John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

General His Grace The Duke of Marlborough KG, PC
Portrait by Adriaen van der Werff

First Lord of the Treasury
In office 8 May 1702 – 11 August 1710
Monarch	Anne
Preceded by	The Earl of Carlisle
Succeeded by	The Earl Poulett
Personal details
Born	(1650-05-26)26 May 1650 Ashe House, Devon, England
Died	16 June 1722 (1722-06-17) (aged 72) Windsor Lodge, Berkshire, England
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	England (1667–1707) Great Britain (1707–22)
Service/branch	English army British army
Rank	General
Commands	Commander-in-Chief of the Forces Master-General of the Ordnance
Battles/wars	Monmouth Rebellion Battle of Sedgemoor Nine Years' War Battle of Walcourt War of the Spanish Succession Battle of Schellenberg Battle of Blenheim Battle of Elixheim Battle of Ramillies Battle of Oudenarde Siege of Lille Battle of Malplaquet Siege of Bouchain
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Garter

General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC (/ˈmɑːrlbərə/, often /ˈmɔːrlbrə/; 26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.), was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs. Rising from a lowly page at the court of the House of Stuart, he served James, Duke of York, through the 1670s and early 1680s, earning military and political advancement through his courage and diplomatic skill.

Churchill's role in defeating the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 helped secure James on the throne, yet just three years later he abandoned his Catholic patron for the Protestant Dutchman, William of Orange. Honoured for his services at William's coronation with the earldom of Marlborough, he served with further distinction in the early years of the Nine Years' War, but persistent charges of Jacobitism brought about his fall from office and temporary imprisonment in the Tower. It was not until the accession of Queen Anne in 1702 that Marlborough reached the zenith of his powers and secured his fame and fortune.

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