George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough DCLDoctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degree such as the LL.D., Ph.D., Dr. iur., D.C.L., and S.J.D. or J.S.D...
MAA Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in English, Fine Arts, History, Nursing, Humanities, Geography, Philosophy, Social Sciences or Theology and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a...
FSA (6 March 1766 – 5 March 1840) was the son of
George Spencer, 4th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG FRS was a British nobleman. Born the son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, he was known as Marquess of Blandford until succeeding his father in 1758. His siblings were Charles, Diana, and Elizabeth...
. For most of his life he was known by his father's secondary title of Marquess of Blandford.
He was educated between 1776 and 1783 at
Eton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent boarding school for boys aged approx. 13 to 19. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and
Christ Church, OxfordThis article is about the Oxford college. For other uses, see Christ Church or Christchurch .Christ Church , 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 ArtsA Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in English, Fine Arts, History, Nursing, Humanities, Geography, Philosophy, Social Sciences or Theology and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a...
(M.A.). He was later given an honorary
Doctor of LawsDoctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degree such as the LL.D., Ph.D., Dr. iur., D.C.L., and S.J.D. or J.S.D...
(D.C.L.) from the University on 20 June 1792.
Lord Blandford held the office of M.P.
George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough DCLDoctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degree such as the LL.D., Ph.D., Dr. iur., D.C.L., and S.J.D. or J.S.D...
MAA Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in English, Fine Arts, History, Nursing, Humanities, Geography, Philosophy, Social Sciences or Theology and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a...
FSA (6 March 1766 – 5 March 1840) was the son of
George Spencer, 4th Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG FRS was a British nobleman. Born the son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, he was known as Marquess of Blandford until succeeding his father in 1758. His siblings were Charles, Diana, and Elizabeth...
. For most of his life he was known by his father's secondary title of Marquess of Blandford.
He was educated between 1776 and 1783 at
Eton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent boarding school for boys aged approx. 13 to 19. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and
Christ Church, OxfordThis article is about the Oxford college. For other uses, see Christ Church or Christchurch .Christ Church , 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 ArtsA Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in English, Fine Arts, History, Nursing, Humanities, Geography, Philosophy, Social Sciences or Theology and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a...
(M.A.). He was later given an honorary
Doctor of LawsDoctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degree such as the LL.D., Ph.D., Dr. iur., D.C.L., and S.J.D. or J.S.D...
(D.C.L.) from the University on 20 June 1792.
Lord Blandford held the office of M.P. (Whig) for
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East England region, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire....
between 1790 and 1796 and M.P. (Tory) for
TregonyTregony civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It lies on the river Fal. In the village there is a post office, sex shop, and two churches. Tregony has bus links to the nearest town, which is Truro. The village is made up from two parishes namely, Tregony and Cuby...
between 1802 and 1806. During this time, he lived in
BerkshireBerkshire is a county in the South East 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 1958, and Letters...
, at
RemenhamRemenham is a village on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames near Henley-on-Thames, close to the start of the Henley Royal Regatta course in southern England. Remenham Club is a private members club for rowers nearby, with a good view of the river halfway along the course.The parish church is...
and
HurstHurst is a village in the English county of Berkshire. It constitutes a civil parish, known officially as St Nicholas Hurst.-Geography:...
. From 1798, he resided at
Whiteknights ParkWhiteknights 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
EarleyEarley is a town in Berkshire, England with a population of around 30,000 people. It lies to the east of the large town of Reading, and runs directly into it. It is part of Wokingham Borough. In some usages, the name is spelt Erleigh or Erlegh...
, near
ReadingReading is a large town in England, located 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 Arts (F.S.A.) on 8 December 1803 and was
Lord of the TreasuryIn 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 High...
between 1804 and 1806.
Although the Marquess was born and baptised with the name of George Spencer, soon after succeeding to the
Dukedom of MarlboroughThe Dukedom of Marlborough , is a hereditary title in the Peerage of England. The first holder of the title was John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough , the noted English general, and indeed an unqualified reference to the Duke of Marlborough in a historical text will almost certainly refer to...
, 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 PalaceBlenheim Palace is a large and monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the only non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title "palace". The Palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1724...
where he lived the remainder of his life off a small annuity granted to the first Duke by
Queen AnneAnne became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding her brother-in-law, William III of England and II of Scotland...
.
The diarist
Harriet ArbuthnotHarriet 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:
The 5th Duke married Lady Susan Stewart, daughter of
John Stewart, 7th Earl of GallowayJohn 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 Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough DCL was the son of George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough and Lady Susan Stewart....
(1793–1857)
- Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill (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:
The Duke died in 1840 aged 73 at Blenheim Palace and was buried there in the vault beneath the chapel on 13 March 1840.
External links