Biography of Winston Churchill / Биография Уинстона Черчилля


Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill’s ancestors were both Brit- ish and American. Winston’s father was the British Lord Randolph Churchill, the youngest son of John, the 7th Duke of Marlborough. Lord Randolph’s ancestor John Churchill made history by winning many successful military campaigns in Europe for Queen Anne almost 200 years earlier. His mother was the American Jennie Jerome. The Jeromes fought for the inde- pendence of the American colonies in George Washington’s ar- mies. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on Novem- ber 30, 1874, at the Duke of Marlborough’s large palace, Blen- heim.

Childhood

Winston Churchill was a child during the late 1800s. At that time there weren’t any radios, televisions or electronic devices which children today are accustomed to having. The telephone was not invented when Churchill was born. Children during the late 1800’s spent their time reading books and playing with toys such as toy soldiers. Young Winston would also ride on his donkey. One book that Winston fondly read was Treasure Island.

Lady Randolph hired Mrs. Elizabeth Everest as a nanny to care for Winston. Winston fondly called Mrs. Everest “Woomany.” Later Winston Churchill would say that “My nurse was my confidante. Mrs. Everest it was who looked after me and tended all my wants. It was to her that I poured out all my many troubles…”

Schooling

Winston attended St. George’s School, Ascot, from 1882 through 1884. Of school Winston would write, “It appears that I was to go away from home for many weeks at a stretch in order to do lessons under masters… After all I was only seven, and I had been so happy in my nursery with all my toys. I had such wonderful toys: a real steam engine, a magic lantern, and a collection of soldiers already nearly a thousand strong. Now it was to be all les- sons…” From 1884-1888, Winston attended The Misses Thomp- son’s Preparatory School where he learned things that in- terested him such as French, history, poetry, riding a horse and swimming.

Harrow

On April 17, 1888, Winston entered Harrow School, a boy’s school near London. Winston found his years at Harrow challenging. He was not thought of as a good stu- dent. Winston wrote, “I was on the whole considerably discouraged by my school days.” However, Winston’s ability to memorize lines was clearly apparent while at Harrow. Winston entered a competition and won a school prize for reciting from memory 1,200 lines from Macau- lay’s, long poem Lays of Ancient Rome

Sandhurst

The Life of Winston Churchill: Soldier Correspondent Statesman Orator Author Inspirational Leader The Churchill Centre is the international focus for study of Winston Churchill, his life and times. Our members, aged from ten to over ninety, work together to preserve Winston Churchill’s memory and legacy. Our aim is that future generations never forget his contribu- tions to the political philosophy, culture and literature of the Great Democracies and his contributions to statesmanship. To join or contact The Churchill Centre visit www.winstonchurchill.org © Yousuf Karsh, 1941 Ottawa © The Churchill Centre 2007 Produced for educational use only. Not intended for commercial purposes.

Churchill & Technology

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few…” In this famous line, Winston Chur- chill thanked the pilots of the Royal Air Force, also known as the RAF, for their bravery fighting the German Luft- waffe in the Battle of Britain during World War II. At this time the use of airplanes in war was still thought of as a new technology. Winston Churchill was a forward thinking man who promoted technological developments for the military. During World War I, Churchill promoted the de- velopment of the tank. A British Royal Commission cred- ited Churchill “it was primarily due to the receptivity, cour- age and driving force of the Rt. Honorable Winston Spencer Churchill that… the Tank was converted into a practical shape.” Later Churchill would also promote the development and use of radar and the breaking of the Ger- man codes from the Enigma machine.

The Boer War

In 1899, Winston Churchill headed to South Africa as a newspaper correspondent for the Morning Post to cover the Boer War between British and Dutch settlers. Unfor- tunately, he was present at an ambush of an armored train and captured by enemy Boer soldiers. On November 18, 1899, Churchill along with the other prisoners arrived in Pretoria at the prison called the State Model Schools. On the night of December 12th, when the prison guards turned their backs on Churchill, he took the opportunity to climb over the prison wall. Wearing a brown flannel suit with £75 (the equivalent of $375) and four slabs of chocolate in his pocket, Churchill walked on leisurely through the night in hopes of finding the Delagoa Bay Railway. So began his great escape and journey to freedom. Churchill jumped onto a train and hid among soft sacks covered in coal dust. Leaving the train before daybreak, Chur- chill continued on his escape. With luck, Winston Churchill happened upon the home of Mr. John Howard, manager of the Transvaal Collieries. Upon knocking on his door, Mr. Howard’s response to Winston Churchill plea for help was “Thank God you have come here! It is the only house for twenty miles where you would not have been handed over. But we are all British here, and we will see you through.” Mr. Howard first hid Churchill in a coal mine then transported him to safety by hav- ing Churchill squeeze into a hole at the end of a train car loaded with bales of wool. Upon reaching Durban, South Africa, Winston Churchill found himself a hero.

Winston Churchill lived to be ninety years of age. During his lifetime many changes occurred politically, socially and technologically. This timeline shows not only the highlights of Churchill’s life but events and things that contributed to the changing society that he grew up in.