Jenyns, Sarah

Sarah Jenyns was born on 5 June 1660 at Holywell, Hertfordshire,EnglandG.3 She was the daughter of Richard Jenyns and FrancesThornhurst.4,5 She was baptised on 17 June 1660 at St. Albans Abbey, St.Albans, Hertfordshire, EnglandG.3 She married John Churchill, 1st Duke ofMarlborough, son of Sir Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Drake, on 1October 1678.6 She died on 18 October 1744 at age 84 at MarlboroughHouse, London, EnglandG, leaving a fortune of ?3,000,000.3 She was buriedat Chapel, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, EnglandG.7 Her will(dated 11 to 15 Aug 1744) was proven (by probate) in 1744, bequeathing toher first woman, Mrs. Grace Ridley, two portraits of the Duke and one ofherself, to the Duchess of Leeds a watercolour portrait of the Duke, andto the Duchess of Montagu a snuff box with two portraits of the Duke andanother covered with a large diamond. She left ?500 apiece to a Mr.Richard Glover and Mr. David Mallet, to write an account of the Duke'slife from his available papers?which was never written.
She was also known as Sarah Jennings.8 From 1 October 1678, hermarried name became Churchill. She and Anne Stuart, Queen of GreatBritain were associated between 1683 and 1708.9 After her marriage, SarahJenyns was styled as Duchess of Marlborough on 14 December 1702.4 Sheheld the office of Keeper of the Privy Purse before 1711.3 She held theoffice of Mistress of the Robes before 1711.3 She held the office ofGroom of the Stole before 1711.3 She wrote the book Conduct From HerFirst Coming to Court to the Year 1710, published 1742.3
Gibbs quotes a Miss Strickland, "One of her principal charms was aprodigious abundance of fine fair hair."6 She expressed in her will thatif her son John or his son were to accept any office or employment underthe Crown (other than the Rangerships of Windsor Great and Little Parks),either of them so doing would forfeit all interest in her estate as if hewere actually dead. Her estates included the manor of Wimbledon and themansion at Wimbledon Park which she had recently built.10 She has anextensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.

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