John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

John Churchill was born on 26th May 1650 to Winston Churchill (later Sir Winston Churchill) and his wife Elizabeth. Sir Winston had been fined heavily by Oliver Cromwell at the end of the Civil War (he coined the family motto Fiel Pero Desdichado, Faithful but Unfortunate, which is still used by the family to this day). The family’s fortunes took a turn for the better when Charles II was restored to the throne and in 1665, Winston Churchill’s eldest daughter, Arabella, became Maid of Honour to Anne Hyde, the Duchess of York, joined some months later by her brother John, as page to her husband, James. This was the start of his brilliant military career which culminated during the reign of Queen Anne when he won the Battle of Blenheim during the War of Spanish Succession.

The Battle of Sedgemoor

Marlborough had long been in the service of the Crown before this great military campaign. In 1685 he was close to the centre of events and controversies surrounding the Royal family. There was opposition in the country against the new King James II because he was a Catholic. The Duke of Monmouth, an illegitimate son of Charles II, led a Protestant rebellion against the King. Feversham was appointed to lead the King’s army against this rebellion but it was John Churchill (later 1st Duke of Marlborough) who ensured victory at the Battle of Sedgemoor. The rebels were soundly defeated. Churchill left after the battle and took no part in the savage reprisals that took place afterwards on the orders of the infamous Judge Jeffreys. Churchill was disappointed that it was Feversham who gained all the rewards from the King after this Battle. During the reign of James II Churchill’s wife, Sarah, became very close to the King’s younger daughter, Anne. When it appeared that the King had high hopes of persuading Anne to become a Catholic, John and Sarah advised her to stand firm in the Protestant faith. Churchill also wrote to William of Orange to assure him that he (Churchill) would remain a Protestant. This paved the way for Churchill’s transfer of loyalties from James to William of Orange during the Glorious Revolution in 1688. (William of Orange was the husband of James’s elder daughter, Mary). Protestants hoped that James would die without a son and so William and Mary would inherit the throne. When William was in negotiation with the rebels he agreed to accept the Crown on the understanding that he would rule as a joint monarch. This meant that should his wife pre-decease him, William could then continue to rule as King in his own right. Churchill wrote to William ‘In all things but [my religion] the King may command me.’

William and Mary

James II caused a crisis when his wife, who was a Catholic, produced a healthy son which would mean a Catholic succession. Powerful Protestants at Court wrote to William of Orange to encourage him to intervene and take the Crown. William landed in England with an army in November 1688. Churchill, who was James’s Lieutenant-General (leader of James's army) and other powerful men from Court left the King's camp and went over to William.

William ruled jointly with his wife Mary. Churchill was at the centre of political circles but never quite gained the favour and rewards from the King for which he hoped. He was given the title of Earl of Marlborough in 1689 but this was not enough. He had wanted to be made Master of the Ordnance, Captain General of the Armed forces (i.e. Commander in Chief) and he particularly wished for the Order of the Garter. These were not granted to him because William did not trust Marlborough. When William faced rebellion in Ireland by supporters of James II, he kept Marlborough out of the main fighting. William himself faced the rebels at the Battle of the Boyne. The new Earl of Marlborough was sent to the south of Ireland to deal with another group of Jacobites. In 1692 Marlborough was arrested and stripped of his civil and military posts because he had been in contact with the exiled King James II. Marlborough, disappointed by his lack of promotion had thought it advisable to build bridges with James in France. He was imprisoned in the tower for six weeks on a charge of treason. There was not enough evidence to bring Marlborough to trial and he was released. Churchill wrote to William ‘In all things but [my religion] the King may command me.’

Queen Anne and the War of Spanish Succession

In February 1702 William of Orange died and was succeeded by his sister-in-law, Anne. John Churchill’s fortunes revived. His wife Sarah was a close friend to Queen Anne, to the extent that they had nicknames for one another - the Queen called herself Mrs Morley and Sarah and John were known as Mr and Mrs Freeman. Churchill was given the Order of the Garter and made Master of the Ordnance. On the 14th of December 1702 he became the 1st Duke of Marlborough and the Marquis of Blandford. It was shortly after this that Marlborough left for Europe to lead the long campaign against the French. The war in which he directed affairs became known as the War of Spanish Succession.

The King of Spain, Charles II, had no direct heir. The nearest possible heir was the Dauphin of France. For France to gain control of Spain and all its territories was unthinkable in Europe at that time. European diplomacy worked to prevent this. Eventually the French King, Louis XIV agreed that France would not claim the Spanish crown in return for compensation. The aged Spanish King disagreed with this decision and before dying he made a will leaving the Spanish Empire to the grandson of Louis XIV. Louis knew there would be trouble if he allowed this to go ahead but he still sent his grandson south to be crowned Philip V of Spain. This action led to the formation of a Grand Alliance between England, Holland and the Holy Roman Empire. Marlborough was Generalissimo of this Alliance. He fought many battles and had many great successes.

1704 Battle of Blenheim
1706 Battle of Ramillies
1708 Battle of Oudenarde
1709 Battle of Malplaquet
1711 Siege of Bouchain

Marlborough was a great soldier and diplomat. He had earned the reward of the Great House that was to become Blenheim Palace. Winston Churchill wrote in his book Marlborough His Life and Times that he preserved a complete silence, offering neither explanations nor excuses for any of his deeds or achievements. His answer was to be this Great House.

Henrietta, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough

During the war, the 1st Duke of Marlborough lost his beloved son and heir to smallpox. His wife was beside herself with grief. After Marlborough’s son had died, an Act of Parliament established that in the event of a lack of a male heir the title would go through the female line. Marlborough’s eldest daughter Henrietta therefore inherited the title on her father’s death. Henrietta died without a male heir so the title went to the family of her sister Anne. By the time Henrietta died Anne was also dead so the title went to Anne’s eldest remaining son Charles Spencer, who became the 3rd Duke in 1733. This meant that the Churchill name was now lost. It was brought back to the family by the 5th Duke who, by royal licence, was allowed to add Churchill to his name Spencer. Since then the family has been Spencer-Churchill. Charles Spencer had a younger brother John who remained at Althorp. From him the Earls of Spencer descend, and Lady Diana Spencer, the Princess of Wales, was therefore a direct descendent of the 1st Duke of Marlborough.