Winston Churchill

Churchill c. 1942, Library of Congress

Birth Name: Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill

Date of Birth: 30 November, 1874

Place of Birth: Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, U.K.

Date of Death: 24 January, 1965

Place of Death: Kensington, London, England, U.K.

Ethnicity: English, some Scottish, small amounts of Welsh, French Huguenot, Ulster-Scots/Irish/Northern Irish, and Cornish

Winston Churchill was a British politician, writer, historian, artist, and statesman. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 10 May, 1940 to 26 July, 1945, and again, from 26 October, 1951 to 5 April, 1955. He was also a Member of Parliament for Oldham, then for Manchester North West, then for Dundee, then for Epping, then for Woodford, for almost the entire span of 24 October, 1900 to 25 September, 1964; Chancellor of the Exchequer, from 6 November, 1924 to 4 June, 1929; Minister of Defence, from 10 May, 1940 to 26 July, 1945, and again, from 28 October, 1951 to 1 March, 1952; Leader of the Conservative Party, from 9 November, 1940 to 6 April, 1955; and Leader of the Opposition, from 26 July, 1945 to 26 October, 1951, among many other duties. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953. He was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 1940 and 1949.

Prime Minister Churchill was the son of Lady Randolph Churchill (originally Jeanette “Jennie” Jerome), a socialite, and Lord Randolph Churchill (Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill), a statesman. Prime Minister Churchill’s father was English, and was born in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. Prime Minister Churchill’s mother was American, born in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York. She was of entirely Colonial American descent, with English, and a small amount of Scottish, ancestry. It appears that all of her known American-born ancestors were born in either New York or the New England region. Prime Minister Churchill’s American mother had more specifically English ancestry than his English father, who also had significant roots elsewhere in the British Isles, as well as a small amount of French heritage.

His father was a Member of Parliament for Woodstock, then for Paddington South, overall, from 1874 to 1895, Secretary of State for India, from 24 June, 1885 to 28 January, 1886, Chancellor of the Exchequer, from 3 August, 1886 to 22 December, 1886, Leader of the House of Commons, from 3 August, 1886 to 14 January, 1887, and Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons, in 1886.

His brother was Major John Strange Spencer-Churchill, whose daughter, The Countess of Avon, was the wife of Anthony Eden, who was Prime Minister of the U.K., from 6 April, 1955 to 9 January, 1957. He succeeded Prime Minister Churchill in office.

Prime Minister Churchill was married to Clementine Churchill (born Clementine Ogilvy Hozier), The Baroness Spencer-Churchill, a life peer, with whom he had five children, Diana Churchill; journalist, writer, soldier, and politician Randolph Churchill, who was a Member of Parliament for Preston, from 29 September, 1940 to 5 July, 1945; actress and dancer Sarah Churchill; Marigold Churchill; and author Mary Soames. Clementine was the legal daughter of Henry Hozier, a British Army officer and secretary of Lloyd’s of London.

Prime Minister Churchill was christened in the Church of England.

Prime Minister Churchill’s paternal grandfather was John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough (the son of George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough, and of Jane Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, formerly Lady Jane Stewart). Prime Minister Churchill’s grandfather John was born in Garboldisham Hall, Norfolk, England, and was a Member of the House of Lords as Duke of Marlborough, from 1 July, 1857 to 4 July, 1883, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, from 11 December, 1876 to 21 April, 1880. Prime Minister Churchill’s great-grandfather George was Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, from 1842 to 1 July, 1857. He was the son of George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough, and of Susan Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, formerly Lady Susan Stewart, the daughter of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway. Prime Minister Churchill’s great-grandmother Jane was born in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Her father was George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway, who was a naval commander and politician; he was a Member of Parliament for Saltash, from 1790 to February 1795, then for Cockermouth, then for Haslemere, overall, from 22 July, 1805 to November 1806. Jane’s mother was Jane Stewart, Countess of Galloway, formerly Lady Jane Paget, who was the daughter of Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge. Prime Minister Churchill’s great-grandparents were first cousins, as George’s mother and Jane’s father were siblings. The Stewart siblings had a Scottish father and an English mother.

Prime Minister Churchill’s paternal grandmother was Frances Anne “Fanny” Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, formerly Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane (the daughter of Charles William Stewart/Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, and of Frances Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry). Prime Minister Churchill’s grandmother Frances was born in St. James’s Square, London, England. Prime Minister Churchill’s great-grandfather Charles was born in Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland, and was Minister to Prussia, from 1813 to 1814, and Ambassador to Austria, from 1814 to 1823. He was the son of Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, an Irish landowner, member of parliament, and marquess; and of Lady Frances Pratt, who was the daughter of Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden. The 1st Earl Camden was Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, from 30 July, 1766 to 17 January, 1770, among other duties. Prime Minister Churchill’s great-grandmother Frances was born in St. James’s Square, the daughter of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet, a politician; and of Anne/Ann Catherine/Katherine MacDonnell/McDonnell, Countess of Antrim, who was the daughter of Randal William MacDonnell/McDonnell, 6th Earl and 1st Marquess of Antrim.

Prime Minister Churchill’s maternal grandfather was Leonard Walter Jerome (the son of Isaac Jerome and Aurora Murray). Prime Minister Churchill’s grandfather Leonard was born in Pompey, Onondaga, New York, and was a financier. Isaac was the son of Aaron Jerome and Elizabeth “Betsy”/”Betsey” Ball. Prime Minister Churchill’s Jerome line traces to Timothy Jerome, who was born, c 1688, on Isle of Wight, England. Aurora was the daughter of Reuben Murray and Sarah Guthrie, whose father was Scottish.

Prime Minister Churchill’s maternal grandmother was Clarissa “Clara” Hall (the daughter of Ambrose Hall, Jr. and Clarissa Wilcox/Willcox). Prime Minister Churchill’s grandmother Clarissa was born in Palmyra, Wayne, New York. Ambrose was the son of Ambrose Hall and Mehitable Beach. Prime Minister Churchill’s great-grandmother Clarissa was the daughter of David Wilcox/Willcox and Anna/Anne Baker, who was Canadian, born in Sackville, Nova Scotia, to American parents.

Prime Minister Churchill’s father was a brother of Georgiana Elizabeth (Spencer-Churchill) Curzon, Countess Howe. Georgiana’s son, Francis Curzon, was a naval officer, Member of Parliament, and motor racing driver; Francis was a great-great-grandfather of actress Dafne Keen. This makes Prime Minister Churchill and Dafne first cousins, four times removed. Through his Spencer-Churchill line, the Prime Minister was also a first cousin, three times removed, of model and actress Cressida Bonas.

Prime Minister Churchill is sometimes described as having had Jewish ancestry from his mother’s side, usually from her surname, Jerome. This is not accurate. The Jerome family of his mother was not of Jewish heritage. Prime Minister Churchill is also said to have had some degree of Native American ancestry from his maternal grandmother’s side, usually Iroquois, and usually from his grandmother’s own grandmother, Anna/Anne Baker. No such Native American ancestry appears in genealogies of Prime Minister Churchill’s mother.

Sources: Genealogies of Prime Minister Winston Churchill – https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://famouskin.com

Information about Prime Minister Churchill’s genealogy, by his grandson Winston S. Churchill – https://www.winstonchurchill.org