Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill

1874 Winston Churchill born a grandson of  Duke of Marlborough - but his father Randolph was younger son, so no money. Born and brought up at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire Cotswolds..

1887 Enters Harrow - reports indicate 'phenomenal slovenliness' and 'negligence'.

1893 Passes exam for Royal Military College Sandhurst at third attempt.

1895 Commissioned as cavalry officer (4th Hussars).

1896 Subaltern in India.

1898 Posted to Egypt - in cavalry charge at Omdurman.

1899-1900 Correspondent for Morning Post during Boer War - captured but escapes.

1900 Elected Conservative MP for Oldham - but disagrees with Tariff Reform and joins Liberals.

1908 Appointed President of Board of Trade by Asquith - establishes Labour Exchanges

1910 Appointed Home Secretary - wrongly accused of sending troops to crush striking Welsh miners.

1911-15 Dynamic First Lord of Admiralty.

1915 Resigns over failure of Dardanelles campaign - takes up painting and later serves in trenches on Western Front.

1918-21 Secretary for War and Air.

1922 Leaves Liberals.

1924 Rejoins Conservatives.

1924-9 Chancellor of Exchequer - on course for Conservative leadership.

1929-1939 Out of office - disagrees with Conservatives on India, rearmament and appeasement - warns public of Nazi danger and writes The History of the English-Speaking Peoples.

1939 First Lord of Admiralty again at start of World War Two.

1940 Prime Minister on defeat and resignation of Chamberlain - head of all-party Coalition Government for purpose of waging war.

1945 Resigns after defeat by Attlee's Labour Party in General Election.

1951 Prime Minister for second time.

1953 Wins Nobel Prize for Literature.

1955 Resigns and retires.

1965 Dies at age of 90 - receives first non-royal state funeral since Duke of Wellington.

Refuge During World War II

Winston Churchill made several visits to Ditchley Park at Enstone near Chipping Norton between 1937 and 1942. As the home of his politcal ally, Ronald Tree, MP, his first visits were social, but with the coming of war Ditchley became Churchill's safe haven from German bombers - the official residence of Chequers was deemed to be an easy target.

Nancy Astor, the celebrated Interior Designer and champion of the "English Look" was the wife of Ronald Tree and restored Ditchley Park to a magnificent Cotswold stately home.

Winston Churchill