Earl of Sunderland

British noble title

Earldom of Sunderland

Arms of Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland

Creation date| 1643
Creation| Second
Created by| Charles I
Peerage| Peerage of England
First holder| Henry Spencer, 3rd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton
Present holder| James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough
Heir apparent| George Spencer-Churchill (who formerly used this title as a courtesy title)

Earl of Sunderland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1627 in favour of Emanuel Scrope, 11th Baron Scrope of Bolton. The earldom became extinct upon his death in 1630, while the barony became either extinct or dormant (see Baron Scrope of Bolton for more information on this title). The second creation came in 1643 in favour of the Royalist soldier Henry Spencer, 3rd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton.

## History

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The Spencer family descended from Sir John Spencer (d. 1522), who acquired the Wormleighton estate in Warwickshire and the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire. His grandson Sir John Spencer (d. 1586) was a Knight of the Shire for Northamptonshire. The latter's grandson Sir Robert Spencer represented Brackley in Parliament during the late 16th century. In 1603, Sir Robert was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Spencer of Wormleighton. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, William, the second Baron. He had previously represented Northamptonshire in Parliament. His eldest son was the aforementioned third Baron. In July 1643, he was created Earl of Sunderland in the Peerage of England, but he was killed at the Battle of Newbury in September of the same year. He was succeeded by his two-year-old only son, Robert, the second Earl. He later gained great distinction as a statesman and notably served four times as Secretary of State for the Southern Department.

His eldest surviving son, Charles, the third Earl, also gained prominence as a statesman. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Privy Seal, Secretary of State for both the Northern and Southern Departments, Lord President of the Council and First Lord of the Treasury. However, his political career was ruined by the South Sea Bubble of 1720. Lord Sunderland married (as his second wife) Lady Anne Churchill, second daughter of the distinguished soldier John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and Sarah Jennings. The dukedom of Marlborough was allowed to descend to the Duke's daughters and their sons after a special Act of Parliament was passed in 1716.

The third Earl was succeeded by his eldest surviving son (by his second wife), Robert, the fourth Earl. He died unmarried in 1729 at the age of 27 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Charles, the fifth Earl. In 1733, he succeeded his maternal aunt, Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, as third Duke of Marlborough. The barony of Spencer of Wormleighton and earldom of Sunderland have remained subsidiary titles of the dukedom ever since. Earl of Sunderland has been used as the courtesy title of the Duke's eldest male-line grandson.

John Spencer, fourth son of the third Earl of Sunderland by his second wife, succeeded to the family estates in Northamptonshire in 1733 after his elder brother inherited the dukedom of Marlborough. His son John was created Earl Spencer in 1765. Robert Spencer, second son of the second Baron, had been created Viscount Teviot in 1685.

## Earl of Sunderland, first creation (1627)

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* Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland (d. 1630)

## Earl of Sunderland, second creation

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### Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (1603)

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* Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (1570–1627)
* John Spencer (1590–1610)
* William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (1592–1636)
* Henry Spencer, 3rd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (1620–1643) (created Earl of Sunderland in 1643)

### Earl of Sunderland (1643)

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* Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland (1620–1643)
* Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1640–1702)
* Robert Spencer, Lord Spencer (1666–1688)
* Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1675–1722)
* Robert Spencer (1700–1701)
* Robert Spencer, 4th Earl of Sunderland (1701–1729)
* Charles Spencer, 5th Earl of Sunderland (1706–1758) (succeeded as Duke of Marlborough in 1733)

For further succession, see Duke of Marlborough (title).

## Family tree

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* v
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Spencer-Churchill family tree of the Dukes of Marlborough, Earls of Sunderland[1] and Earls Spencer

| | | | | | | | | Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, 1603

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| | | | | | | | Robert Spencer
1570–1627
1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | John Spencer
1590–1610| | William Spencer
1592–1636
2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | John Churchill
1600–1673
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Earl of Sunderland (2nd creation), 1643| | | | |
| | | | | | | | Henry Spencer
1620–1643
1st Earl of Sunderland, 3rd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Winston Churchill
1620–1688
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Lord Churchill of Eyemouth (Scotland), 1682
Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 1685
Earl of Marlborough (2nd creation), 1689
Duke of Marlborough and Marquess of Blandford, 1702| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Robert Spencer
1640–1702
2nd Earl of Sunderland, 4th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | John Churchill
1650–1722
1st Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, Lord Churchill of Eyemouth, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge| | | | | | | | | | King James VII and II
1633–1701| | Arabella Churchill
1648–1730

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Francis Godolphin
1678–1766
Earl of Godolphin| | Henrietta Churchill
1681–1733
2nd Duchess of Marlborough, Marchioness of Blandford, Countess of Marlborough, and Baroness Churchill of Sandridge| | Charles Spencer
1675–1722
3rd Earl of Sunderland, 5th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Anne Churchill
1683–1716| | John Churchill
1686–1703
Styled Marquess of Blandford| | James FitzJames
1670–1734
Duke of Berwick[2]| | Henry FitzJames
1673–1702
Duke of Albemarle (Jacobite)| | Henry Waldegrave,
Baron Waldegrave
1661–1689| | Henrietta FitzJames
1667–1730
| | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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William Godolphin
1700–1731
Styled Marquess of Blandford| | Robert Spencer
1701–1729
4th Earl of Sunderland, 6th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Charles Spencer
1706–1758
3rd Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 5th Earl of Sunderland, 7th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | John Spencer
1708–1746| | | | | | Dukes of Berwick (Jacobite)| | Dukes of Albemarle (Jacobite)| | James Waldegrave,
Earl Waldegrave
1684–1741
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Viscount Spencer and Baron Spencer of Althorp, 1761
Earl Spencer, 1765| | | | | | | | |
| | | | George Spencer
1739–1817
4th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 6th Earl of Sunderland, 8th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | | | | | | | | | | | | | John Spencer
1734–1783
1st Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp| | | | | | James Waldegrave,
Earl Waldegrave
1715–1763
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| | | | | | | | | Baron Churchill of Wychwood, 1815| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | George Spencer-Churchill
1766–1840
5th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 7th Earl of Sunderland, 9th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Francis Almeric Spencer
1779–1845
1st Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | | | | | | | | | George Spencer
1758–1834
2nd Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp| | Hugh Seymour
1759–1801| | Anne Horatia Waldegrave
1762–1801|

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | George Spencer-Churchill
1793–1857
6th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 8th Earl of Sunderland, 10th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Francis George Spencer
1802–1886
2nd Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | | | | | Augustus Spencer
1807–1893| | John Spencer
1782–1845
3rd Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, Baron Spencer of Althorp| | | | | | | Horace Beauchamp Seymour
1791–1851
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | John Winston Spencer-Churchill
1822–1883
7th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 9th Earl of Sunderland, 11th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Georgiana Poyntz
1799–1851| | Frederick Spencer
1798–1857
4th Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp| | Adelaide Horatia Seymour
1825–1877
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Viscount Althorp, 1905
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George Charles Spencer-Churchill
1844–1892
8th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 10th Earl of Sunderland, 12th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill
1849–1895| | | | | | | | | | | Augustus Spencer
1851–1912| | John Poyntz Spencer
1835–1910
5th Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp| | | | | | Charles Robert Spencer
1857–1922
6th Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp, 1st Viscount Althorp
| | | | | | | | | | Viscount Churchill, 1902| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill
1871–1934
9th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 11th Earl of Sunderland, 13th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
1874–1965
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1940–1945 and 1951–1955| |  Victor Albert Francis Charles Spencer
1864–1934
1st Viscount Churchill, 3rd Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | (Descendants of Winston Churchill)| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
John Albert William Spencer-Churchill
1897–1972
10th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 12th Earl of Sunderland, 14th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | | | | | Victor Alexander Spencer
1890–1973
2nd Viscount Churchill, 4th Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | | | | | | Richard Spencer
1888–1956| | | | | | | | | | Albert Spencer
1892–1975
7th Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp, 2nd Viscount Althorp
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill
1926–2014
11th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 13th Earl of Sunderland, 15th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | | | | | | | | | Victor George Spencer
1934–2017
3rd Viscount Churchill, 5th Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | Richard Spencer
1926–2020
6th Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | | | | | | | | | Edward John Spencer
1924–1992
8th Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp, 3rd Viscount Althorp
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Viscountcy Churchill extinct, 2017| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Charles James Spencer-Churchill
b. 1955
12th Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford, Earl of Marlborough, and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, 14th Earl of Sunderland, 16th Baron Spencer of Wormleighton| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Michael Spencer
b. 1960
7th Baron Churchill of Wychwood| | David Anthony Spencer
b. 1970
Heir Presumptive to Wychwood| | King Charles III
b. 1948| | Diana Frances Spencer
1961–1997| | Charles Edward Maurice Spencer
b. 1964
9th Earl Spencer, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer of Althorp, 4th Viscount Althorp

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill
b. 1992
Styled Marquess of Blandford| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | William,
Prince of Wales
b. 1982| | Harry,
Duke of Sussex
b. 1984| | Louis Frederick John Spencer
b. 1994
Styled Viscount Althorp
| | |
Lady Olympia Spencer-Churchill
b. 2020

## References

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* Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [self-published source] [better source needed]

1. ^ Kate Fleming, The Churchills, Viking Press, 1975
2. ^ Herman, Eleanor (2005). Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge. Pushed into War, Sold into Marriage: William Morrow. p. 190. ISBN 0060585439.

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