CHURCHILL, Charles (?1720-1812), of Farleigh, nr. Basingstoke, Hants.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1741 - 1747
2 Dec. 1747 - 1754
1754 - 1761

Family and Education

b. ?1720, illegit. s. of Charles Churchill, M.P., by Anne Oldfield, actress. educ. Westminster, adm. 1730 but withdrawn soon after; Geneva 1736-9. m. 23 Feb. 1746, Lady Mary Walpole (granted the style and precedence of an Earl’s da.), illegit. da. of Robert, 1st Earl of Orford, 3s. 2da.

Offices Held

Lt. 6 Drag. Gds. 1736, lt. 2 Ft. Gds. 1739; ret. 1745.

Dep. ranger of St. James’s and Hyde parks 1745-c.1751; searcher in port of London.1 His wife was housekeeper of Windsor castle 1762-82.

Biography

Charles Churchill was closely attached to the Walpole family, married Sir Robert’s favourite daughter, and in later years was a constant visitor to Strawberry Hill. In Parliament he was a regular Administration supporter. In 1754 he stood at Great Marlow on the Clayton interest against a candidate supported by his brother-in-law, Lord Cholmondeley, and was returned. He never stood again.

Without his knowledge, Horace Walpole wrote to the Duke of Devonshire, 18 Feb. 1760:2

I have some suspicions ... that Mr. Churchill and Lady Mary are far from easy in their affairs. He has been so unlucky in marrying a favourite daughter of Sir Robert Walpole, as to be involved in a lawsuit for her fortune and to be likely to lose part, if not the whole of it. He has had other losses; and the Duke of Newcastle was so unkind as to give away even the reversion of a place which she holds only for the life of another person. Your Grace knows the steadiness of his behaviour to the Government as a Member of Parliament, an opportunity of serving the King which he has always bought very dearly, without least recompense, and even without asking the least.

He died ‘in his 92nd year’3 on 13 Apr. 1812.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: A. N. Newman

Notes

  • 1. He is so noted in a list of ‘useless sinecures’ compiled for Geo. III in 1782, Fortescue, vi. 178.
  • 2. Devonshire mss.
  • 3. Gent. Mag. 1812, i. 398.