A Pushy Mother? Part 4

As a child Winston Churchill longed for attention and affection from his mother; even when Winston was away at boarding school he would write to his mother pleading for her to visit him. But Jennie Jerome was far too busy trying to further her husband's political career to be particularly moved my Winston's pleas. It wasn't until Jennie's husband, Lord Randolph, died that Jennie began to show any real interest in her son and his career.
In 1895 Winston passed out as a Lieutenant from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and directly began his military career. Winston was a very ambitious young man who wanted desperately to impress his mother. Whilst on duty, Winston would often write to his mother about his achievements and his bravery on the front. Winston didn't shy away from his duties in the cavalry; he would purposefully get into dangerous situations whilst in battle so that he could write to his mother about his fearless attitude. Winston saw action in Cuba (where he first came under fire-much to his delight and started his 'love affair' with Cuban cigars), India, Malakand (now in Pakistan), Sudan, South Africa (where he escaped from a prison camp after being caught by the Boers), and on the front during the First World War (after having to leave the war cabinet after the disastrous Gallipoli campaign).

Throughout Winston's military and political career up until her death in 1921, Jennie took a primary role in her son's professional life. Winston was a keen writer and when he wanted to publish his accounts of life in battle, his mother used her contacts to make it happen. When Winston had a desire to join the British campaign in North Africa to further his career, Jennie travelled to Cairo to see a lover who was in a position to 'make things happen' for Winston. Thanks to Jennie's influential contacts and her determination to make her son a success, Winston's career went from strength to strength. But what Jennie really wanted for her son was to pick up where her late husband had left off; to be successful in politics. Winston had tried and failed to get into politics in 1899 when he stood for a seat in Oldham. With Jennie's help and persuasion, Winston stood again in 1900 with success and was elected the MP for Oldham.
Like his father, Winston quickly rose up the ranks in politics, getting his first minister position when he was 34 and becoming the Home Secretary at 36. Jennie always maintained and told her son regularly that he was destined for great things. Winston realised that being successful meant that he would have all the attention and praise that he had craved from his mother as a child. However, Winston's rise didn't come without a minor set back: the Battle of Gallipoli.
In 1914, Britain declared war on Germany for violating Belgium's neutrality. In 1911 Winston had been promoted to First Lord of the Admiralty, which put him in charge of the Royal Navy. In 1915 Winston was one of the organisers of the disastrous Dardanelles campaign and, when the campaign was deemed a complete failure, took the blame for the fiasco. As a result, Winston was forced to take a demotion and in November 1915 resigned from government altogether, although he still remained an MP. To Jennie it seemed like history was repeating itself and she was angry with Winston for resigning. However, Jennie still carried on telling Winston that he was destined for great things. Jennie's support and encouragement never ceased and was rewarded when Winston decided to make a return to government in 1917.
Jennie was able to see Winston become active and successful in politics once more but she was never to see her son become Prime Minister, something that deeply saddened Winston. Jennie always knew that Winston was destined for great things but, unfortunately, never saw Winston become PM in 1940. Jennie died in 1921 from a hemorrhage after having to have a leg amputated because of a fall.
There is no doubt that Jennie was desperate for success and influence, but I am not sure that she was a 'pushy' mother. Jennie certainly wanted Winston to do well in life but often Jennie only acted to help her son when he requested her to do so. I believe Winston was just as ambitious as his mother and didn't need much 'pushing' to follow the path that he did. It seems that Winston's ambition stemmed from the fact that he had a rather loveless childhood and a mother whom he adored and desperately wanted to please.

What do you think?

A Pushy Mother? Part 3

Soon after their marriage Jennie and Randolph Churchill became society's 'golden couple'. Together Jennie and Randolph were a formidable team-Jennie knew that the only way she would get what she wanted was if she helped Randolph along the way in his political career. In personality Jennie and Randolph were quite different; he was deemed rude and awkward in social situations, whereas, Jennie was quite the social butterfly. Jennie would make polite conversation with people she met and would charm them with her wit and knowledge. If Jennie wanted Randolph to be successful in politics she knew she would have to push him hard.


Luckily for Lord Randolph, Jennie had many important social and political contacts, as well as the drive and ambition to work hard herself to make sure her new hubby started to fly high in politics. Jennie was a risk taker and the intensity of politics excited her-she joined up with Lord Randolph to make a very successful political team. Jennie would canvass for her husband and even make political speeches on his behalf! It was this self confidence that Jennie displayed regularly that made her a magnet-men seemed to fall at her feet where ever she went. Lord Randolph didn't seem to mind all his wife's affairs-as they would often benefit his career. By the time Lord Randolph was 37 he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer and many, including Jennie, believed that he would become Prime Minister. Jennie was intensely loyal to her husband, especially when it concerned his career. So when Lord Randolph resigned from his job in 1886 over a minor detail of government policy, Jennie was extremely angry. This act meant that Jennie had lost hope in her dream of becoming even more influential and powerful than she already was.


Not long after Lord Churchill's resignation his health started to deteriorate-it is now believed that he was suffering from syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection that he probably caught from sleeping with prostitutes in Paris. Unfortunately, syphilis was incurable in the 19th century and so Lord Randolph had to suffer the awful effects of the disease. When Lord Randolph's condition deteriorated further he did what many rich people did at the time; he went travelling, with the idea that the fresh air would be beneficial to his health. Ever the loyal wife, Jennie went with him on his trips, as did Lord Randolph's coffin-just in case he died. Within a few years of Lord Randolph contracting syphilis he was reduced to insanity and in January 1895 he died.
Now that her husband was gone, Jennie had to rethink her political plans-she no longer had Lord Randolph to push into working hard to achieve her dreams. Jennie would have to look to her up and coming son, Winston, to achieve them for her instead.

A Pushy Mother? Part 2

Jennie Jerome's rise to the landed aristocracy in England started at a time when the English aristocracy was in desperate need of some new money and new blood to revitalise it. The young and ambitious Jennie moved to London with the hope of mixing with the right people. Jennie caused a stir almost immediately-even getting the attention of HRH the Prince of Wales (who would later become King Edward VII). Jennie was everything a young woman was supposed to be-she was charismatic, vivacious, charming, well-read, and an accomplished pianist. It goes without saying that Jennie Jerome impressed the high society in England.


It wasn't long before Jennie was being invited to all the best parties, including a party thrown by the 'Playboy Prince' himself, where Jennie would meet her future husband, Lord Randolph Churchill, for the first time. Churchill was completely captivated by Jennie's charm and beauty-he even said to his friend that he would marry her. True to his word, three days later Lord Randolph proposed to Jennie Jerome.


It was a match that was advantageous for both sides; Jennie had succeeded in securing the life that she desperately wanted, and Randolph was given an astonishing £3 million-a very tidy sum for 1874! However, despite the great start Jennie and Randolph got in the married life it would not be an easy marriage for the couple.

A Pushy Mother? Part 1

Winston Churchill once said of his mother that he "loved her deeply, but from a distance". Obviously, Jennie Jerome, Churchill's mother's name before she married Lord Randolph Churchill in 1874, was not what you would call a 'hands on' kind of parent. In fact, 'Lady Randy' (dubbed this because of her somewhat questionable lifestyle), was not at all maternal towards her son-as soon as young Winston was old enough he was packed away to Boarding school; a situation that Lady Churchill was quite happy about, maybe because she could carry on her lavish lifestyle without having to bother with giving her son any attention. Despite this quite lonely and seemingly loveless childhood, Winston Churchill went on to achieve many great things, including leading Britain through the Second World War. Many historians argue that this was down to the influence of his power hungry Mother.

Jennie Jerome was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1854 to an affluent family; Jennie's Father had made money from investing in the Railway. Jennie grew up watching her father work very hard for what he got. Even though some of his ventures failed, her father would always get straight back to work. This strong work ethic stayed with Jennie; she realised that if she too worked hard like her father, she would achieve all that she desired. And what Jennie Jerome desired was power, influence and wealth.