BACK IN TIME: The Story of Lord Chesham's statue

Charles Compton William Cavendish was born on December 13th 1850 at Burlington House in London, educated at Eton and joined the Coldstream Guards at the age of 19.

By 1877 he had exchanged to the 16th Lancers, retiring shortly afterwards. He was a member of the House of Lords and lived at Latimer House. He also bred Jersey Cattle and was a keen huntsman.

By 1900 he had rejoined the army and during the Second Boer War in 1900 he was in charge of the 10th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry. He died on November 9th 1907 during a hunt near Daventry.

The horse he was riding failed to jump over a hedge, causing Lord Chesham to be thrown over the horse's head, landing on his face and breaking his neck.

A year later Colonel Lawson of the Londonderry House Committee wrote to Aylesbury's Urban District Council proposing that a statue be made in his memory.

It was universally accepted and plans were made to find a suitable site for it. The photograph shows the statue's unveiling on July 14th 1910.