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Duke of Marlborough: Blenheim Street
built 615 days ago
By the 1870s the Marlborough's were in severe financial trouble, and in 1875 the 7th Duke sold the "Marriage of Cupid and Psyche", together with the famed Marlborough gems, at auction for �10,000. However this was not enough to save the family. In 1880 the 7th Duke was forced to petition Parliament to break the protective entail on the Palace and its contents. This was achieved under the Blenheim Settled Estates Act of 1880, and the door was now open for wholesale dispersal of Blenheim and its contents. The first victim was the great Sunderland Library which was sold in 1882, including such volumes as The Epistles of Horace, printed at Caen in 1480, and the works of Josephus, printed at Verona in 1648. The 18,000 volumes raised almost �60,000.
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George Spencer CHURCHILL (5th Duke of Marlborough) was born on 3 Mar 1766 in Blenheim, England. He died in 1840 in England. He was buried in Chapel at Blenheim Castle. He was appointed a Marquis of Blandford in England. Parents: George SPENCER (4th Duke of Marlborough) and Caroline RUSSELL (Duchess of Marlborough).
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The Duke of Marlborough, foreseeing that the enemy would pursue this advantage, resolved to pass the rivulet immediately with all the cavalry; and accordingly they began to pass as fast as the badness of the ground would permit them. The passage proved more difficult to the English squadrons than to any of the others, especially to those of Lieut.-Gen. Lumley's regiment, for they being opposite to where the rivulet was divided, the regiment had to cross both branches and the meadow between, which was very soft and marshy. However they surmounted these difficulties and got over, but they met with so warm a reception, the artillery and the infantry posted in Blenheim firing upon their flank, whilst the cavalry charged them in front, that they were obliged to retire: but Bothmer's, Villars', and one squadron of Bulow's dragoons advanced from the second line into the first, which gave time to our squadrons to recover and to form again.
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After his divorce the Duke married again a former friend of Consuelo, Gladys Deacon, another American. This eccentric lady was of an artistic disposition, and a painting of one of her eyes still remains on the ceiling of the great north portico. Before her marriage while staying with the Marlborough's she had caused a diplomatic incident by encouraging the young Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany to form an attachment. The prince had given her an heirloom ring, which the combined diplomatic services of two empires were charged to recover. After her marriage Gladys was in the habit of dining with the Duke with a revolver by the side of her plate. Tiring of her the Duke was temporarily forced to close Blenheim, and turn off the utilities in order to drive her out.
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THE Duke of Marlborough has called police to Blenheim Palace to investigate claims that millions have gone missing in thefts by staff in the past. The 11th duke — whose eldest son and heir Jamie, the Marquess of Blandford, has himself been convicted of theft — is said to be infuriated with the alleged pilfering at the palace.
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[Marlborough, Duke of (1650-1722), was one of England's greatest generals. He won a series of brilliant victories at Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenaarde, and Malplaquet in his campaigns in the War of the Spanish Succession]
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Blenheim Street