MARLBOROUGH, JOILN CnnucruLL, Duke of, the greatest general and statesman of his time, was b. June 24, 1650, at Ashe, in Devonshire, of an old family impoverished by the civil wars. Without having received much education he became a page in the service of the duke of York, who gave him a commission as an ensign of guards in his 16th year. He was present at the relief of Tangiers, and a number of engagements with the Moors, and after his return to England rose to the rank of capt. in a regiment which was sent to the Netherlands to the support of the French. In the campaign froin 1672 to. 1677 his brilliant courage and ability gained him the praise of the celebrated Turenne. On the conclusion of the war by the peace of Nimeguen, Churchill, now a col., returned to England. His advancement had been obtained not merely on account of his own merit, but through the influence of his sister Arabella, mistress of the duke of York. His prosperity was afterwards still further secured by his marriage with Sarah Jennings, a lady as remarkable for her talents and imperious disposition as for her beauty. When James II. ascended the throne, Churchill was made baron of Sundridge, and was raised to the military rank of general. He took an active part in suppressing Monmouth's rebellion, but on the landing of the prince of Orange lie pas.sed over to the side of the invader very unscrupulously. He was rewarded by being made earl of Marlborough. He aided in reducing Ireland to subjection, and, having received from William III. the command of the troops employed against France in the Netherlands, displayed great ability as a gen. in the campaigns of 1689, 1690, and 1691. But in 1692 he fell into disfavor with the king and was dismissed from all his offices, and shortly after he was even thrown into the Tower for a few days on the charge of maintaining treasonable correspondence with the exiled king. On the commencement of the war of the Spanish succession lie was intrusted with the command of the British army in the Netherlands. The death of William, and the accession of Anne to the throne in March, 1702, made Marlborough virtually regent, although without the title. His wife governed the queen, and he himself directed the minister Godolphin, whose son had married his daughter. A constant succession of victories strengthened his political power. In the campaign of 1702 he drove the Frencli out of Spanish Guelders, in reward for which service the queen raised him to the rank of duke; and in 1703 he campaigned again in the Low Countries. In 1704 lie went to the support of the emperor in Germany, and joined prince Eugene of Savoy; in July, 170,1, he stormed the French and Bavarian lines at Donauworth; and on Aug. 13 overthrew a stronger French and Bavarian army in the memorable and decisive battle of Blenheim. The parliament bestowed on him the estate of Woodstock, and the queen caused Blenheim palace to be built for him, though it had to be finished at his own expense. In 1705 Marlborough was made a prince of the etnpire. During the year 1705 Marlborough was chiefly occupied with diplomatic
negotiations, but in 1706 he resumed that career of victory by which Louis XIV. was so completely humbled. In May of that year the battle of Ramillies Is-as fought, which. cornpelled the French to evacuate the whole of Spanish Flanders. In the summer of 1708 an attempt made by the French, under Vendome, to recover Flanders, brought on an engagement at Oudenarde, July 11, which resulted in the total defeat of the French. On Sept. 11, 1709, he fought the bloody and unprofitable battle of 3Ialplaqiiet; in 1710, his final campaign, lie took town after town from the French. Meanwhile, however, important events took place at the British court: the queen shook off the tyranny of the duchess of Marlborough, which had become intolerable to her; Godolphin and Sun derland ceased to be ministers, and the earl of Oxford and the tories came into power. Marlborough was accused of having embezzled the public money, and on Jan. 1, 1712, he was deprived of his offices, but the charge against him was not prosecuted. On the accession of George I. he was treated with distinction and made capt.gen. and master of the ordnance. But on May 28, 1716, he had a stroke of apoplexy. This, though it slightly impaired his speech, did not prevent him.from continuing to sit in parliament and attending to his other duties till six months before his death, which happened on June 16, 1722. He left an immense fortune. 3Iarlborough was unquestionably guilty of political dissimulation, was inordinately fond of money, and may have been parsi monious. But his character had many elements of singular excellence. He was generous in action, gentle in temper, a devoted husband, and a pious Christian.
His wife, Sarah Jennings, was b. on May 29, 1660, and when about 42 years of age came into the service of the duchess of York, and became the chosen and most intimate friend of the princess Aniae, over whom, after her accessiou to the throne, she exercised the influence due to a superior and extremely active mind. Her power was almost boundless; the whig ministry depended upon her support, and she disposed of placos and offices at her pleasure, and is even said to have accumulated money by the sale of them. Her rule became, however, at last intolerable to the queen, in whose favor her own cousin, lady Masham, whom she herself had brought to court, supplanted her. bile retired from the court in Ja-nuary, 1711. She long survived her husband, living in complete retirement, and died on Oct. 29, 1744, leaving a fortune of .C3,000,000 sterling. The only son of the duke and duchess of Marlborough died young, and the title has been inherited by the descendants of one of their daughters.
a ponderous iron pin, with a large head and taper point, used oa shipboard for separating the strands of rope preparatory' to splicing or knotting; also. employed as a lever in tightening rigging, etc.