George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
Encyclopedia
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG, PC
, FRS (26 January 1739 – 29 January 1817), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British
courtier and politician. He served as Lord Chamberlain
between 1762 and 1763 and as Lord Privy Seal
between 1763 and 1765.
Marquess of Blandford from birth, he was the eldest son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
, and the Honourable Elizabeth Trevor, daughter of Thomas Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor. He was the brother of Lord Charles Spencer
, Lady Diana Spencer and Lady Elizabeth Spencer. He was educated at Eton
.
in 1755 as an Ensign
, becoming a Captain
with the 20th Regiment of Foot the following year. After inheriting the dukedom in 1758, Marlborough took his seat in the House of Lords
in 1760, becoming Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in that same year. The following year, he bore the sceptre
with the cross at the coronation
of George III
. In 1762, he was made Lord Chamberlain
as well as a Privy Counsellor
, and after a year succeeded this appointment as Lord Privy Seal
, a post he held until 1765. An amateur astronomer, he built a private observatory at his residence, Blenheim Palace
. He kept up a lively scientific correspondence with Hans Count von Brühl, another aristocratic dilettante in astronomy.
The Duke was made a Knight of the Garter in 1768, and was elected to the Royal Society in 1786.
, in 1762, by whom he had eight children:
The Duchess of Marlborough died at Blenheim Palace
in November 1811, aged 68. The Duke of Marlborough died at Blenheim Palace in January 1817, aged 78, and was buried there.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, FRS (26 January 1739 – 29 January 1817), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, 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...
courtier and politician. He served as Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
between 1762 and 1763 and as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
between 1763 and 1765.
Background and education
Styled by the courtesy titleCourtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
Marquess of Blandford from birth, he was the eldest son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough KG, PC , known as The Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British soldier and politician. He briefly served as Lord Privy Seal in 1755...
, and the Honourable Elizabeth Trevor, daughter of Thomas Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor. He was the brother of Lord Charles Spencer
Lord Charles Spencer
Lord Charles Spencer PC was a British politician and courtier.-Background:Spencer was the second son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, and the Hon. Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor...
, Lady Diana Spencer and Lady Elizabeth Spencer. 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"....
.
Career
Marlborough entered the Coldstream GuardsColdstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
in 1755 as an Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, becoming a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
with the 20th Regiment of Foot the following year. After inheriting the dukedom in 1758, Marlborough took his seat in 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....
in 1760, becoming Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in that same year. The following year, he bore the sceptre
Sceptre
A sceptre is a symbolic ornamental rod or wand borne in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia.-Antiquity:...
with the cross at the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. In 1762, he was made Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
as well as a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, and after a year succeeded this appointment as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
, a post he held until 1765. An amateur astronomer, he built a private observatory at his residence, 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...
. He kept up a lively scientific correspondence with Hans Count von Brühl, another aristocratic dilettante in astronomy.
The Duke was made a Knight of the Garter in 1768, and was elected to the Royal Society in 1786.
Family
Marlborough married Lady Caroline Russell, daughter of John Russell, 4th Duke of BedfordJohn 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...
, in 1762, by whom he had eight children:
- Lady Caroline Spencer (1763–1813), married the Henry Ellis, 2nd Viscount ClifdenHenry Ellis, 2nd Viscount ClifdenHenry Welbore Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden SA , styled The Honourable Henry Agar between 1776 and 1789, was an Irish politician.-Background:...
and had issue, including George Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron DoverGeorge Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron DoverGeorge James Welbore Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron Dover PC FRS FSA was a British politician and man of letters. He was briefly First Commissioner of Woods and Forests under Lord Grey between 1830 and 1831.-Background and education:...
. - Lady Elizabeth Spencer (1764–1812), married her cousin John Spencer (a grandson of the 3rd Duke of MarlboroughCharles Spencer, 3rd Duke of MarlboroughCharles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough KG, PC , known as The Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British soldier and politician. He briefly served as Lord Privy Seal in 1755...
) and had issue. - George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough FSA , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1817, was a British peer and collector of antiquities and books.-Background and education:...
(1766–1840) - Lady Charlotte Spencer (1769–1802), married Rev. Edward NaresEdward NaresEdward Nares was an English historian and theologian, and general writer.-Life:He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He was Fellow of Merton College, Oxford and became in 1813 Regius Professor of Modern History...
and had issue. - Lord Henry John SpencerLord Henry SpencerLord Henry John Spencer was a British diplomat and politician.Spencer was the second son of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Caroline and was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford...
(1770–1795) - Lady Anne Spencer (1773–1865), married Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of ShaftesburyCropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of ShaftesburyCropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury , styled The Honourable Cropley Ashley-Cooper until 1811, was a British politician. He was the father of the social reformer Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury....
and had issue. - Lord Francis Almeric SpencerFrancis Spencer, 1st Baron ChurchillFrancis 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...
(1779–1845), created Baron ChurchillViscount ChurchillViscount Churchill, of Rolleston in the County of Leicester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1902 for the Conservative politician Victor Spencer, 3rd Baron Churchill...
in 1815. - Lady Sophia Amelia Spencer (1785–1829), married Henry Pytches Boyce.
The Duchess of Marlborough died at 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...
in November 1811, aged 68. The Duke of Marlborough died at Blenheim Palace in January 1817, aged 78, and was buried there.