Evelyn's Diary. 24 Jan 1692. A frosty and dry season continued; many persons die of apoplexy, more than usual. Lord Marlborough (age 41), Lieutenant-General of the King's army in England, gentleman of the bedchamber, etc., dismissed from all his charges, military and other, for his excessive taking of bribes, covetousness, and extortion on all occasions from his inferior officers. Note, this was the Lord who was entirely advanced by King James (age 58), and was the first who betrayed and forsook his master. He was son of [his father] Sir Winston Churchill of the Greencloth.

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Jun 1698. I went to congratulate the marriage of [his son-in-law] Mr. Godolphin (age 19) with the Earl of Marlborough's (age 48) [his daughter] daughter (age 16).

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Dec 1700. Great alterations of officers at Court, and elsewhere, - Lord Chief Justice Treby died; he was a learned man in his profession, of which we have now few, never fewer; the Chancery requiring so little skill in deep law-learning, if the practicer can talk eloquently in that Court; so that probably few care to study the law to any purpose. Lord Marlborough (age 50) Master of the Ordnance, in place of Lord Romney (age 59) made Groom of the Stole. The Earl of Rochester (age 58) goes Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

In 1702. Michael Dahl (age 43). Portrait of John Churchill 1st Duke Marlborough (age 51).

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Feb 1703. A famous cause at the King's Bench [Map] between Mr. Fenwick and his wife, which went for him with a great estate. The Duke of Marlborough (age 52) lost his only [his son] son (age 16) at Cambridge by the smallpox. A great earthquake at Rome, Italy, etc. A famous young woman (age 23), an Italian, was hired by our comedians to sing on the stage, during so many plays, for which they gave her £500; which part by her voice alone at the end of three scenes she performed with such modesty and grace, and above all with such skill, that there was never any who did anything comparable with their voices. She was to go home to the Court of the King of Prussia, and I believe carried with her out of this vain nation above £1,000, everybody coveting to hear her at their private houses.

Evelyn's Diary. 09 Feb 1705. I went to wait on my Lord Treasurer (age 59), where was the victorious Duke of Marlborough (age 54), who came to me and took me by the hand with extraordinary familiarity and civility, as formerly he was used to do, without any alteration of his good-nature. He had a most rich George in a sardonyx set with diamonds of very great value; for the rest, very plain. I had not seen him for some years, and believed he might have forgotten me.

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Oct 1705. Mr. Cowper (age 40) made Lord Keeper. Observing how uncertain great officers are of continuing long in their places, he would not accept it, unless £2,000 a year were given him in reversion when he was put out, in consideration of his loss of practice. His predecessors, how little time soever they had the Seal, usually got £100,000 and made themselves Barons. A new Secretary of State. Lord Abington (age 32), Lieutenant of the Tower, displaced, and [his brother] General Churchill (age 49), brother to the Duke of Marlborough (age 55), put in. An indication of great unsteadiness somewhere, but thus the crafty Whig party (as called) begin to change the face of the Court, in opposition to the High Churchmen, which was another distinction of a party from the Low Churchmen. The Parliament chose one Mr. Smith, Speaker. There had never been so great an assembly of members on the first day of sitting, being more than 450. The votes both of the old, as well as the new, fell to those called Low Churchmen, contrary to all expectation.

Before 24 May 1711 John Closterman (age 51). Portrait of John Churchill 1st Duke Marlborough (age 60).

Before 24 May 1711 John Closterman (age 51). Portrait of John Churchill 1st Duke Marlborough (age 60) known as The Triumph of the John, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

Before 1744 Enoch "The Younger" Seeman (age 50). Portrait of John Churchill 1st Duke Marlborough and Colonel John Armstrong.

In 1744 John Churchill 1st Duke Marlborough was reburied in the Chapel of Blenheim Palace.

Letters of Horace Walpole. 27 Jul 1752. Arlington Street. To Horace Mann 1st Baronet (age 45).

What will you say to me after a silence of two months? I should be ashamed, if I were answerable for the whole world, who will do nothing worth repeating. Newspapers have horse-races, and can invent casualties, but I can't have the confidence to stuff a letter with either. The only casualty that is of dignity enough to send you, is a great fire at Lincoln's Inn, which is likely to afford new work for the lawyers, in consequence of the number of deeds and writings it has consumed. The Duke of Kingston (age 63) has lost many of his: he is unlucky with fires: Thoresby, his seat, was burnt a few years ago, and in it a whole room of valuable letters and manuscripts. There has been a Very considerable loss of that kind at this fire: Mr. Yorke, the Chancellor's son, had a great collection of Lord Somers's papers, many relating to the assassination plot; and by which, I am told, it appeared that the Duke of Marlborough was deep in the schemes of St. Germain's [Meaning the court of the exiled James II].