Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough John chose Sarah over Catherine Sedley, but both John's and Sarah's families disapproved of the match, therefore they married secretly in the winter of 1677–78. John and Sarah were both Protestants in a predominantly Catholic court, a circumstance that would influence their political allegiances. Although no date was recorded, the marriage was announced only to the Duchess of York, and a small circle of friends, so that Sarah could keep her court position as Maid of Honour. When Sarah became pregnant, her marriage was announced publicly (on 1 October 1678), and she retired from the court to give birth to
Claire Waters Ferguson Claire Waters Ferguson Claire Waters Ferguson (born 1936) began skating at a young age and became a judge at age 16, working her way up to the national level and then to the Olympic level. She attended Michigan State University where she was a member of Alpha Phi and graduated with a degree in communication skills and English in 1957. In 1992, Ferguson became the first woman in the 75-year history of the United States Figure Skating Association to be named its president (1992-1995). Ferguson was president during the 1994 Winter Olympics and the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding incident. Ferguson was