January 1, 1970

Extract p. 12-13 taken from chapter: Childhood 1874-1892

Many years later, when asked to corroborate the account of his birth, Sir Winston Churchill replied, ‘Although present on that occasion, I have no clear recollection of the events leading up to it.’

A painted cameo of Winston as a baby

Winston Churchill was born on 30 November 1874. His parents had planned for their son to be born at their London home on Charles Street, but he arrived, reportedly six weeks prematurely, while the couple were staying at Blenheim Palace, the Oxfordshire residence of the Dukes of Marlborough. Randolph described the unexpected nature of Winston’s birth in a letter to his mother-in-law:

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‘She [Jennie] had a fall on Tuesday walking with the shooters, and a rather imprudent and rough drive in a pony carriage brought on the pains on Saturday night. We tried to stop them, but it was no use. They went on all Sunday. Of course the Oxford physician did not come. We telegraphed for the London man, Dr Hope, but he did not arrive till this morning. The country Dr is however a clever man, and the baby was safely born at 1.30 this morning after about 8 hours of labour.’

However, another account, by Jennie’s sister, told how Jennie was dancing at a ball held in the great ballroom before her contractions started. There was no time to find a suitable bedroom and so Winston was born in a nearby room, which that night had been turned into a temporary cloakroom.

Portrait of Winston aged five

‘When does one first begin to remember?’ wrote Churchill. ‘When do the waving lights and shadows of dawning consciousness cast their print upon the mind of a child?’

Before Winston’s second birthday the family moved to Ireland, where the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, had appointed his grandfather as Lord-Lieutenant. Randolph Churchill accompanied his father as secretary, and for nearly three years the family lived in a house called ‘The Little Lodge’. Here, at the age of five, Winston sat for a portrait.