A prominent Conservative MP (1844), brought about passage of Blandford Act (1856) dealing with parish divisions; Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1876-80). His 3° son was Lord Randolph Churchill.

• Father: ¤CHURCHILL, Randolph Henry Spencer [1849-1895] British polititian
• Mother: ¤JEROME, Jennie [1854-1921] American socialite, mother of Sir Winston Churchill

• Husband: ¤CHURCHILL, Randolph Henry Spencer [1849-1895] British polititian
• Son: ¤CHURCHILL, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer [1874-1965] KG - English statesman, Prime Minister

SPENCER, Ambrose (father of John Canfield Spencer ¤), a Representative from New York; born in Salisbury, Litchfield County, Conn., December 13, 1765; attended Yale College, and was graduated from Harvard University in 1783; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Hudson, Columbia County, N.Y.

He died in Lyons, N.Y., March 13, 1848; interment in Lyons Rural Cemetery. BDNA

Married Ann Churchill, daughter of the Duke of Marlborough. He was envoy to Vienna (1705) and, as a member of the Whig junta controlling the government, secretary of state (1706-10). He served as lord lieutenant of Ireland (1714-15), lord privy seal (1715-17), and first lord of the treasury and prime minister (1718-1721). Intrigued with Stanhope to secure the dismissal of Townshend (1716) and Walpole (1717). Forced to resign for his involvement in the South Sea Bubble, he retained his influence with the king. Collector of rare books and patron of Addison and other men of letters.

Third son of ¤3° earl, he succeeded to the earldom on the death of his brother (1729) and succeeded to the dukedom upon death of his maternal aunt, Marlborough's eldest daughter, who was duchess in her own right, thus merging the two titles. MWBD

By courtesy, Viscount Althorp. M.P. from 1780; Pitt's first lord of admiralty (1794-1801), as such dealt successfully with two mutinies and saw the navy score several striking victories. His singular achievement was his selection of Horatio Nelson as commander in the Mediterranean. Home sectretary (1806-07). He collected a very valuable library of books, described in Bibliotheca Spenceriana by Dibdin.

Grandson of Robert, 1st Baron Spencer, married (1639) ¤Lady Dorothy Sidney; Killed at the battle of Newbury, fighting for ¤Charles I.

Grandson of ¤Charles Spencer, 3° Earl of Sunderland.

Lord lieutenant of Ireland (1868-74, 1882-85), president of the Privy Council (1880-82, 1886), 1st lord of the Admiralty (1892-95). Appointed (1902) Liberal leader in the House of Lords, succeeding the Earl of Kimberley.

Ambassador at Madrid, Paris, and Cologne (1671-78); was secretary of state (1679-81, 1683) and continued in office under ¤James II. Fell from power by cautioning James to "not be hasty in his religious policy" (i.e. urged him to continue the disabilities against Roman Catholics). Was made lord chamberlain and lord justice under ¤William III, to whom he was said to have rendered important services before his accession. He is creditied with creating the modern cabinet system by urging William to choose all his ministers from one political party. He was virtual head of government until forced by popular indignation to resign (1697).

MP (1790); Born Spencer, he took the additional name of Churchill (becoming "Spencer-Churchill") by royal license (1817) The hyphen soon disappeared and "Spencer" was relegated to middle name status. (Thus Sir ¤Winston's surname.)