Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 5.djvu/255

 MARLBOROUGH. 253 chamber in 1073 ami (probably) M.P. for Newtown (Isle of Wight), 1678-79, being Master of the Wardrobe in 1079. He was cr., 21 Dee. 1682 (a Scotch Peer as) LORD CHURCHILL OF EYEMOUTH, co. Berwick |S.] t and in Nov. 1683 was Col. of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons. At the accession of James II. he was (March to April 16S0) Ambassador to Paris j was Gent, of the Bedchamber to that King during all his reign, being cr. by him. 14 May 10S0.P) BARON CHUKCHILL OF SAND- RIDGE, co. Hertford ; Col. of the 3d troop of Horse Guards, 16S5, and Lieut. Gen. in the army in 1 CSS. He was, however (his hatred of Popery being set forth as his excuse) one of the first to desert the King (his benefactor) voting fur the vacancy of the Throne and for the accession thereto of the Prince and Princess of Orange,( b ) and was accordingly (two days before their Coronation) cr., 9 April 1680, EARL OF MARI,BOROUGH,( c ) co." Wilts. He assisted King William in the reduction of Ireland : was P.O. and a Gent, of the Bedchamber in 16S9, and was, in 1090, Com- mander of the English forces in the Netherlands. lie was dismissed from these posts in 1092 on suspicion (apparently very well grounded) of intrigues with the exiled King .lames II. In I HI'S, being restored to favour, he was again P.C. and a Cabinet Minister as also (till 1700) Master of the Horse and Governor to H.R.H. the young D'.ike of Gloucester. He was one of the Lords Justices (Regents) of England during the Ring's absence t herefrom. 20 June to 3 Dec. 10PS. 2 June to IS Oct. 1699, and 5 July to IS Sop, KOO.C 1 ) bring made, in June 1701, Com. in Chief of the British and Dutch forces in the Netherlands. At the accession of Queen Anne (over whom his wife exercised an all poweiful influence) he was immediately el. KG 14 March 1701/2, and hist.. 13 March 1702/3 ; Ambassador to the Hague, 1702, being also, in 1702 (war having been declared against France and Spain, 2 May 1702), Capt. Gen. of the English forces at home and abroad, Generalissimo of the allied forces, and Master Gen. of the Ordnance. In this year (from 5 Sep. to 29 Oct.) he took Yenloo.Steveuswaert, Ruremonde, and finally Liege, thus commencing a successful campaign carried on for nine years. He was in reward cr., 14 Dec. 1702. MARQUESS OF BLANDFORD, co. Dorset, and DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, with a grant of £0.000 a year during the Queen's life. Two years later. 2 July 170 !, he defeated the Bavarians at Don.m- werth, and a lew weeks subsequently, 13 [2, oh I stale] Aug. 1704, with a loss of 4,000 (besides 7,000 wounded) he obtained the crushing victory (10,000 slain and 11,000 taken prisoners) over the French at Blenheim " the greatest triumph achieved by an English General, since the middle ages.''( L ") The grant 2S Jan. 1704/0, of (About 22,000 acres) the manor of Woodstock and hundred of Wottou, in Oxfordshire, the site of the future " Blenheim Palace " was his reward. (■') He was Col. of the 1st Foot Guards, 1701-11 ; Lord Lieut, of Oxon. 1700. The Emperor (Leopold) cr. him a Prince of the Empire in 1701, anil on IS Nov. 1700, he received (from the Emperor Joseph 1 the Principality of Mimlelhcim in Suabia (of which begot, investiture 21 May 1706) which in 1713 was exchanged (under the Emperor Chat les VI.) for the county of Nellenl'iiigh (then erected into a Principality) in Upper Austria. He continued a series of victories, the chief being that of Tii'Iemout, IS July 1700 ; of Ramifies, 23 May 1700 ; of Oudenarde, 11 July 170S ami (with a loss of 18,000 men) of Malphupiet, 11 graceful appearance is spoken of by Burnet, Evelyn, and Lord Chesterfield, who adds that '' his figure was beautiful but his manner was irresistible." A character of him by Bp. Burnet ill which " his clever head and sound judgment" are set forth, is con- cluded by two words following, written by Dean Swift, " ihicstahly covttota." (o) See vol. iii, p. 7S, note " a," sub " Derwent water," for a list of the English peerages (but 10 in all), cr. by James II. (>>) " See vol. i, p. 2S, note " b," sub " Abingdon," for a list of the Nobility and Gentry in arms for the Prince of Orange," among whom he was. ( c ) The title was probably chosen from a slight connection with the former Earls of that, name : his mother, Elizabeth, being da. of Sir John Ashe, by Helena, da. of John (Boteler), 1st Lord Boteler of Ilrantfield, sister of Jane, the third (tho' childless) wife of James (Ley), 1st Earl of Marlborough. He appears to have had no property at Marlborough or its vicinity. ( d ) See vol. iii, p. 110, note " c," sub * Devonshire," for a list of these important officers during the reign of William III. (o) Xat. Bugr. (') " The whole sum spent" on the works at Blenheim "was according to Coxe, l'300,000, of which 100,000 was spent by the Marlboroughs. The remainder was paid from the civil list." [Xat. Bioyr.]