Lord Alan Spencer-Churchill

[1][2] In 1843 Lord Alan was best man at the wedding of his eldest brother, John, then 7th Marquess of Blandford, to Lady Frances Vane, the future grandparents of Prime Minister, Winston Spencer Churchill.

[4] Unlike his two elder brothers, upon leaving the Army, Lord Alan eschewed a political career and chose instead, unusually for people of his class, to go into business.

His association with Peter Rolt (1798-1882), merchant and Conservative MP for Greenwich, led to his involvement in international trade and to a number of company directorships, in the then burgeoning sectors of shipping and tourism.

[6][7][8] As was the convention for people of his class at that time, he divided his life between business and clubs in London and the pursuits of a country squire.

In August 1852 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Oxfordshire, the location of the family seat at Blenheim Palace, which passed to his eldest brother, John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough.