Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill

Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill was a British Army officer and politician. He was the second son of George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough and Lady Susan Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway.

Life and career

His surname was Spencer until 1817, when his father changed his and his children's surname to Spencer-Churchill.
After training as a gentleman cadet at the Royal Military College, Spencer was commissioned into the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) as an ensign on 31 December 1811. He served during the Peninsular War in Spain and France. On 19 May 1812, he became a second lieutenant in the 95th Regiment of Foot (Rifles). He was promoted to lieutenant in the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot on 9 September 1813. On 2 June 1815, as captain of a company, he exchanged from the 60th into the 85th Regiment of Foot. He exchanged from the half-pay of the 85th to the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot on 28 October 1824. He purchased an unattached majority in the infantry on 16 June 1825, exchanging back into the 75th on 8 December 1825. He purchased an unattached lieutenant-colonelcy of infantry on 31 December 1827. On 24 August 1832, he exchanged into the Scots Guards as captain and lieutenant-colonel, but then sold his commission and retired on 31 August 1832. From 1818 until 1820, he also represented St. Albans in the House of Commons.
He married Etheldred Catherine Benett on 24 August 1827 and had five children:

Susan Spencer-Churchill, married the Rev. and Hon. John Horatio Nelson, son of Thomas Nelson, 2nd Earl Nelson, and had issue
Lt.-Col. Charles Henry Spencer-Churchill, married in 1862 to Rosalie Lowther, daughter of the Reverend Gorges Paulin Lowther
Etheldreda Catherine Spencer-Churchill
Lucy Caroline Spencer-Churchill, married in 1880 to Rev. John Fletcher Dixon-Stewart, uncle of Rowena, Duchess of Somerset.
John Kemys George Thomas Spencer-Churchill, married Edith Maxwell Lockhart, aunt of the novelist Jean Rhys

Spencer-Churchill was returned to Parliament in 1830 as member for the family borough of Woodstock, but went out in 1832 when the representation of that borough was reduced by the Great Reform Act. He replaced his elder brother, the Marquess of Blandford, in 1835, but having joined the Whigs was defeated in the election of 1837. Lord Charles was previously a Tory and, unlike his brother, did not support Reform.