Baron Churchill (1815 creation)

Baron Churchill
Arms: Quarterly: 1st & 4th, quarterly Argent and Gules, the second and third quarters charged with a Fret Or, over all a Bend Sable, charged with three Escallops Argent (Spencer); 2nd & 3rd, Sable, a Lion rampant Argent, on a Canton (of honourable augmentation) Argent, a Cross Gules (Churchill). Crest: Out of a Ducal Coronet Or, a Griffin’s Head between two Wings expanded Argent, gorged with a Bar gemel Gules. Supporters: Dexter: A Griffin wings elevated per fess Argent and Or. Sinister: A Wyvern wings elevated Gules, both gorged with a Collar Or, charged with three Escallops Sable, attached thereto a line reflexed over the back, terminating in an Annulet Or.
Creation date	11 August 1815
Creation	First
Created by	The Prince Regent (acting on behalf of his father King George III)
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Lord Francis Spencer
Present holder	Michael Spencer, 7th Baron Churchill
Heir presumptive	Hon. David Spencer
Status	Extant
Motto	DIEU DEFEND LE DROIT (English: God defend my right)
The Barony of Churchill was held by the Viscounts Churchill from 1902 to 2017

Baron Churchill, of Wychwood in the County of Oxford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and held by a branch of the Spencer family. It was created in 1815 for Lord Francis Spencer,^[1][2][3] younger son of the 4th Duke of Marlborough (see Duke of Marlborough for earlier history of the family). He had previously represented Oxfordshire in Parliament.

From 1902 to 2017, the barony was subsidiary title of the viscountcy of Churchill. The title of Viscount Churchill, of Rolleston in the County of Leicester, was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom on 15 July 1902 for the first baron's grandson Conservative politician Victor Spencer, 3rd Baron Churchill.^[4] The viscountcy became extinct in 2017 on the death of the first Viscount's youngest son, the third Viscount, who had succeeded his half-brother, the second Viscount, in 1973.^{[citation needed]}

The barony was inherited by the last Viscount's second cousin once removed,^[5] the great-grandson of General Sir Augustus Almeric Spencer, the third son of the 1st Baron Churchill.

Baron Churchill (1815)

• Francis Almeric Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill (1779–1845)
• Francis George Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill (1802–1886)
• Victor Albert Francis Charles Spencer, 3rd Baron Churchill (1864–1934, created Viscount Churchill in 1902)

Viscount Churchill (1902)

• Victor Albert Francis Charles Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill (1864–1934)
• Victor Alexander Spencer, 2nd Viscount Churchill (1890–1973)
• Victor George Spencer, 3rd Viscount Churchill (1934–2017)^[6]

Baron Churchill (1815; reverted)

• Richard Harry Ramsay Spencer, 6th Baron Churchill (1926–2020)^[5]
• Michael Richard de Charrière Spencer, 7th Baron Churchill (born 1960)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon. David Anthony de Charrière Spencer (born 1970).

Male-line family tree

References

Books

• Kidd, Charles (1903). Debrett's peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage. London: Dean & Son. p. 228. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. John Debrett Alt URL
• Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. London: Dean & Son. p. 204.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages ^{[self-published source] [better source needed]}

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Francis George Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Victor Alexander Spencer, 2nd Viscount Churchill
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Victor George Spencer, 3rd Viscount Churchill

See also

• Duke of Marlborough
• Earl Spencer