31 March 1920: Deborah Mitford is born

When Agatha Christie disappeared, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes and a committed spiritualist, became involved in the search. He obtained one of Agatha Christie’s gloves and gave it to a psychic medium Horace Leaf, hoping to discover what had happened. Leaf reportedly concluded that Christie was alive, although “half dazed and half purposeful.” [1]

On 31 March 1920, Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford was born, the youngest daughter of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife, Sydney. Known to her family as Debo, she grew up at Asthall Manor in Oxfordshire, surrounded by the sisters whose lives would fascinate the public for decades.

Deborah remembered Asthall with affection. There were summers by the River Windrush, family celebrations and plenty of time outdoors. Horses, dogs and chickens interested her more than the political arguments that would later divide her sisters. Like them, she was educated at home by governesses and received little formal schooling.

In 1938, at eighteen, Deborah made her debut in London society. That summer she met Andrew Cavendish, a younger son of the Duke of Devonshire. They fell in love, though neither imagined that Chatsworth would one day become their responsibility. They married in 1941, with Britain at war.

Andrew’s elder brother was killed during the war, and in 1950 Andrew inherited the dukedom. Deborah eventually took on the formidable task of bringing Chatsworth back to life. She helped make the great house a welcoming place for visitors while preserving its history and character.

Unlike her sister Nancy, Deborah did not become a published author in her youth. Her writing came later, growing out of her years at Chatsworth. *The House: A Portrait of Chatsworth* combined her knowledge of its past with a lively eye for the people who had lived there. More books followed, revealing the wit and warmth that made Debo a writer in her own right.