George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough

George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough DCL MA FSA (March 6 1766–March 5 1840) was the son of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough. 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 College and 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 June 20 1792.

Lord Blandford held the office of M.P. (Whig) for Oxfordshire between 1790 and 1796 and M.P. (Tory) for Tregony between 1802 and 1806. 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 Arts (F.S.A.) on 8 December 1803 and was Lord of the Treasury between 1804 and 1806.

Although the Marquess was born and baptised with the name of George Spencer, soon after succeeding to the Duchy 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:

"The family of the great General is, however, gone sadly to decay, and are but a disgrace to the illustrious name of Churchill, which they have chosen this moment to resume. The present Duke is overloaded with debt, is very little better than a common swindler and lets everything about Blenheim. People may shoot and fish at so much per hour and it has required all the authority of a Court of Chancery to prevent his cutting down all the trees in the park"." [Blenheim: The Grandest and Most Famous House in England.]

The 5th Duke married Lady Susan Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway, on 15 September 1791. They had four children:

*George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough (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:
* John Tustian (1799 - 1873)

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

* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/gschurchill_5dofm.html Royal berkshire History: George Spencer-Churchill, Duke of Marlborough]

Notes

References

* [http://www.dcs.kcl.ac.uk/staff/mark/icsm99/blenheim.html Blenheim: The Grandest and Most Famous House in England] retrieved 15 May 2007