.Kathleen, nicknamed "Kick," married Billy, as he was called, when she was 24, on May 6, 1944. Four months after their marriage, Billy was killed by a sniper during battle near the German Front. With his family's blessing, he was buried close to where fell. Her husband's younger brother thus became the heir apparent to the dukedom as Billy left no heirs. Kathleen died on May 14th 1948 in a plane crash in france. Her Brother John F Kennedy Visited the grave shortly before his own death. Please look further yourself into this interesting bit of history!
The two dates on the grave stone ABCD-EFGH
The day month and year JFK visited the grave IJ K LMNO N 53 (L)(O).(G)(G)(H)
W 001 (O)(J-I).(C+I)(A)(B)