LIFE AND EVENTS

The man with a lion heart and a never say die attitude, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire on November 30, 1874. His father was Lord Randolph Churchill, the second surviving son of the 7^th Duke of Marlborough. Randolph Churchill’s mother was Frances, daughter of the 3^rd Marquess of Londonderry. Winston’s mother, Jeannie Jerome was the second of the four daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Jerome. The Jerome family lived in New York. The young couple wanted their child’s birth to take place at their New London house i.e. 48 Charles Street Mayfair, but destiny interfered with the couple’s plans. The child was born two months premature.

Winston’s mother Lady Randolph, was 20 at the time of his birth. She had exceptional beauty. She first encountered Lord Randolph at the reception and dance at Comes, in August 1873. It seemed to be love at first sight for both of them. Both were hot blooded and impetuous. Lord Randolph intended to marry Jeannie. Many people tried to dissuade him from marrying her but their attempts were futile. Finally, on April 15, 1874, Lord Randolph and Jeannie Jerome were married at the British Embassy in Paris. Reverend Dr. Edward Forbes presided over the marriage ceremony in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Jerome, the Marquess of Blandford (Lord Randolph’s elder brother) and Mr. Frances Knollys, private secretary to the Prince of Wales.

The Duke’s chaplain, the Reverend Henry William Yule, baptized Winston Churchill in the chapel of Blenheim.

When Winston Churchill was born his father was 25. Lord Randolph had been the Conservative member of the family sect of Woodstock for nine months.

In the general elections of 1880 Lord Randolph successfully held the family seat Woodstock by 60 votes though his majority was considerably reduced by 105.