Biography of John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough 1897-1972

On 6th November 1895 Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 23] and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 18] were married at St Thomas' Church New York. She by marriage Duchess Marlborough. The marriage arranged by Mary "Minnie" Fiske Stevens [aged 42] and encouraged by mother Alva Erskine Smith [aged 42]. The marriage was unhappy; they separated in 1906 and the marriage was annulled on 19th Augiust 1926. He the son of George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough and Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton Duchess of Marlborough [aged 48].

The marriage settlement provided for the Duke to receive a $2,500,000 trust that would pay $100,000 per year. Consuelo also received a further $100,000 per year. The combined annual income of $200,000 (£40,000) more than doubled the income the Duke had enjoyed from his estates prior to the marriage. Consuelo and the Duke also acquired several large gifts from her father, William K. Vanderbilt, including a palatial London townhouse and a reported sum of $1,000,000 in cash to mark the Duke's safe return from South Africa.

On 18th September 1897 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough was born to [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 25] and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 20].

On 16th October 1897 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough was baptised at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.

1905. John Singer Sargent [aged 48]. Portrait of the Spencer-Churchill family including [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 33], [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 27], John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 7] and [his brother] Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill [aged 6].

Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill: On 14th October 1898 he was born to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough. The Duke's secondd wife Gladys Deacon apparently later implied that Ivor's father was Winthrop Rutherford; source unknown. On 17th September 1956 Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill died. He was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map].

In 1909 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 11] commenced his education at Eton College [Map] after which he entered Christ Church College, Oxford University.

In 1914 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 16] gained the rank of Lieutenant in the 1st Life Guards. He fought in the First World War between 1914 and 1918.

On 17th February 1920 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 22] and Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 19] were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. He the son of Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 48] and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 42].

In 1921 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 49] and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 43] were divorced.

In 1921 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 49] and [his step-mother] Gladys Marie Deacon Duchess of Marlborough [aged 39] were married; she had previoiusly been his mistress. She by marriage Duchess Marlborough. He the son of [his grandfather] George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough and [his grandmother] Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton Duchess of Marlborough [aged 74].

On 4th July 1921 [his step-father] Jacques Balsan [aged 52] and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 44] were married.

On 12th November 1923 [his daughter] Caroline Spencer-Churchill was born to John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 26] and [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 23]. She married 5th December 1946 Major Charles Huguenot Waterhouse and had issue.

On 13th April 1926 [his son] John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough was born to John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 28] and [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 26]. He married (1) 19th October 1951 Susan Mary Hornby.

On 20th September 1929 Hedworth Lambton aka Meux [aged 73] died. The wealth he inherited from Valerie Susan Langdon Lady Meux was inherited by his five step-daughters, children of his wife [his mother-in-law] Mildred Cecilia Sturt Lady Montagu [aged 60]: [his sister-in-law] Sibyl Louise Beatrix Cadogan [aged 36], Edith Mary Cadogan Baroness Hillingdon [aged 34], Cynthia Hilda Evelyn Cadogan [aged 33], Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 29] and Victoria Laura Cadogan.

On 14th November 1933 Walter Francis David Long [aged 22] and [his future wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough [aged 18] were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map].

On 30th June 1934 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 62] died. His son John [aged 36] succeeded 10th Duke Marlborough, 10th Marquess of Blandford, 10th Earl of Marlborough, 10th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 12th Earl of Sunderland, 14th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 34] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.

On 23rd February 1943 William Humble Eric Ward 3rd Earl of Dudley [aged 49] and [his future wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Countess of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire. The difference in their ages was 21 years. He the son of William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley and Gertrude "Gertie" Millar Countess of Dudley [aged 64].

On 5th December 1946 [his son-in-law] Major Charles Huguenot Waterhouse [aged 28] and Caroline Spencer-Churchill [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 49] and Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 46].

On 19th October 1951 John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough [aged 25] and Susan Mary Hornby [aged 22] were married. He the son of John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 54] and Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 51].

On 13th June 1960 Michael Temple Canfield [aged 33] and [his future wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough [aged 44] were married. He the illegitmate son of Prince George Windsor 1st Duke Kent and Alice "Kiki" Preston aka Gwynne.

In 1961 [his son] John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough [aged 34] and [his daughter-in-law] Susan Mary Hornby [aged 32] were divorced.

On 23rd May 1961 [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 61] died.

On 6th December 1964 [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough [aged 87] died at Southampton, Long Island, probably at her home Cara-Mia, Southampton. She was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map] next to the grave of her son [his brother] Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill who had died in 1956.

On 26th January 1972 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 74] and Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough [aged 56] were married. She by marriage Duchess Marlborough. He the son of Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough.

On 11th March 1972 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 74] died. He was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map] next to the grave of his first wife Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough who died in 1961. His son John [aged 45] succeeded 11th Duke Marlborough, 11th Marquess of Blandford, 11th Earl of Marlborough, 11th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 13th Earl of Sunderland, 15th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.

On 19th February 1990 [his former wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough [aged 74] died at Portland Towers Marylebone.