John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough KG PC (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722) was an important English soldier and statesman who lived in the rules of five monarchs in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Rising from a lowly page at the court of the House of Stuart, he faithfully served James, Duke of York in the 1670s and the early 1680s. That gave him military and political advancement through his brave and clever skill. Churchill helped secure the Duke of York, now King James II, on the throne. 

However, just three years later he left the Catholic king for a Protestant Dutchman, William of Orange. For Churchill's help during  in the Glorious Revolution, William at his coronation made him Earl of Marlborough (pronounced /'mɔ:l bəɹə/).

Marlborough served during 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 irritable Sarah Jennings, Anne's close friend, helped Marlborough's rise. Marlborough first became the Captain-Generalcy of British forces and then  became a duke. Later, he became the richest of Anne's subjects. In the end, he could not completely crush his enemies, but his victories allowed Britain to rise to very great power. Through him, Great Britain became richer and richer in the 18th century.

Titles
TitleYearsFollowed byDuke of Marlborough1702–1722Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of MarlboroughEarl of Marlborough1689–1722Baron Churchill of Sandridge1685–1722Lord Churchill of Eyemouth1682–1722extinctPrince of Mindelheim1705–1714Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria

 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.

Category:1650 births
Category:1722 deaths
Category:British Army generals
Category:English Barons
Category:English Earls
Category:British Dukes and Duchesses
Category:Scottish nobility