Feature The Tale of Two Winstons Warren Dockter inston Churchill is generally Wregarded as one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth century. As Prime Minister he led Britain to victory against the Nazi war machine, leading Time to name him ‘Man of the Year’ in 1940 and ‘Man of the Half Century’ in 1949. As recently as 2002 he was voted ‘the greatest Briton’ by a BBC poll. His tenacious personality has become iconic as displayed in his images with his cigar, fingers stretched in a ‘V’, and pugnacious face. Leading one to believe Winston Churchill was probably a man very seldom mistaken for someone else. However, at the turn of the century he was often mistaken for the best-selling American novelist by the same name. In the early 1900s the American Winston was far more famous in the United States than his British name sake. This article will examine the historical peculiarity of the two Winston Churchills, their brief correspondence, their chance meeting in Boston in 1900, and the striking similarity of their lives. Winston S Churchill first became aware of his American name-sake in the Spring of 1899 when he began receiving letters with ‘congratulations on [his] skill as a writer of fiction.’ Ever hopeful, the their names might get confused. He Meeting of the two Winston Churchills. British Churchill supposed that these continued, ‘Mr. Winston Churchill will The Boston Herald, 18 December 1900 letters were ‘belated appreciation for the no doubt recognise from this letter-if merits of Savrola’, which was published indeed by no other means- that there Churchill much anxiety. Mr. Winston the previous year and was his only work is a grave danger of his works being Churchill appreciates the courtesy of of fiction.1 Meanwhile, his American mistaken for those of Mr. Winston Mr. Winston Churchill in adopting the counterpart was winning considerable Churchill.’ British Churchill also noted name of ‘Winston Spencer Churchill.’ He fame as the bestselling author of Richard that he would sign all of published works assured the British Churchill that had ‘he Carvel (1899) a historical romance henceforth as ‘Winston S Churchill’ possessed any other names, he certainly set in Maryland during the American and not ‘Winston Churchill’. Finally the would have adopted one’ and that their Revolution. Aware their names may British Winston concluded by saying works would not conflict in any way. The cause confusion, the British Churchill that ‘The text of this note might form American Churchill concluded his letter decided to write the American Churchill a subject for future discussion if Mr. by noting, ‘Mr. Winston Churchill will a letter.2 On 7 June 1899 the British Winston Churchill agrees with Mr. take the liberty of sending Mr. Winston Churchill sent his letter which began, Winston Churchill’s proposition.’3 Churchill copies of the two novels he ‘Mr. Winston Churchill presents his Delighted by the British Churchill’s has written. He has a high admiration compliments to Mr. Winston Churchill, letter, the American Churchill replied for the works of Mr. Winston Spencer and begs to draw his attention to a in the same confusing, yet droll fashion, Churchill, and is looking forward with matter which concerns them both. ‘ He noting, ‘Mr. Winston Churchill is pleasure to reading Savrola.’4 praised the American Churchill for his extremely grateful to Mr Winston In October 1900, Winston S work and the sales of Richard Carvel but Churchill for bringing forward a Churchill won a seat in Parliament, but feared that because he too was an author, subject which has given Mr. Winston before he took his seat the following 10 The Historian / Autumn 2011 Winston Churchill c1900. Winston Churchill c1900. Library of Congress Washington, D.C. Library of Congress Washington, D.C. February, he went on a lecture tour of Mr. Churchill by his father is an go into politics. ‘I mean to be Prime America organised by Major James B Englishman, by his mother an Minster of England: it would be a Pond. Winston S Churchill arrived in American, no doubt a blend that great lark if you were President of the New York on 8 December and went to makes a perfect man. England and United States at the same time.’10 That see an old friend, W. Bourke Cockran, America; we are kin. And now that evening Winston S Churchill spoke at who introduced Churchill to several we are also kin in sin, there is nothing Tremont Temple to the Anglo-American prominent Americans such as Teddy more to be desired. The harmony is society and had a very successful Roosevelt and William McKinley. A perfect-like Mr. Churchill himself, lecture; according to the Boston Herald few days later, the British Churchill’s whom I now have the honor to Churchill’s lecture ‘drew to Tremont first lecture was at New York’s luxurious, present to you.8 Temple the largest audience ever seen Waldorf-Astoria hotel. While the duty within that edifice.’11Afterwards the of introducing the British Churchill From New York, Winston S American Winston treated the British was ironically turned down by the Churchill went to Baltimore and then Winston to dinner at the Somerset Club American Churchill, it was performed to Boston where another confusion of near the former’s house on Beacon by another prominent American, Mark mail brought the two Churchills together Street where they ‘made each other Twain. 5 Though Twain had previously in person. Upon arriving in Boston, complimentary speeches.’12 However, the condemned Britain saying it had ‘sinned Churchill was feeling ill and went to absurdity of this historical peculiarity by getting into war with the Boers,’6 his room at the Hotel Touraine while persisted. After dinner the British his characteristic wit demonstrated his Major Pond went to collect his mail. Winston was given the American own unique connection with the British However, Major Pond discovered that Winston’s bill for the evening’s frivolity, Churchill.7 Twain even waved the banner the mail meant for the British Churchill despite the American Winston’s of Anglo-American unity that Churchill, had been forwarded to the American intention to pay. The whole affair was himself would later take up as Prime Churchill’s house on Beacon Street. on the front page the next morning in Minster. He began, ‘For years I have Since he could not get the letters, Pond the Boston Herald in an article called been a self appointed missionary for the went to the American Churchill’s house ‘Namesakes Meet: Winston Churchills joining of America and the mother land and convinced him to return to the Fast Friends’.13 The article included a in friendship and esteem. Where I have hotel room of his British counterpart. sketch of the two men walking through been and whenever I have stood before a Winston S Churchill answered his door the Boston Common. gathering of Englishmen or Americans, and upon seeing Major Pond with a While their light-hearted I have urged my mission and have man he did not recognise, he waited correspondence and brief meeting warmed it up with compliments to both for an introduction. The three stood in suggest an amusing historical countries.’ He then moved to the subject silence until Major Pond, smirking, said coincidence, the similarity of the two of the Boer War, noting that Churchill ‘Mr. Churchill. Mr. Churchill.’9 Both Winstons went beyond their names. could competently speak about it and Winstons agreed to have lunch and They shared several life experiences. repeated the notion that Britain had spent most of the afternoon together, When they met in Boston, both sinned by getting into war with South discussing their linage and searching for Winstons were not yet thirty years Africa but kindly added ‘just as we have a common ancestor but to no avail. old (the American Winston was born sinned in getting into a similar war After lunch, the two Winstons went in 1871). An orphan, the American in the Philippines.’ Twain concluded for a stroll through Boston Common Winston’s childhood was a lonely one. his introduction with expounding the and the British Winston suggested to Likewise, the British Winston had virtues of Anglo-American unity: the American Winston that he should a lonely childhood as a result of his The Historian / Autumn 2011 11 Feature distant and often emotionally remiss for Cornish, New Hampshire in the United States, he was awarded with an parents. Both Churchills went to military state congress in 1902. Interestingly, honorary citizenship in 1963 by an Act academies for their education: the historian Robert Pipel, implied in his of Congress. Today, on both sides of American Winston went to The United Churchill in America (1976), that it the Atlantic, most people are aware of States Naval Academy and graduated was the British Churchill’s urging of only one historical figure by the name in June 1894, while the British Winston the American Churchill to get into of Winston Churchill, though, as the went to the Royal Military College at politics that served as the catalyst for New York Times wryly noted in its Sandhurst and graduated in December the American’s political designs.15 obituary for the forgotten American, ‘in 1894. Both Winstons served in the However, in all probability it was Teddy 1900, even after the British Churchill military, although the British Winston Roosevelt who inspired the American had been taken prisoner by the Boers saw considerably more action in field Winston to get involved in politics. His and dramatically escaped, there was no with engagements in Cuba, India, political speeches and correspondence question in this country as to which and Soudan than did his American with Teddy Roosevelt lend credence to Churchill was the Winston Churchill.’19 counterpart who left the American Navy this notion.16 However, after his failed after only 3 months to become an editor gubernatorial bid for New Hampshire References for the Army and Navy Journal.