Jane Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (29 March 1798 – 12 October 1844), formerly Lady Jane Stewart, was the first wife of
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough (né Spencer; 27 December 1793 – 1 July 1857), styled Earl of Sunderland until 1817 and Marquess of Blandford between 1817 and 1840, was a British nobleman, politician, and peer. The great-gra ...
.
Jane was the daughter of
George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway, and his wife,
the former Lady Jane Paget, and was the first cousin of George Spencer-Churchill, whose mother had been Jane's father's sister.
She married the duke, then Marquess of Blandford, on 13 January 1819. It was the future duke's first legal marriage, though he had previously gone through a false marriage ceremony (with his brother,
Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill, playing the role of clergyman) and had then lived as husband and wife in Scotland with the 16-year-old Susannah Adelaide Law, which might have made the marriage legal under Scottish law. Blandford had successfully contested the matter in court, even though she had a child by him. His mother was obliged to pay Susannah an allowance in order to prevent her making public his letters. He had also had an affair with
Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham.
They had four children:
*Lady Louisa Spencer-Churchill (c.1820–1882), who married the Honourable Robert Spencer, son of
Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill, and had issue.
*
John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough
John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, (2 June 18224 July 1883), styled Earl of Sunderland from 1822 to 1840 and Marquess of Blandford from 1840 to 1857, was a British Conservative cabinet minister, politician, peer, and noble ...
(1822–1883).
*
Lord Alfred Spencer-Churchill (1824–1893), who married the Hon. Harriet Gough-Calthorpe, daughter of
Frederick Gough, 4th Baron Calthorpe and had issue.
*
Lord Alan Spencer-Churchill
Lord Alan Spencer-Churchill Deputy lieutenant, DL (25 July 1825 – 19 April 1873) was a British aristocrat, officer in the British Army, deputy lieutenant of Oxfordshire, a lieutenant in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry and a businessman. He was a g ...
(1825–1873), who married Rosalind Dowker.
Blandford inherited his father's dukedom in 1840.
The duchess died at
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace ( ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. Originally called Blenheim Castle, it has been known as Blenheim Palace since the 19th century. One of England's larg ...
, aged 46. The duke remarried a further twice, with more children from each marriage.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlborough, Jane Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of
1798 births
1844 deaths
English duchesses by marriage
Daughters of Scottish earls
Jane Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough