Victor Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill
Encyclopedia
Major
Victor Albert Francis Charles Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill GCVO
JP
(23 October 1864 – 3 January 1934), known as The Lord Churchill between 1886 and 1902, was a British
peer and courtier.
Spencer was born at 32 Albemarle Street
, London
, the son of the 2nd Baron Churchill and his wife, Jane. He was a Page of Honour
to Queen Victoria
from 1876 to 1881 and in 1886, he succeeded to his father's title of Baron Churchill. On 1 January 1887, he married Lady Verena Maud Lowther, the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Lonsdale
, at Cottesmore, Rutland
. They had four children. The couple were divorced in 1927 and Spencer married Christine McRae Sinclair and they had two children.
Spencer had also been a Lord in Waiting from 1889 to 1892 and 1895 to 1905 in both of Salisbury's
governments and was created Viscount Churchill, of Rolleston in the County of Leicester, on 14 July 1902. He was also chairman and director of several transport
companies, including the Great Western Railway
, the British India Steamship Company, P&O
and the Grand Union Canal
.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Victor Albert Francis Charles Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(23 October 1864 – 3 January 1934), known as The Lord Churchill between 1886 and 1902, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
peer and courtier.
Spencer was born at 32 Albemarle Street
Albemarle Street
Albemarle Street is a street in Mayfair in central London, off Piccadilly. It has historic associations with Lord Byron, whose publisher John Murray was based here, and Oscar Wilde, a member of the Albemarle Club, where an insult he received led to his suing for libel and to his eventual imprisonment...
, 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...
, the son of the 2nd Baron Churchill and his wife, Jane. He was a Page of Honour
Page of Honour
While a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant, a Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page...
to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
from 1876 to 1881 and in 1886, he succeeded to his father's title of Baron Churchill. On 1 January 1887, he married Lady Verena Maud Lowther, the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Lonsdale
Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale
Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale was a British nobleman and Conservative politician, the eldest son of Henry Cecil Lowther and Lady Lucy Sherard.He married Emily Susan Caulfeild on 31 July 1852. They had six children:...
, at Cottesmore, Rutland
Cottesmore, Rutland
Cottesmore is a village in the north of the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. In terms of population it is the largest village in Rutland, and the third-largest settlement after Oakham and Uppingham. This is due in part to the presence of RAF Cottesmore.The Cottesmore Hunt takes...
. They had four children. The couple were divorced in 1927 and Spencer married Christine McRae Sinclair and they had two children.
Spencer had also been a Lord in Waiting from 1889 to 1892 and 1895 to 1905 in both of Salisbury's
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
governments and was created Viscount Churchill, of Rolleston in the County of Leicester, on 14 July 1902. He was also chairman and director of several transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
companies, including the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, the British India Steamship Company, P&O
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
and the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
.