Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG OM CH (1874 - 1965)

Born 30 Nov 1874 in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Clementine Ogilvy (Hozier) Churchill — married 12 Sep 1908 in Westminster, London, England

Descendants

Died 24 Jan 1965 at age 90 in 28 Hyde Park Gate, London, England

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Biography

Winston Churchill KG OM CH is Notable.

Early Years

Winston with his mother and brother

Born November 30, 1874, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was the first born son of Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill and Jeanette Jerome at Blenheim Castle in Oxfordshire, the home built for his ancestor, John Churchill, when he was made Duke of Marlborough in 1702 after his efforts for the crown during the War of the Spanish Secession.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The boys, Winston and brother John, in the early years, rarely saw their father.^[4] His father was not fond of Winston, seeing little future for him.^[2] He had no idea that Winston would far surpass him in the political realm.^[2] He said of his relationship with his father, "All my dreams of comradeship were ended. There remained for me only to pursue his aims and vindicate his memory." With his father’s early death in 1895, Winston had the belief: “He too would die young, so should be quick about making his mark on the world.” ^[7]

All of his life, Winston suffered from bouts of depression, which he termed “Black Dog”.^[7] Many scholars have also claimed that Winston suffered from a stammer; however, Dr John Mather of the International Churchill Society has written an article debunking this theory and says that Church had a lisp instead (triggered by the letter 's', which he pronounced as 'sh'. It is notable that his father had the same speech impediment on the same letter). ^[8]

Marriage and Family

Winston met Clementine Ogilvy Hozier in 1904.^[7] They met again at a social affair in 1908 and their romance began.^[7] Winston proposed to Clementine on 10 August 1908 and they were married on 12 September 1908.^[1][9] They had five children, Diana, Randolph, Sarah, Marigold, and Mary.^[7] Marigold died at the age of 2 1/2 years.^[7] The family home was called ‘Chartwell’ in Kent.^[7]

Public Servant

Winston entered the British Army as a cavalry officer in 1895.^[9] He was at the Battle of Khartoum in 1898.^[9][2] He also served as a war correspondent for the Morning Post and was taken prisoner in South Africa during the Boer Wars.^[2][6]His own, uncorroborated account of his escape made him a hero in Britain, and secured him the Conservative seat for Oldham in the general election of October 1900.^[10]

Churchill entered Parliament in 1901.^[2] In 1904, he left the Conservative party to join the Liberals, in part in hopes of gaining stature faster as they were quickly coming to power.^[2] His plan worked, and he became Home Secretary in 1910 and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911.^[2] He was in this position when World War I began in 1914.^[2]

Despite a gallant effort and attempt to defeat the Germans with Allied forces, namely the French, Churchill's strategy with the Royal Navy led to him resign in 1916 after it failed.^[2]

Winston served as the British Prime Minister from 1940 - 1945 during most of England’s battles during World War II, keeping up his duties despite a heart attack in 1941 and a battle with pneumonia in 1943.^[7] He was Prime Minister again from 1951 - 1955.^[7]

Winston's other achievements including painting, writing, public speaker, historian, as well as holding various governmental positions over a period of 50 years, including President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of the State of War.^[7]

Winston Churchill provided the English people with the spirit and hope to endure during the very dark days of the ‘blitz’, plane attacks over England.^[7] He was famous for stating England would see ‘Victory’ and held his fingers in the sign of a “V” for victory.^[7] He had tried to warn others of the power and forces that Hitler was building in Germany but his warning were unheeded.^[7]

His speeches to the people were inspirational.

He was knighted and made a member of the Order of the Garter and a literary Nobel prize for his book on World War II all in 1953, among numerous other honors.^[2][7]

After his years in political service, he retired in 1955 to his home Chartwell House in Kent, as well as spending much time in France.^[6] He enjoyed his painting and writing.^[7] In 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy made him an honorary citizen of the US.^[6] He was too ill to attend the ceremony, but his son and grandson went in his place.^[6]

At Rest

In January 1965, Winston suffered another and final severe stroke.^[6] He died 9 days later on 24 January 1965 at his London home 28 Hyde Park Gate.^{[11] [6][9] [6]} After lying in state at Westminster Hall followed by a State Funeral on 30 January, he was buried in St. Martin Churchyard, Bladon, Oxfordshire, England.^[6] There is also a memorial for him at Guildhall in London.^[6]

• Space Page: List of Prime Minister of England and United Kingdom. (https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Space:List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_England_and_United_Kingdom.&public=1)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Roberts, Gary Boyd, 'Notable Kin, Santa Clarita, CA: in cooperation with NEHGS (Boston, MA) – 1998.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} John Keegan article
3. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2XZC-QY2 : 1 October 2014), Winston Leonard Churchill, 1874; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WMJM-8T2 : 15 October 2015), Winston L Churchill in household of Lady Randolph Churchill, Cheveley, Cambridgeshire, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Cambridgeshire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q273-FCSF : 18 August 2016), Winston Master Churchill in household of Randolph Lord Churchill, St James Westminster, London,Middlesex, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 38, Piece/Folio 128/75, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,342.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9} "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJ1-BKMW : 13 December 2015), Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, 1965; Burial, Bladon, West Oxfordshire District, Oxfordshire, England, St Martin Churchyard; citing record ID 2194, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2194.
7. ↑ ^{7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14} WinstonChurchill.org, official site for International Churchill Society, accessed 31 May 2017.
8. ↑ Speech impediment winstonchurchill.org
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} MarquisOnline, (subscription site)
10. ↑ Docherty, Gerry, (2013)., Hidden history: the secret origins of the First World War. (p.45)., Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. Retrieved from the Internet Archive (Here;) Accessed 18 Feb 2024.
11. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_Winston_Churchill

• "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWLJ-W9X : 20 January 2015), Winston Spencer Churchill, St George Hanover Square, S W, London, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
• "Vermont, St. Albans Canadian Border Crossings, 1895-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK31-7R7W : 9 October 2015), Winston L S Churchill, 1895-1924; citing M1461, Soundex Index to Canadian Border Entries through the St. Albans, Vermont, District, 1895-1924, 98, NARA microfilm publications M1461, M1463, M1464, and M1465 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, publication year); FHL microfilm 1,472,898.
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24NG-RL7 : 2 October 2015), Winston L S Churchill, 1932; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24L1-W4R : 2 October 2015), Winston L S Churchill, 1946; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2413-Z1J : 2 October 2015), Winston L Churchill, 1952; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HQK-K1T : 2 October 2015), Winston Spencer-Churchill, 1953; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24NL-RH6 : 2 October 2015), Winston Leonard Churchill, 1931; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HDN-Z2M : 3 October 2015), Winston S Churchill, 1956; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VX5L-HH2 : 3 December 2014), Winston Spencer Churchill, 1933; citing Connecticut, NARA microfilm publication M1299 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 8; FHL microfilm 1,429,678.
• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK5T-G4H8 : 18 October 2016), Winston Churchill in entry for Arabella Spencer-Churchill, Oklahoma, United States, 22 Dec 2007; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Tulsa World, born-digital text.

See also:

• ThePeerage.com: Rt. Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill
• Wikipedia entry: Wikipedia contributors, "Winston Churchill", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (accessed 13 November 2023)
• This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q8016, en:Wikipedia
• Burkes Peerage
• 'Martin-Leake, Double VC' by Ann Clayton
• Beth Britten's biography of her brother Benjamin Britten the composer, entitled 'My Brother Benjamin', published by The Kensal Press in 1986 (ISBN 0-946041-40-7), includes extensive family trees. Hundreds of friends, professional connections and people in the 'music world' are also mentioned in the text.'My Brother Benjamin' by his sister Beth Britten
• 'Virginia Woolf' a biography by her nephew Quentin Bell, published by The Hogarth Press, Pimlico, London in 1996. ISBN 0 7126 7450 0, includes extensive family trees. Hundreds of friends, professional connections and people in the 'Bloomsbury set' are also mentioned in the text.'Virginia Woolf' a biography by her nephew Quentin Bell