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 Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

cabinet minister, politician, peer, and nobleman. He was the paternal grandfather of Prime Minister

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

Background and education

John Winston Spencer-Churchill was born at Garboldisham Hall,

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, the eldest son 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 ...

, and Lady Jane Stewart, daughter of Admiral George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

. He was commissioned as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Yeomanry in 1842 and was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 22 April 1847. His father and younger brother also served in the regiment. He held 23,000 acres, mostly in Oxfordshire.

Political career

Spencer-Churchill was Member of Parliament for

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

from 1844 to 1845 and again from 1847 to 1857. He was responsible for the New Parishes Act 1856 ( 19 & 20 Vict. c. 104), enabling populous

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

es to be divided for purposes of church work. In 1857, he succeeded his father in the dukedom and entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He served under

Lord Derby Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869), known as Lord Stanley from 1834 to 1851, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served three times as Prime Minister of the United K ...

Lord Steward of the Household The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is one of the three Great Officers of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Household of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch. He is, by tradition, the first great officer of ...

from 1866 to 1867, and under Derby and later

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

Lord President of the Council The Lord President of the Council is the presiding officer of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the fourth of the Great Officers of State, ranking below the Lord High Treasurer but above the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. The Lor ...

—with a seat in the cabinet—from 1867 to 1868.He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1866, and made a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

in 1868. On the formation of Disraeli's second cabinet in 1874, he was offered, but declined, the Viceroyalty of Ireland. He again held office under Disraeli as

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...

from 1876 to 1880. Spencer-Churchill was president of The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society for many years. He died suddenly of

angina pectoris Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of part ...

at 29

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent, ...

, London, on 4 July 1883. After lying in state 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 ...

, he was buried in the private chapel on 10 July.

Family

On 12 July 1843, Spencer-Churchill married Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane (15 April 182216 April 1899), eldest daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry and Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane-Tempest. They had eleven children: * George Charles Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough (13 May 18449 November 1892), whose son

Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (13 November 1871 – 30 June 1934), styled Earl of Sunderland until 1883 and Marquess of Blandford between 1883 and 1892, was a British soldier and Conservative ...

, married into the

Vanderbilt family The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanth ...

. *Lord Frederick John Winston Spencer-Churchill (2 February 18465 August 1850) * Lady Cornelia Henrietta Maria Spencer-Churchill (17 September 1847 Upper Brook Street,

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

, London, 22 January 1927), married 25 May 1868 Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne, by whom she had issue. * Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 184924 January 1895), married 15 April 1874 Jennie Jerome. Their issue included

and

John Strange Spencer-Churchill John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. *Lady Rosamund Jane Frances Spencer-Churchill (9 November 18513 December 1920), married 12 July 1877 William Fellowes, 2nd Baron de Ramsey, by whom she had issue. *Lady Fanny Octavia Louise Spencer-Churchill (29 January 18535 August 1904), married 9 June 1873

Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth, (8 July 1849 – 15 September 1909), was a moderate British Liberal Party statesman who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 until 1894 when he inherited his peerage and then sat in the House of Lor ...

, by whom she had issue. * Lady Anne Emily Spencer-Churchill (Lower Brook Street, Mayfair, London, 14 November 1854 South Audley Street, Mayfair, London, 20 June 1923), married 11 June 1874

James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe James Henry Robert Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe (5 September 1839 – 23 October 1892), became Duke of Roxburghe on the death of his father, James Henry Robert Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe. Early life He was born on 5 September 1839 to Ja ...

, by whom she had issue. *Lord Charles Ashley Spencer-Churchill (25 November 185611 March 1858) *Lord Augustus Robert Spencer-Churchill (4 July 185812 May 1859) *Lady Georgiana Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill (10

St James's Square St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian architecture, Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was ...

St James's St James's is a district of Westminster, and a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End of London, West End. The area was once part of the northwestern gardens and parks of St. James's Palace and much of ...

, London, 14 May 18609 February 1906), married 4 June 1883 Richard George Penn Curzon, 4th Earl Howe, by whom she had issue. * Lady Sarah Isabella Augusta Spencer-Churchill (4 July 186522 October 1929), a war correspondent during the

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

; married 21 November 1891 Lt. Col. Gordon Chesney Wilson (son of Sir Samuel Wilson MP), by whom she had issue. Marlborough died on 4 July 1883, aged 61, and was succeeded in the title by his eldest son, George. His wife died sixteen years later, on 16 April 1899, aged 77.

Portrayals in film and television

Marlborough was portrayed by

Cyril Luckham Cyril Alexander Garland Luckham (25 July 1907 – 8 February 1989) was an English film, television and theatre actor. He was the husband of stage and screen actress Violet Lamb. Career The son of a paymaster captain in the Royal Navy, Cyril Lu ...

in the 1974

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

mini-series '' Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill''.

Ancestry

References

;Attribution

External links

*
The Papers of the 7th Duke of Marlborough
held at

Churchill Archives Centre The Churchill Archives Centre (CAC) at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge is one of the largest repositories in the United Kingdom for the preservation and study of modern personal papers. It is best known for housing the papers ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke Of 1822 births 1883 deaths People from Garboldisham Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

107 107 may refer to: *107 (number), the number *AD 107, a year in the 2nd century AD *107 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *107 (New Jersey bus) *107 Camilla, a main-belt asteroid *Peugeot 107, a city car See also

*10/7 (disambiguation) *Bohrium, ...

Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England Knights of the Garter Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Lord-lieutenants of Oxfordshire Lord Presidents of the Council Lords Lieutenant of Ireland Blandford, John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of UK MPs who inherited peerages Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars officers People educated at Eton College Deaths from angina pectoris 19th-century British Army personnel Military personnel from Norfolk