October 1, 2015

Winston Churchill’s Connections with the Isle of Wight Detailed in Beautiful, New Limited-edition Book

Winston Churchill’s parents Lord Randolph Churchill and Jennie Jerome first met during racing week at Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1873. The many connections through the centuries of both the Churchill and Jerome families with this island are the subject of a new, lavishly illustrated coffee-table book by Anthony Churchill.

Young Winston as a boy enjoyed visiting the Isle of Wight. He was not alone. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built their favorite residence, Osborne House, on the island, and it was there that the Queen passed away in 1901 shortly after Churchill was first elected to Parliament.

The author speculates that the Jeromes may have been French Protestant Huguenots who escaped from France to the Isle of Wight in the 1680s. But he also records that there have been Jeromes (Jerams, Jeroms) on the island since the fourteenth century. So maybe they were Islanders trading with France? Certainly one Jerome born on the island left for the USA around 1719 to establish the family branch that produced Winston Churchill’s maternal grandfather Leonard Jerome, who frequently visited the Isle of Wight before his daughter met with Lord Randolph.

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In 1866 Jennie’s father took part in The Great Yacht Race, which the author—an experienced yachtsman himself—sees as the first true ocean race, ever, from the USA to Cowes, Isle of Wight. There is a full report of the speech Leonard Jerome made at a Royal Yacht Squadron dinner after the end of the race. Naturally there are pages and pages on the meeting of Jennie Jerome and Lord Randolph including some hitherto unpublished paintings and photographs.

Writing in the foreword, Winston’s great grandson Randolph Churchill observes:

“Here are episodes of conjecture and fact unexplored by many biographers. Here are covered the first meeting of Winston’s mother and father, his early holidays, his visits to palaces and prisons, and the growing number of contacts between the family and the Isle of Wight, only now discovered and thoroughly researched. Who even in the Isle of Wight knows where to find ‘Churchill Chine’, or knows the story of Winston building sandcastles on a beach?”

Winston’s Island is published by Cross Publishing of Chale, Isle of Wight, in a limited edition of 950 numbered copies available in October 2015. Extra-large dimensions (235mm by 325mm) allow proper presentation of more than 100 pages (90 in full colour) with over 200 photographs. The book is elaborately bound with hand finishing and marbled end papers. You can request the author to sign the book(s) you order.

For additional information and to order the book, please CLICK HERE.