Sarah Lady Lyttlelton " Governess of England"

She was born Lady Sarah Spencer at the Spencer seat of Althorp in Northamptonshire on 29 July 1787 and was eldest daughter of the Whig politician Sir George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer and Lady Lavinia Bingham .She married Sir William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Lord Lyttelton on 4 March 1813. They had two daughters, Lavinia and Caroline ,and three sons, George, Spencer and William. On 25 July 1839 her eldest son, George (by then 4th Baron), married Mary, the daughter of Sir Stephen Glynne. The marriage took place at Hawarden, the seat of William Gladstone, who was simultaneously marrying Mary's sister, Catherine. George became a distinguished classical scholar like his father, but committed suicide in 1876 by throwing himself down the stairs. Sarah's daughter, Lavinia, was later to marry Reverend Henry Glynne, brother of Catherine and Mary Glynn.Sarah Lyttelton was widowed in 1837, and shortly afterwards was offered the post of Lady in waiting to Queen Victoria. She is said to have commented to a friend at this time that "the character of an advisor, a woman of influence, a probable preserver or improver of the national morals is exactly the very last I could fill decently" Over time, Lyttelton earned the respect of the Queen and the Prince consort and, in April 1843, she was appointed governess to the royal children, who continued to called her "Laddle", even once they were grown.She was made a Lady of the Bedchamber by Queen Victoria.Sarah died at Hagley on 13 April 1870 at the age of 82.

Anne Churchill Countess of Sunderland 1683-1716

Born 27 February 1683 – 15 April 1716
was the second daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough.
She married on January 2 1700, Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland and had five children.She held the office of Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Anne from 1702 to 1712.As a result of her marriage, Lady Anne Churchill was styled as Countess of Sunderland on September 28 1702. Her Daughter was the first Lady Diana in the family.The title of Duke of Marlborough passed over from her elder sister Henrietta to her son Charles.She died at the age of 33, and was buried on April 24, 1716 in Brington, Northamptonshire.

The First Churchills Series Reviews

After many years of hearing how great this series was I finally purchased the DVD set. There are 4 volumes to this series and I will be watching them and making clips for you all to enjoy as well as reviewing each episode. This series is based on a book written by Winston Churchill about his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough.But I was more interested in the role of Miss Sarah Jennings. Since I have seen her portrait at a exhibit given in honor of Diana,Princess of Wales I have been intrigued by her fiery temperament. The Spencer family has always given Sarah Jennings credit for bringing the family in to the royal circle since she had a close relationship with The Queen Anne. So I am left to wonder why
Sarah has not made any appearances in any recent films about her family. So I have had to turn to books to learn more about her,until now.
Susan Hampshire brought Sarah to life for me on the screen. In the first episode she is just 17 and is a lady in waiting to the Duchess of York. She meets John after a play or a Masque as they called them in those days. Little does she know that John has already made his mark on the battlefield and in the bed of the notorious Lady Castelmaine.
Moira Redmond who plays Lady Castlemaine really brought Barbara's personality to the table.I can not wait til Sarah and Barbara face off in this series there will surely be some fireworks going off!
At the ball after the Masque Sarah and Barbara meet for the first time and Barbara makes the remark to John that Sarah looks like a pretty little boy due to her costume from the Masque.I was really surprised that Sarah did not comment back but I guess she will get her back for that snide comment when her time comes.


In Episode 2 we really get to see the drama going. John asks Sarah what her "price " is when considering his marriage proposal and she says she can not marry him because she has no fortunes.That is until her argument with her Mother who is insistent that she forget about Churchill and proceeds to tell Sarah about the Duchess of Cleveland ( Barbara) and her escapade with John.


John on the other hand breaks the news to Barbara who can not believe what she is hearing when he turns her deal down to share her bed once he is married. But the drama gets even more tense when she fines out it's Sarah who John is determined to marry. With the help of the Duchess of York John makes his plea to marry Sarah in which she finally accepts.



Episode3 Titus Oates spreads lies about the papist plot to kill the King. Whipping up Anti Catholic sentiment. Pressure mounts for the king to assure a Protestant succession but John refuses to join the cabal backing the Duke of Mommouth, The king's Illegitimate son.

Arabella Churchill1648-1730

Arabella Churchill was the mistress of King James II, and the mother of four of his children (surnamed FitzJames Stuart, that is "son of James Stuart"). Arabella was the child of Sir Winston Churchill (an ancestor of the Prime Minister of the same name) and Elizabeth Drake.
An older sister of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, she began her relationship with James, then Duke of York, around 1665, while he was still married to Anne Hyde. Arabella became the duchess's lady-in-waiting in that year, and gave birth to two children during Anne's lifetime. Their affair continued after James's marriage to Mary of Modena in 1673, and produced two more children. Some time after 1674, she married Charles Godfrey and had three more children.

Catherine Victoria Lockwood

Catherine Victoria Lockwood (born 1964), a model, Married Charles the 9th Earl Spencer on 16 September 1989. Miss Lockwood was the daughter of John Lockwood. The wedding was at Church of St. Mary, Great Brington.together they had four children ,

Lady Kitty Eleanor Spencer (born 28 December 1990)
Lady Eliza Victoria Spencer (born 10 July 1992)
Lady (Katya) Amelia Spencer (born 10 July 1992)
Louis Frederick John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (born 14 March 1994) Like her sister in law Victoria suffered from anorexia and bulimia.It was only after Louis's arrival that she confronted her addictions to heroin and alcohol.Six months after her Daughter Kitty's birth she discovered that Earl Spencer had conducted a post-marital affair with journalist Sally Ann Lasson. She remembers the betrayal in a interview to the Mail Online: "It turned me overnight from a deeply contented, first-time mother to a hurt, scared and devastated woman. Remembering her Sister In law The Princess: "She says that her late sister-in-law was a great support during her marital problems.
"I suppose Diana and I had quite a bit in common with our eating disorders and broken marriages, and she was compassionate."But the couple's marriage collapsed after their move to South Africa the divorce was final December 3,1997.

Charlotte the 5th Countess Spencer 1835-1903

Charlotte Frances Frederica Spencer VA (née Seymour) (28 September 1835–31 October 1903) was a daughter of Frederick Charles William Seymour (a son of Lord Hugh Seymour) and Lady Augusta Hervey (a daughter of the 1st Marquess of Bristol). On 8 July 1858, Charlotte married the 5th Earl Spencer and became Countess Spencer. Although from a Conservative background, she supported her husband during his political years Charlotte showed herself to be a natural chatelaine of Althorp and Spencer house. her charm and elegance , combined with her down to earth nature and her genuine love for her husband entranced the people of Northhamptonshire. Charlotte spent most of the 1860's and 170's imposing her tastes on Althorp in doing this, she drew on her childhood experiences and detail that she had known growing up. making the Northhamptonshire gardens mirrior the sophistication and detail that she had known at her childhood home Ickworrth .

Her most important charitable efforts were in league with eleven other concerned ladies, each of them adopting and area of London's east end and helping fight the fall out of the dire poverty. The largest part Charlotte gave in her latter years was a ball supper in 1899. In the Picture Gallery at Althorp when all the Marlborough silver was displayed. The papers that covered the event focused on the novelty of the use of electric lighting contrasting 2,000 lbs of candles used 120 lights. three hundred and fifty guest were invited to Althorp the house was covered with plants, flowers and evergreens from the gardens. Charlotte was in her middle ages by this time and still looked remarkable She danced to the music of the band called Mr Kinkees Three years later in 1902Charlotte began to feel unwell for sometime was diagnosed as having Cancer and was made to have a operation with out delay in Spencer house. in 1903 She was allowed to return to Spencer house . Over the next few months her convalence took place she made her daily walks from the mansion down to the side of the Round Oval lake that she had created in the gardens, before sitting down quietly under the arch of the temple at the far end of the water enjoying the fresh air after her many weeks of being confined to her bed.After her return to the house she was honored in a thanksgiving service attended by her friends and family. In 1903 Charlotte passed away quietly in her sleep from a bout of pneumonia.

While doing my research on Charlotte I came across a photo of her wearing the Spencer Diamond Tiara and the Riveria Necklace. both pieces which are part of the Diana A Celebration exhibit. So far She is the only Spencer woman known to have worn the Tiara.

Penelope Spencer 1615-1667

Penelope Spencer married William Spencer in 1615 . She was the Daughter of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl Spencer ,her father was William Shakespeare's patron, Her son is Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of sunderland, Penelope transformed the domestic arrangements at Althorp to ensure minimum waste and a maximum of gracious hospitality. She died in 1667