The Sign (Adrian Pye)
The Cavendish sign is double sided. The pictorial side has the late 14th-century depiction of when King Richard II and his party met at Smithfield to negotiate with Wat Tyler and his contingent of rebels. An argument escalated into violence when Tyler made some motion towards the King. London’s mayor, William Walworth, protecting the king, wounded Wat Tyler in the throat and John Cavendish (junior) struck the fatal blow. His father, Sir John Cavendish had become Chief Justice of the King’s Bench in 1372. His duties included enforcing the labour laws and prosecuting poll tax demands; he was not a friend of the peasants. When the rebels in Suffolk heard the news from London and the role played by his son, they pursued Sir John to St. Mary’s Church in Cavendish. Here he pleaded sanctuary by grasping the handle of the church door, but to no avail. He was taken to the market place at Bury St. Edmunds and beheaded by the mob. On the other side are the arms of the Cavendish family. The scene is a replica of a painting from Froissart's Chronicles.

The sign was presented to the village by Cavendish Community Council and unveiled by the Duke of Devonshire, the present head of the Cavendish family, in June 1979.

The Name and Population
The population was 1,026 at the 2011 census. It was called Kauanadisc in 1086 and Cavenedis in 1242. The name means "The enclosure or enclosed park of a man called Cafna", from Old English.

Other Points of Interest

The main subject of Froissart’s Chronicles was the “honourable adventures and feats of arms” of the Hundred Years’ War. He used his privileged position to question central figures and observe key events. The first hand narrative covers weddings, funerals, and great battles from 1325 to 1400. Book I was based on the work of the Flemish writer Jean le Bel and later rewritten. Book II concerns the events in Flanders and the Peace of Tournai. Book III concerns Spain and Portugal. Book IV is based on the Battle of Poitiers and a final visit to England, where he was shocked by the weakness of the royal government.

Sue Ryder, the wife of Leonard Lord Cheshire is buried in the church of St Mary along with her husband and was the originator of the charity organisation, 'Sue Ryder Foundation'.