The first of the three, Jennie Jerome of New York (1854-1921), married Randolph Churchill in 1874, a second son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough. They had two sons, Jack (1880-1947) and Winston (1874-1965), the most famous statesman of the 20th century. After Lord Randolph's death, Jennie married George Cornwallis West in 1900; they were divorced in 1914.
Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill
Lily was the second American woman in the Churchill family (more about her later), and the third was Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877-1964) who married Lily's step son, known as Sunny, in 1895. A child of Lily's husband, 8th Duke of Marlborough, by his first marriage, Sunny (note: he wasn't really) had succeeded Lily's husband as the 9th Duke. Consuelo was forced into the marriage by her insistent mother Alva Vanderbilt; she produced an heir and a spare for the Duke before their separation and divorce. She later married Jacques Balsan, and was reputedly happy in the relationship.
The Marlboroughts: Charles (9th duke), John (10th duke), Consuelo, and Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill
by John Singer Sargent, 1905, Blenheim Palace
While the famous life and loves of Jennie have been extensively chronicled and the fate of Copnsuelo told in an autobiography as well as books about her and her mother, Lily Price Hamersly Spencer-Churchill Beresford has received much less attention.
Lily, about age 16, ca.1870
Until now. Born Lilian Price, in Troy New York, Lily spent time with her aunts in high social circles in Washington, DC, in the years following the Civil War. Eventually she married Louis C. Hamersley in 1879. With his father, Louis had considerable real estate holdings in Manhattan. Lily, in residence at 257 Fifth Avenue, moved into the rarefied circle of New York socialites. She was a patron of the young Metropolitan Opera and other prominent organizations in New York. But Louis died in 1883, leaving her a widow at age 28.
Blessed with beauty and stature, Lily had to plan for the future. The wills of her father-in-law and husband were contested by members of the extended family for many years, though she was never completely without funds.
George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough, ca. 1876
Svenson's biography is at its best when relating the marital ins-and-outs of the high society and aristocratic circles of the late 19th century, particularly in England. For the blog account, let me say simply that the Duke had a scandalous reputation, sometimes called the Wicked Duke. Lily was discouraged by many of her New York friends from marrying him, but that is exactly what she did in 1888, thus becoming the first American-born British duchess in five decades.
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| Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire |
Though without full access to her eventual inheritance from her husband, Lily took a great interest in the repair and conservation of the Duke's magnificent home and its extensive grounds.
As an aside, I will report I have visited Blenheim and found it difficult to envision as a family home. While splendid in every way, I found it dark; many rooms, despite their gilded furniture, are rather dreary. No doubt an honest accounting of the continuing costs of its upkeep make it a millstone around the necks of the Spencer-Churchill family, as it has been since its beginning.
Sarah Jennings Churchill, first Duchess of Marlborough
Intended as the gift of a grateful Queen Anne and her subjects to John Churchill (1650-1722), first Duke of Marlborough, after his victory in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, the house built on the royal estate of Woodstock was the source of conflict. Various complications led to the Churchills having to finance a considerable amount of its costs themselves, greatly incensing the powerful first duchess. The burden of its upkeep continues to this day. Despite the infusion of money from Lily, Blenheim needed further cash, said to be the motivation for the marriage of the 9th Duke to Consuelo, whose father financed many more improvements.
Lily Beresford, ca. 1890
The 8th Duke of Marlborough lived only a few years after his marriage, dying in 1892 at the age of 48. According to Svenson, the marriage had been a compatible one, but Lily was again a widow at 38. She purchased an estate in Surrey, known as Deepdene where she set about entertaining and doing charitable work in the nearby village of Dorking.
The story of her life at Deepdene interested me particularly. Later, she met and married Lord William de la Poer Beresford (1847-1900), war hero, popular sportsman and member of an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family. Under his guidance, Lily learned to love horse-racing and helped Lord William to develop a prominent racing stud.
Lord William de la Poer Beresford
Lily became a mother for the first time at the age of 42. Before her son was born, however, Lord William suffered a hunting accident (1896) from which he never fully recovered. Young William was born in February, 1897; his father died in late 1900 at age 53. Young William was always considered delicate; he died in 1919, perhaps in the influenza epidemic.
Lily and her son
Lily, alone again after the death of Lord William, did not marry again and devoted herself to her son, her gardens, farming interests at Deepdene, the opera in London, and local charities. She passed away in January, 1908.
Sadly, the great house at Deepdene became a hotel in 1920, later the wartime headquarters of a railroad, and was demolished in the mid-1960's.
This account of Lily's life only scratches the surface. I certainly could see many incidents and characters in Lily's life that must have influenced the story of Downton Abbey: an American heiress, protection of a great property, complicated entails and inheritance rules, and the exalted life of the rich on the eve of the Great War. I hope this account has stimulated your interest in this intriguing lady and her times. You will thoroughly enjoy the book. Author Sally Svenson's website is here.
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