Dear English Friends :
Just listening to Lady Mary Soames (nee Churchill) on BookTV talking about her book "Winston & Clementine : The Personal Letters of the Churchills" Houghton Mifflin publishers.
She was asked about her pre-WWII childhood and she said she was "the Benjamin" child.

Can you help me understand what she meant?

A charming lady, very good speaker. While she signed the books (she is left-handed) the camera ran and the the book appears to be about four inches thick!

A child whose mother died giving birth to him/her. From memory.

A child whose mother died giving birth to him/her.

Awww, that ruins my guess that it was one begotten atop a Franklin stove.

If I remember well, in the Bible there is Benjamin, who was born when his father was old enough; he was just a baby when the other children were already grown, so he was the one the father preferred.
It is used to say "the child most loved".

If I remember well, in the Bible there is Benjamin, who was born when his father was old enough; he was just a baby when the other children were already grown, so he was the one the father preferred.
It is used to say "the child most loved".

You remember very well, emanuela. Jacob's affection for Benjamin was laso connected with Benjamin's being the son of his favourite wife, Rachel, who died giving birth to him - a connection with CapK's explanation of the term.

Ah well, I just remembered the fact that his mother died giving him birth. The fact that he was spoiled rotten had escaped me!

My son is Benjamin-- the name means Ben (son) jamin--(of the right hand) Just like a "right hand man" a "right hand son" is a favorite.. and I always told him, he was my favorite son! (he is an only son)

conceived on the Franklin stove? wouldn't that painful? (and give new meaning to hot sex!) -- and messy? I used to polish mine with a wax-- but if you rubbed against it-- even when the stove was cold-- you ended up with sooty black smears..

Emanuela noted : he was just a baby when the other children were already grown, so he was the one the father preferred.

This seems most likely, as Winston's wife Clementine was alive and well for many years after Mary was born!

So a Benjamin Child is one that we US'ns would call a "late in life" baby. Got it!

Thanks to all
wow