In the recent history of England, the ancient noble family of Spencer of Althorp has risen to renewed prominence on account two notable bearers of the Spencer name. First, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (1874-1965), usually remembered merely as "Winston Churchill," served as prime minister for George VI, de facto King of Great Britain during the horrors of World War II, and through his heroism and fortitude saved his countrymen and Europe. Secondly, Winston Churchill's distant cousin Diana Spencer (1961-1997), daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, became the object of a extreme cult of international celebrity through her marriage to the Greek prince Karolos (Charles, de facto Prince of Wales). My wife belongs to an American Spencer family that is believed to be a Bedfordshire branch of the same Spencers from whom the Spencers of Althorp descended -- though my wife's Spencers' hypothetical connection to the ancestors of the Althorp Spencers is far back in the 1300s, and the exact lineage is (as indicated on the chart below) uncertain and unproven. Nevertheless, the first chart below (based chiefly on Holding and Round) illustrates what the family tree is likely to have looked like, which would make my wife 18th cousins with Winston Churchill and 18th cousins once remove Diana, erstwhile Princess of Wales. Furthermore, my own mother's genealogy includes a royal descent that would make me a distant cousin of the Althorp Spencer family at approximately the same degree of kinship as my wife's -- only hers is through the direct male line, whereas mine goes through the female line several times. The second chart below (derived from Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk's Royal Highness) illustrates my kinship with the Spencers of Althorp.
Spencer of Badby, 18th cousins with Sir Winston Churchill and 18th cousins once removed with Diana Spencer. Henry Spencer=Isabel Lincoln of Badby | _________________________________|_______________________________________________________________________________ | | John Spencer Thomas Spencer of Hodnell of Eaton Socon __________|______________ | | | | John Spencer (NN) Spencer John Spencer of Wormleighton and Althorp | of Eaton Socon Enfeoffed 1486 | | William Spencer of Rodburne (1430-1485) John Spencer of South Mylls Sir John Spencer of Hodnell, Wormleighton, and Althorp John Spencer of Kempston (c.1485-1534) Sir William Spencer of Althorp and Wormleighton | ?? Sir John Spencer of Althorp and Wormleighton John Spencer (c.1505-1558) Sir John Spencer of Althorp and Wormleighton Michael Spencer (c.1533-c.1600) John Churchill Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton Gerard Spencer (1576-bef. 1625) 1st Duke of Marlborough William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton Ensign Gerard Spencer (1614-1685) |_________ Henry Spencer the Faithful, 3rd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, 1st Earl of Sunderland William Spencer (c.1656-1730) | Robert Spencer the Traitor, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1640-1702) Joseph Spencer (1680/1-1714) Anne Churchill=Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1674-1722) Joseph Spencer (1712/13-1747) ______________________|________________________________________ | | | | Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough John Spencer of Althorp (1708-1746) Joseph Spencer (1739-c.1825) George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer Daniel Spencer (1761-c.1855) George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough (1766-1840) George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer Orin Spencer (1801-1872) George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough Frederick Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer John Washington Spencer (1832-1909) John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer William Penn Spencer (1861-1934) Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (1849-1895) Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer John Howard Spencer (1904-1948) SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER-CHURCHILL (1874-1965) Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer Roy Eldon Spencer (1940- ) DIANA SPENCER (1961-1997), erstwhile de facto Princess of Wales Christina Carlene Spencer (1972- )=Jared Linn Olar (1968- ) Plantagenet of England, 18th cousins three times removed of Sir Winston Churchill, 19th cousins twice removed of Diana Spencer. Edward III King of England d. 1377 | John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster __________________________________________|__________________________________________________________ | | Joan Beaufort=Ralph Nevill, Earl of Westmoreland John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset George Nevill, 1st Lord Latimer Joan Beaufort=James I, King of Scots Sir Henry Nevill, d. 1469 James II, King of Scots Richard Nevill, 2nd Lord Latimer Alexander Stewart, 3rd Duke of Albany John Nevill, 3rd Lord Latimer, Pilgrim of Grace Alexander Stewart, Bishop of Moray John Nevill, 4th Lord Latimer Margaret Stewart=Patrick Graham of Inchbrakie Catherine Nevill=Henry Percy the Wizard Earl, 8th Earl of Northumberland Janet Graham=Dougal Campbell Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland Sir James Campbell of Ardkinglass Dorothy Percy=/=Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (NN) Campbell=Duncan Stewart of Glenbuckie Dorothy Sidney=Henry Spencer the Faithful, 1st Earl of Sunderland John Stewart of Glenbuckie Robert Spencer the Traitor, 2nd Earl of Sunderland Isobel Stewart=Walter Stewart of Gartnafuaran Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1674-1722) Robert Stewart (1655-1714) _____|______________________________________________________ | | | | Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough John Spencer of Althorp John Stewart George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer Charles Stewart George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer Margaret Stewart=John Anderson George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough Frederick Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer Rebecca Anderson=John Linn John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer George Russell Linn Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer Mary Rebecca Linn=James Monroe Shaw SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER-CHURCHILL (1874-1965) Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer Sherman Linn Shaw DIANA SPENCER (1961-1997) Sherman Linn Shaw II Dolores Frances Shaw=Joseph Olar Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer
Return to The Spencer Genealogy (Part One)
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