John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough KG PC (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722) was an important English soldier and statesman. He lived through the rules of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Rising from a lowly page at the court of the House of Stuart, he faithfully served the Duke of York through the 1670s and early 1680s. This gave him military and political advancement through his brave, clever skill. Churchill helped secure James on the throne.
However, just three years later he left his Catholic teacher for the Protestant Dutchman, William of Orange. For his help in the Glorious Revolution, William at his coronation made him Earl of Marlborough (pronounced /'mɔ:l bəɹə/). He served in the early years of the Nine Years' War and became famous. However, charges of Jacobitism made him fall from office. For some time, he was imprisoned in the Tower. When Queen Anne came to throne in 1702, however, Marlborough secured his fame and lots of money.
His marriage to the quick-tempered Sarah Jennings – Anne's close friend – helped Marlborough's rise. He first became the Captain-Generalcy of British forces. Then he became a duke. Later, he became the richest of all Anne's subjects. Although in the end he could not completely crush his enemies, his victories allowed Britain to rise to very great power. Through him, the country grew more and more rich through the 18th century.
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Titles and styles
26 May 1650 - 21 December 1682: John Churchill, Esq. 21 December 1682 – 14 May 1685: The Right Honourable The Lord Churchill of Eyemouth 14 May 1685 – 9 April 1689: The Right Honourable The Lord Churchill of Sandridge and Eyemouth 9 April 1689 – December 1702: The Right Honourable The Earl of Marlborough December 1702 – 16 June 1722: His Grace The Duke of Marlborough in the Holy Roman Empire: 18 November 1705 – ??? 1714: His Serene Highness The Prince of Mindelheim in the Holy Roman Empire: ??? 1714 – 16 June 1722: His Serene Highness The Prince of Mellenburg
References
Barnett, Correlli (1999). Marlborough. Wordsworth Editions Limited. Chandler, David G (1998). A Guide to the Battlefields of Europe. Wordsworth Editions Limited. Chandler, David G (2003). Marlborough as Military Commander. Spellmount Ltd. Chesterton, G. K. (2008). A Short History of England. BiblioBazaar. Churchill, Winston (2002). A History of the English-Speaking Peoples: Age of Revolution. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Churchill, Winston (2002). Marlborough: His Life and Times, Bk. 1, vols. i & ii. University of Chicago Press. Churchill, Winston (2002). Marlborough: His Life and Times, Bk. 2, vols. iii & iv. University of Chicago Press. Coxe, William (1847). Memoirs of the Duke of Marlborough: 6 volumes. London Field, Ophelia (2002). The Favourite: Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. Hodder and Stoughton. Gregg, Edward (2001). Queen Anne. Yale University Press. Hamilton, Elizabeth (1968). The Backstairs Dragon: The Life of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford. Hamish Hamilton Hibbert, Christopher (2001). The Marlboroughs. Penguin Books Ltd. Holmes, Richard (2008). Marlborough: England's Fragile Genius. HarperCollins. Jones, J. R (1993). Marlborough. Cambridge University Press. Lynn, John A (1999). The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Longman. Macaulay, Thomas (1968). The History of England (abridged). Penguin Books. McKay, Derek (1977). Prince Eugene of Savoy. Thames and Hudson Ltd. Miller, John. James II (2000). Yale University Press. Tincey, John, (2005). Sedgemoor 1685: Marlborough's First Victory. Leo Cooper Ltd. Trevelyan, G. M (1930–34). England Under Queen Anne: 3 volumes. Longmans, Green and co.