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George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG FRS (January 26, 1739 – January 29, 1817) was a British nobleman. Born the son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, he was known as Marquess of Blandford until succeeding his father in 1758. His siblings were Charles, Diana, and Elizabeth. He was educated at Eton, and in 1755 entered the Coldstream Guards as an Ensign, becoming a Captain with the 20th Regiment of Foot in the following year.
After inheriting the dukedom, Marlborough took his seat in the House of Lords in 1760, becoming Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in that same year. The following year, he bore the sceptre with the cross at the coronation of George III. In 1762, he was made Lord Chamberlain as well as a Privy Counsellor, and after a year succeeded this appointment as Lord Privy Seal. An amateur astronomer, he built a private observatory at his residence, Blenheim Palace. He kept up a lively scientific correspondence with Hans Count von Bruhl, another aristocratic dilettante in astronomy.
The Duke was made a Knight of the Garter in 1768, and was elected to the Royal Society in 1786. He married Lady Caroline Russell, daughter of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, in 1762, by whom he had eight children:
- Lady Caroline Spencer (1763–1813), married the 2nd Viscount Clifden and had issue, incl. George Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron Dover.
- Lady Elizabeth Spencer (d. 1812), married her cousin John Spencer (a grandson of the 3rd Duke of Marlborough) and had issue.
- Lady Charlotte Spencer (d. 1802), married Rev. Edward Nares and had issue.
- George Spencer, Marquess of Blandford (1766–1840)
- Lord Henry John Spencer (1770–1795)
- Lady Anne Spencer (1773–1865), married the future 6th Earl of Shaftesbury and had issue.
- Lady Amelia Sophia Spencer (d. 1829), married Henry Pytches Boyce.
- Lord Francis Almeric Spencer (1779–1845)
He died at Blenheim Palace aged 78, and was buried there.
Reference: The Collected Correspondence of Baron Franz von Zach, Volume 3 (British Letters), 2008. Edited by Clifford J. Cunningham. Star Lab Press.
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant
Title last held by
The Duke of Marlborough |
Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire 1760–1817 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Macclesfield |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Duke of Devonshire |
Lord Chamberlain 1762–1763 |
Succeeded by The Earl Gower |
| Preceded by The Duke of Bedford |
Lord Privy Seal 1763–1765 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Newcastle |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by Charles Spencer |
Duke of Marlborough 1758–1817 |
Succeeded by George Spencer-Churchill |
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