The First Churchills
Encyclopedia
The First Churchills was a BBC
serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
. It starred John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire
as the duchess, was written and produced by Donald Wilson, and was directed by David Giles.
The serial presents the lives of John and Sarah Churchill from their meeting in 1673 until a time shortly before the first duke's death in 1722, and shows, along the way, much of the context of English politics at the same time. Like many BBC serials of the era, it was made on a low production budget, with sound studio sets, and generally avoided battle and crowd scenes out of inability to stage them in a convincing manner. The series is based on the Marlboroughs' famous descendant Winston Churchill
's life of his ancestor the Duke, and as such presents a very favourable portrait of the Marlboroughs.
The closing credits theme is the second piece, a Rondeau, of Henry Purcell
's incidental music, composed about 1695, to Aphra Behn
's 1676 play Abdelazer, or The Moor's Revenge.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain.Sarah's friendship and influence with Princess Anne was widely known, and leading public figures...
. It starred John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire
Susan Hampshire
Susan Hampshire, Lady Kulukundis, OBE is an English actress, best-known for her many television and film roles.-Early life:Susan Hampshire was born in Kensington, London, the youngest of four children. She had two sisters and one brother...
as the duchess, was written and produced by Donald Wilson, and was directed by David Giles.
The serial presents the lives of John and Sarah Churchill from their meeting in 1673 until a time shortly before the first duke's death in 1722, and shows, along the way, much of the context of English politics at the same time. Like many BBC serials of the era, it was made on a low production budget, with sound studio sets, and generally avoided battle and crowd scenes out of inability to stage them in a convincing manner. The series is based on the Marlboroughs' famous descendant Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's life of his ancestor the Duke, and as such presents a very favourable portrait of the Marlboroughs.
The closing credits theme is the second piece, a Rondeau, of Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
's incidental music, composed about 1695, to Aphra Behn
Aphra Behn
Aphra Behn was a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration and was one of the first English professional female writers. Her writing contributed to the amatory fiction genre of British literature.-Early life:...
's 1676 play Abdelazer, or The Moor's Revenge.
Cast
The serial depicts most of the important political figures of the day:- King Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
: James VilliersJames VilliersJames Michael Hyde Villiers was a British character actor and a familiar face on British television... - King James IIJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
: John WestbrookJohn Westbrook (actor)John Westbrook was an English actor.Born in Teignmouth, Devon, John Westbrook worked mainly in theatre and in radio. He also made occasional film and television appearances. His most famous role was as Christopher Gough in Roger Corman's The Tomb of Ligeia... - Queen MaryMary of ModenaMary of Modena was Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of King James II and VII. A devout Catholic, Mary became, in 1673, the second wife of James, Duke of York, who later succeeded his older brother Charles II as King James II...
, wife to James II: Sheila GishSheila GishSheila Gish was a British stage and television actress.She was born Sheila Anne Gash in Lincoln, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and made her stage debut with a repertory company.... - King William IIIWilliam III of EnglandWilliam III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
: Alan RoweAlan RoweAlan Rowe was a New Zealand-born English actor, perhaps best known for his appearances on the British science fiction programme Doctor Who.-Career:... - Queen Mary IIMary II of EnglandMary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
: Lisa DanielyLisa DanielyLisa Daniely is a British actress on TV and occasional films.She made her debut in the 1950 film Lilli Marlene in the title role, which also featured Stanley Baker in one of his earliest film parts. She later appeared in several films... - Queen AnneAnne of Great BritainAnne 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...
: Margaret TyzackMargaret TyzackMargaret Maud Tyzack, CBE was a British actress.-Early life:Tyzack was born in Essex, England, the daughter of Doris and Thomas Edward Tyzack. She grew up in West Ham... - Prince George of Denmark: Roger Mutton
- King Louis XIVLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
: Robert Robinson - Sidney GodolphinSidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of GodolphinSir Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, KG, PC was a leading English politician of the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
: John StandingJohn StandingSir John Ronald Leon Standing, 4th Baronet is an English actor.-Early life:Standing was born John Ronald Leon in London, the son of Kay Hammond , an actress, and Sir Ronald George Leon, a stockbroker... - Lord Shaftesbury: Frederick Peisley
- Lord ShrewsburyCharles Talbot, 1st Duke of ShrewsburyCharles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, KG, PC was an English statesman. Born to Roman Catholic parents, he remained in that faith until 1679 when—during the time of the Popish Plot and following the advice of the divine John Tillotson—he converted to the Church of England...
: Job Stewart - James, Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
: James Kerry - Robert Harley: Richard PearsonRichard Pearson (actor)Richard de Pearsall Pearson was a Welsh actor. Notable films of his career included Brian Desmond Hurst's Scrooge as well as a brief appearance in John Schlesinger's Sunday Bloody Sunday and cameo roles in three films by Roman Polanski: Macbeth , Tess and Pirates...
- Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland: Moira RedmondMoira RedmondMoira Redmond was a British actress.She was born in Bognor Regis, England, the daughter of the actress Molly Redmond and her husband who was a stage manager...
- Francis GodolphinFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of GodolphinFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, PC was a British politician, styled Viscount Rialton between 1706 and 1712.-Biography:...
: Richard WarwickRichard WarwickRichard Warwick was a British actor.He was born Richard Carey Winter, at Meopham, Kent and made his film debut in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 production of Romeo and Juliet in the role of Gregory... - Henrietta Churchill: Polly AdamsPolly AdamsPolly Adams is an English actress best known for her work on the stage both in England and in the United States, and for her portrayal of Mrs. Brown on the television series Just William. She made her Broadway debut in the critically acclaimed 1975 revival of London Assurance as Grace Harkaway...
- John Wilmot, Earl of RochesterJohn Wilmot, 2nd Earl of RochesterJohn Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , styled Viscount Wilmot between 1652 and 1658, was an English Libertine poet, a friend of King Charles II, and the writer of much satirical and bawdy poetry. He was the toast of the Restoration court and a patron of the arts...
: Graham Armitage - Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord Russell was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who opposed the succession of James II during the reign of Charles II, ultimately resulting in his execution for treason.-Early life and marriage:Russell was the third...
: Colin BeanColin BeanColin Bean was a British actor best known for his role as Private Sponge in the Second World War sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 to 1977, appearing in76 of Dad’s Army’s 80 episodes.... - Duchess of Portsmouth: Consuela Chapman
- Charles ChurchillCharles Churchill (British army officer)General Charles Churchill was an English army officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession.-Life:...
: Michael CulverMichael CulverMichael Culver is an English actor.He was born in Hampstead, London, the son of actor Roland Culver and casting director Daphne Rye... - Nell GwynNell GwynEleanor "Nell" Gwyn was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England. Called "pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel Pepys, she has been regarded as a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England and has come to be considered a folk heroine, with a story echoing the rags-to-royalty tale of...
: Andrea Lawrence - D'ArtagnanCharles de Batz-Castelmore d'ArtagnanCharles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
: Michael Lynch - Henrietta WentworthHenrietta Wentworth, 6th Baroness WentworthHenrietta Maria Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth was an English suo jure peeress.The only child of Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth and his wife, Philadelphia Carey, Henrietta spent her early years at the family home, Toddington Manor, Bedfordshire...
: Kay Patrick - Marquess of CarmarthenThomas Osborne, 1st Duke of LeedsThomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, KG , English statesman , served in a variety of offices under Kings Charles II and William III of England.-Early life, 1632–1674:The son of Sir Edward Osborne, Bart., of Kiveton, Yorkshire, Thomas Osborne...
: Arthur PentelowArthur PentelowArthur Pentelow was an English actor who was best known for playing Henry Wilks in Emmerdale Farm from 1972–91... - Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG, PC, FRS was an English statesman and poet.- Upbringing and education :...
: Bruce PurchaseBruce PurchaseBruce Purchase was a New Zealand-born actor known for his roles on stage and television. Born in Thames, New Zealand, he won a scholarship to study acting in England, training at RADA, and went on to become a founding actor-member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre... - Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of RochesterLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of RochesterLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester KG PC was an English statesman and writer. He was originally a supporter of James II but later supported the Glorious Revolution in 1688.-Early life:...
: John RinghamJohn RinghamJohn Henry Ringham was a British character actor of both television and stage who appeared in over a hundred screen appearances in a wide variety of roles.... - Titus OatesTitus OatesTitus Oates was an English perjurer who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.-Early life:...
: Nicholas Smith - Henry St JohnHenry St John, 1st Viscount BolingbrokeHenry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke was an English politician, government official and political philosopher. He was a leader of the Tories, and supported the Church of England politically despite his atheism. In 1715 he supported the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 which sought to overthrow the...
: Michael AttwellMichael AttwellMichael John Attwell was an English actor.He is possibly best known for his role as Kenny Beale in the television soap opera EastEnders.... - Abigail Masham: Jill BalconJill BalconJill Angela Henriette Balcon was an English film and radio actress. She made her film debut in Nicholas Nickleby , though she was best known for her stage, television, and radio work....
- James Stuart, the Old PretenderJames Francis Edward StuartJames Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
: Freddie Wilson - Anne Churchill: Yvonne AntrobusYvonne AntrobusYvonne Antrobus is a British novelist, abridger, radio dramatist and actress, best known for her appearance in the 1965 movie Doctor Who and the Daleks....
- Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of SunderlandCharles Spencer, 3rd Earl of SunderlandSir Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC , known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman...
: Robert Mill - Adam de Cardonnel: William Job
- William CadoganWilliam Cadogan, 1st Earl CadoganWilliam Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan KT PC was a noted military officer in the army of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough during the War of the Spanish Succession...
: Bernard Taylor - John Churchill, Marquess of Blandford: Francis Wallis
- Anthonie HeinsiusAnthonie HeinsiusAnthonie Heinsius was a Dutch statesman who served as Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1689 to his death in 1720.- Life :...
: David King - Count Wratislaw: Kenneth IvesKenneth IvesKenneth Ives is a British actor turned director with a number of 1960s and 1970s television credits.As an actor he appeared in the 1968 film version of The Lion in Winter, the 1970 BBC serial Last of the Mohicans as Hawkeye, and had roles in Adam Adamant Lives! and as one of the eponymous villains...
- Prince Eugene of SavoyPrince Eugene of SavoyPrince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
: John Saunders - Marshal TallardCamille d'Hostun, duc de TallardCamille d'Hostun de la Baume, duc de Tallard was a French noble, diplomat and military commander, who became Marshal of France.-Military career:...
: Edward Dentith - Elector of BavariaMaximilian II Emanuel, Elector of BavariaMaximilian II , also known as Max Emanuel or Maximilian Emanuel, was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector of the Holy Roman Empire. He was also the last Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and duke of Luxembourg...
: Guy Standeven - Lord CuttsJohn Cutts, 1st Baron CuttsLieutenant-General John Cutts, 1st Baron Cutts PC , British soldier and author, came from an Essex family.After a short university career at Catharine Hall, Cambridge, he inherited the family estates, but showed a distinct preference for the life of court and camp...
: Donald SumpterDonald SumpterDonald Sumpter is a British actor. He has appeared in film and television since the mid 1960s.-Life and work:One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. He appeared in Doctor Who again in the 1972 serial The Sea... - Margrave of BadenLouis William, Margrave of Baden-BadenLouis William, Margrave of Baden was the ruler of Baden in Germany and chief commander of the Imperial army. He was also known as Türkenlouis...
: Clive Cazes - Sir John VanbrughJohn VanbrughSir John Vanbrugh – 26 March 1726) was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse and The Provoked Wife , which have become enduring stage favourites...
: John CarlinJohn CarlinJohn Carlin is a journalist and author, dealing with both sports and politics. His book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation about former South African president Nelson Mandela is the basis for the 2009 film Invictus.-Personal life:Carlin was born to a Scottish father... - Samuel MashamSamuel Masham, 1st Baron MashamSamuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham , was a courtier in the court of Queen Anne, and the husband of her favourite, Abigail Masham , Baroness Masham....
: Gordon Whiting - Lord SomersJohn Somers, 1st Baron SomersJohn Somers, 1st Baron Somers, PC, FRS was an English Whig jurist and statesman. Somers first came to national attention in the trial of the Seven Bishops where he was on the their defence counsel. He published tracts on political topics such as the succession to the crown, where he elaborated his...
: Charles WestCharles WestCharles West may refer to:*Charles West , American silent film actor*Charles West , British crime mystery writer and actor*Charles F. West, U.S. Representative from Ohio*Charles S... - Marquis de TorcyJean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de TorcyJean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Torcy , generally called Colbert de Torcy, was a French diplomat, who negotiated some of the most important treaties towards the end of Louis XIV's reign, notably the treaty that occasioned the War of the Spanish Succession , in which the dying Charles II of Spain...
: Derek CoxDerek CoxDerek Sinclair Cox is an American football cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary.-High school career:Cox attended Junius H. Rose High School in... - Duchess of SomersetElizabeth Seymour, Duchess of SomersetElizabeth Percy, Duchess of Somerset , major heiress, was born Lady Elizabeth Percy, the only surviving child of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and deemed Baroness Percy in her own right. She carried the earldom of Northumberland to her son Algernon...
: Rosina Stewart - Duke of SomersetCharles Seymour, 6th Duke of SomersetCharles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset , sometimes referred to as the "Proud Duke". The son of Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, and Elizabeth Alington , he succeeded his brother Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset, to the dukedom when the latter was shot in 1678...
: Clifford Parrish - Lord Halifax: Austin TrevorAustin TrevorAustin Trevor was a Belfast born actor who had a long career in British films and television.He was the first actor to play Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot on screen in three British films during the early 1930s: Alibi , Black Coffee and Lord Edgware Dies...
- Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of SunderlandRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of SunderlandRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland KG, PC was an English statesman and nobleman.-Life:Born in Paris, son of Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland, Spencer inherited his father's peerage dignities at the age of three, becoming Baron Spencer of Wormleighton and Earl of Sunderland...
: John Humphry - Lady SunderlandAnne Spencer, Countess of SunderlandAnne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland, originally Anne Digby was the wife of Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland and the daughter of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol. Her mother was the former Lady Anne Russell....
: Lillias Walker - Archbishop SancroftWilliam SancroftWilliam Sancroft was the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury.- Life :Sancroft was born at Ufford Hall in Fressingfield, Suffolk, son of Francis Sandcroft and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher...
: Kevin StoneyKevin StoneyKevin Stoney was an English actor, best known for his television roles.During World War II, Stoney served with the Royal Air Force.... - Count Bentinck, later Lord Portland: Roger Booth
- Robert Young: Davyd Harries
- Bishop SpratThomas SpratThomas Sprat , English divine, was born at Beaminster, Dorset, and educated at Wadham College, Oxford, where he held a fellowship from 1657 to 1670.Having taken orders he became a prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral in 1660...
: Julian d'Albie - Archbishop TenisonThomas TenisonThomas Tenison was an English church leader, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death. During his primacy, he crowned two British monarchs.-Life:...
: Graham Leaman - Duke of GloucesterWilliam, Duke of GloucesterPrince William, Duke of Gloucester was the son of Princess Anne, who ascended the British thrones in 1702, and her husband, Prince George of Denmark and Norway. Styled Duke of Gloucester, he was their only child to survive infancy...
: Michael Reynolds