George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough
Encyclopedia
George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough FSA
(6 March 1766 – 5 March 1840), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1817, was a British peer and collector of antiquities and books.
, and Lady Caroline Russell, daughter of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
. Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill
, was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton
between 1776 and 1783 and at Christ Church, Oxford
between 1784 and 1786, where he graduated on 9 December 1786 with a Master of Arts
(M.A.). He was later given an honorary Doctor of Laws (D.C.L.) from the University on 20 June 1792.
in parliament as a Whig between 1790 and 1796 and Tregony
as a Tory between 1802 and 1806. From 1804 to 1806 he served under William Pitt the Younger
as a Lord of the Treasury
. The latter year he was summoned to the House of Lords
through a writ of acceleration
in his father's barony of Spencer of Wormleighton. During this time, he lived in Berkshire
, at Remenham
and Hurst
. From 1798, he resided at Whiteknights Park
at Earley
, near Reading
, where he became famous for his extravagant collecting of antiquities, especially books. He was invested as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
(FSA) on 8 December 1803.
Although the Marquess was born and baptised with the name of George Spencer, soon after succeeding to the Dukedom of Marlborough
, he had it legally changed on 26 May 1817 to George Spencer-Churchill. This illustrious name did not, however, save him from his mounting debts and his estates were seized and his collections sold. He retired to Blenheim Palace
where he lived the remainder of his life off a small annuity granted to the first Duke by Queen Anne
.
The diarist Harriet Arbuthnot
wrote one of her most scathing comments about the Duke following a visit to Blenheim in 1824:
, on 15 September 1791. They had four children:
Illegitimate children:
The Duke died in March 1840, aged 73, at Blenheim Palace and was buried there in the vault beneath the chapel on 13 March 1840. His eldest son George, Marquess of Blandford
, succeeded in the title. The Duchess of Marlborough died at Park Lane
, Mayfair
, London
, in April 1841, aged 73.
Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries can refer to:*Society of Antiquaries of London*Society of Antiquaries of Scotland*Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne*Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland...
(6 March 1766 – 5 March 1840), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1817, was a British peer and collector of antiquities and books.
Background and education
Spencer-Churchill was the eldest son of George Spencer, 4th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG, PC, FRS , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British courtier and politician...
, and Lady Caroline Russell, daughter of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, FRS was an 18th century British statesman. He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey...
. Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill
Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill
Francis Almeric Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill DCL FRS was a British peer and Whig politician.Born Lord Francis Almeric Spencer, he was the second son of the 4th Duke of Marlborough. On 25 November 1800, he married Lady Frances FitzRoy, a younger daughter of the 3rd Duke of Grafton...
, was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
between 1776 and 1783 and at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
between 1784 and 1786, where he graduated on 9 December 1786 with a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(M.A.). He was later given an honorary Doctor of Laws (D.C.L.) from the University on 20 June 1792.
Career
Lord Blandford represented OxfordshireOxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxfordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. In 1832 this was increased to three...
in parliament as a Whig between 1790 and 1796 and Tregony
Tregony (UK Parliament constituency)
Tregony was a rotten borough in Cornwall which was represented in the Model Parliament of 1295, and returned two Members of Parliament to the English and later British Parliament continuously from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act....
as a Tory between 1802 and 1806. From 1804 to 1806 he served under William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
as a Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
. The latter year he was summoned to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
through a writ of acceleration
Writ of acceleration
A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, was a type of writ of summons to the British House of Lords that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with multiple peerage titles to attend the British House of Lords or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father's...
in his father's barony of Spencer of Wormleighton. During this time, he lived in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, at Remenham
Remenham
Remenham is a village and civil parish on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames near Henley-on-Thames in southern England.-Rowing:The parish covers the starting point of the Henley Royal Regatta course. Remenham Club is a private members club for rowers, with a good view of the river halfway along...
and Hurst
Hurst, Berkshire
Hurst is a village in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst in the English county of Berkshire.-Geography:The parish of St Nicholas Hurst is situated at , north of Wokingham and south of Twyford in the county of Berkshire...
. From 1798, he resided at Whiteknights Park
Whiteknights Park
Whiteknights Park, or the Whiteknights Campus of the University of Reading, is the principal campus of that university. The park covers the area of the manor of Earley Whiteknights, also known as Earley St Nicholas and Earley Regis.Whiteknights Park is some two miles south of the centre of the town...
at Earley
Earley
Earley is a town and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The Office for National Statistics places Earley within the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area, for purposes of local government it falls within the Borough of Wokingham, outside of the jurisdiction of Reading Borough Council. The name...
, near Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, where he became famous for his extravagant collecting of antiquities, especially books. He was invested as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries can refer to:*Society of Antiquaries of London*Society of Antiquaries of Scotland*Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne*Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland...
(FSA) on 8 December 1803.
Although the Marquess was born and baptised with the name of George Spencer, soon after succeeding to the Dukedom of Marlborough
Duke of Marlborough
Duke of Marlborough , is a hereditary title in the Peerage of England. The first holder of the title was John Churchill , the noted English general, and indeed an unqualified reference to the Duke of Marlborough in a historical text will almost certainly refer to him.-History:The dukedom was...
, he had it legally changed on 26 May 1817 to George Spencer-Churchill. This illustrious name did not, however, save him from his mounting debts and his estates were seized and his collections sold. He retired to Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
where he lived the remainder of his life off a small annuity granted to the first Duke by Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
.
The diarist Harriet Arbuthnot
Harriet Arbuthnot
Harriet Arbuthnot was an early 19th century English diarist, social observer and political hostess on behalf of the Tory party. During the 1820s she was the "closest woman friend" of the hero of Waterloo and British Prime Minister, the 1st Duke of Wellington...
wrote one of her most scathing comments about the Duke following a visit to Blenheim in 1824:
Family
Marlborough married Lady Susan Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 7th Earl of GallowayJohn Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway
John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway KT was a Scottish peer, styled Viscount Garlies from 1747 until 1773. He succeeded his father Alexander in 1773. He was elected one of the representative peers, representing the Peerage of Scotland in the House of Lords, in 1774 and sat there until the 1790s...
, on 15 September 1791. They had four children:
- George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough DCL , styled Earl of Sunderland until 1817 and Marquess of Blandford between 1817 and 1840, was a British peer...
(1793–1857) - Lord Charles Spencer-ChurchillLord Charles Spencer-Churchill (British Army officer)Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill was a British nobleman, the second son of George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough....
(1794–1840), married Ethelred Catherine Benett and had issue. - Reverend Lord George Henry Spencer-Churchill (1796–1828), married Elizabeth Martha Nares.
- Lord Henry John Spencer-Churchill (1797–1840).
Illegitimate children:
- John Tustian (1799–1873).
The Duke died in March 1840, aged 73, at Blenheim Palace and was buried there in the vault beneath the chapel on 13 March 1840. His eldest son George, Marquess of Blandford
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough DCL , styled Earl of Sunderland until 1817 and Marquess of Blandford between 1817 and 1840, was a British peer...
, succeeded in the title. The Duchess of Marlborough died at Park Lane
Park Lane
Park Lane may refer to:*Park Lane , an investment bank in Los Angeles, California*Park Lane , a road in London, UK*Park Lane , a shopping mall in Halifax, Nova Scotia*Park Lane , a rugby stadium in Greater Manchester, UK...
, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in April 1841, aged 73.