Bernard Lens 1682-1740

Sarah Duchess of Malborough (1660-1744) was the daughter of Richard Jennings of Sandridge, near St. Albans. She served in the household of Mary of Modena, the second Duchess of York, as well as serving as an attendant to Princess Anne. She came to the attention of John Churchill, son of Sir Winston Churchill, and they were married in early 1678. His military success during the War of the Spanish Succession ensured his rise to the Dukedom, as the first Duke of Marlborough. It was as a result of these victories, as well as the considerable influence that the Duchess enjoyed with the Queen, that Blenheim Palace was given to the family.