Background
The son of William Churchill of Dorchester, Dorset, and brother of the MPs Joshua Churchill and William Churchill, he was apprenticed to George Sawbridge.
The son of William Churchill of Dorchester, Dorset, and brother of the MPs Joshua Churchill and William Churchill, he was apprenticed to George Sawbridge.
With another brother, John, he then entered into business as booksellers and stationers at the sign of the Black Swan in Paternoster Row, London. At the beginning of 1680 he signed a petition to the king asking for the recall of parliament. And in 1682 he published a sermon of Samuel Bold against persecution.
In the mid-1680s the Churchill brothers were involved in the opposition to James II of England, visiting Amsterdam and consorting with those supporting Monmouth"s Rebellion.
He was arrested in 1687 for printing Gaspar Fagel"s Letter, which outlined the position on religious toleration of the Prince of Orange. Churchill was later stationer to William III of England, as the Prince became in 1689, and a leading bookseller of his time.
He amassed a fortune, and was able to purchase, in 1704, the manor of Higher Henbury in Dorset from John Morton, and that of West Ringstead from James Huishe in 1723. He was closer to George Churchill, the Duke"s brother.
John Locke met Churchill in Rotterdam.
They remained on friendly terms for many years. Churchill was Locke"s publisher, and Edward Clarke acted as an intermediary at some point. The Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration of 1689 were published by Churchill, with other works by Locke.
Churchill also managed money and business for Locke.
As Locke was dying in 1704 they parted at High Laver, and Churchill was a trustee for money Locke was leaving to Francis Cudworth Masham, son of Damaris Cudworth Masham. A library at Henbury was formed by the two brothers.
1st Parliament of Great Britain. 2nd Parliament of Great Britain]
Member of Parliament for Dorchester between 1705 and 1710, Churchill was distantly related to the other Dorchester member John Churchill. And also was related to the Duke of Marlborough, but had little to do with him.