- Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
-
Mary Alice Cavendish
Duchess of DevonshireBorn 25 July 1895
Hatfield, HertfordshireDied 24 December 1988 (aged 93)
Westminster, LondonOccupation Mistress of the Robes, Chancellor of the University of Exeter Title Duchess of Devonshire, GCVO CBE, Hon. LLD (Exon) Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, GCVO, CBE (29 July 1895 Hatfield, Hertfordshire[1] – 24 December 1988 Westminster, London [2]) was born Lady Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil, daughter of James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury. She was married on 21 April 1917 to Edward Cavendish, Lord Hartington, who succeeded his father as 10th Duke of Devonshire in 1938, whereupon Mary became Duchess of Devonshire. She was Mistress of the Robes to Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1967 and Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 1955 to 1972. She was awarded Hon. LLD (Exon) in 1956.
Husband
On 26 November 1950, her husband Edward Cavendish, the 10th Duke of Devonshire had a heart attack and died while being attended by John Bodkin Adams, the suspected serial killer. In the process of transferring his assets to his son, the death of the Duke fell 10 weeks prior to a required 5-year period, and his estate was subjected to taxes of 80%[3]. 13 days before his death, Edith Alice Morrell, another patient of Adams, had also died. Adams was tried in 1957 for her murder but acquitted. Home office pathologist Francis Camps, however, linked Adams to 163 suspicious deaths in total.[4]
References
- ^ GRO Register of Births: SEP 1895 3a 582 HATFIELD - Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil
- ^ GRO Register of Deaths: DEC 1988 15 1567 WESTMINSTER - Mary Alice Devonshire aged 93 born Jul 1895
- ^ Lowell, Mary., "The Sisters: Saga of the Mitford Family"
- ^ Cullen, Pamela V., "A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams", London, Elliott & Thompson, 2006, ISBN 1-904027-19-9
Court offices Preceded by
—Mistress of the Robes to
Queen Elizabeth II
1953–1967Succeeded by
The Duchess of GraftonAcademic offices Preceded by
—Chancellor of the
University of Exeter
1955–1972Succeeded by
The Viscount AmoryCategories:- 1895 births
- 1988 deaths
- Cecil family
- Cavendish family
- British duchesses by marriage
- Chancellors of the University of Exeter
- Mistresses of the Robes to Elizabeth II
- British nobility stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.