Lieutenant-General Charles Churchill

Charles Churchill was born in 1679, the illegitimate son of Lieutenant-General Charles Churchill (d.1714) and Elizabeth Dodd. The elder Charles was the brother of John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, so Charles junior was the nephew of the most famous member of the family. What makes it more confusing is that he had an illegitimate son by the actress Anne Oldfield also called Charles Churchill (d.1812). It is customary to distinguish between the three generations by putting their date of death after their name.
Charles Churchill (d.1745) entered the army in 1693 and served as an officer in the 2nd Foot Guards. In March 1706 he was appointed regimental major in the 3rd Foot (the Buffs) of which his father was Colonel. This meant that he could go to the Netherlands to take part in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14). He distinguished himself at the Battle of Ramillies on 23 May 1706 where he led his battalion in driving 3 French regiments into marshy ground. For his bravery and leadership he was promoted to colonel. For a short time he commanded a regiment of foot but it was disbanded in 1713 after the peace of Utrecht.
When the Jacobites rebelled in 1715 the King issued warrants for the raising of 12 regiments of dragoons and, besides Gore’s dragoons, one of the other regiments was raised by Colonel Charles Churchill. This became ‘The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Dragoons’ but lasted only a few years before he sold the colonelcy to Sir Charles Hotham in 1717, and a year later it was disbanded. Churchill was appointed Colonel of Gore’s Dragoons on 12 Jan 1723 when Humphrey Gore was removed to the Royal Dragoons. He was promoted to brigadier-general in 1727, to major-general in 1735 and lieutenant-general in 1739.
He combined his military career with politics and sat as MP for Castle Rising from 1715 to his death in 1745. He was also Governor or Plymouth, Groom of the Bedchamber to George II and Deputy Ranger of St James’s Park. He died on 14 May 1745.
The painting, by Johnathan Richardson, is of Lieutenant-General Charles Churchill (d.1745) in cavalry uniform. It is an important contribution to our knowledge of officers’ uniforms in the early years of the 18th century. It is most likely the uniform of the 10th Dragoons, having a silver laced yellowy buff waistcoat. But it could also be the uniform of the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Dragoons which Charles raised in 1715 and sold in 1717. So this uniform dates either c1715, or c1723 when he became Colonel of the 10th Dragoons. The provenance of this painting:
Charles Churchill, his son by Anne Oldfield
Maria Walpole, wife of Charles (d.1812)
Horace Churchill
Mrs John Michel nee Louise Churchill
By descent to the 20th century owner
This list comes from an auction catalogue, Julian Simon Fine Art of Pimlico Road, in 1985. The expected price was 10,000 to 15,000 pounds. It was photographed by W Y Carman at the auctioneers. The present owner is not known.

Regimental Details | Colonels