Churchill's accent?

[Capt. Ridley's Shooting Party]

Where did Winston Churchill's accent originate? If you listen to a recording of him, you're struck by how bizarre his accent and intonation was. His mother was American, but I don't hear any American influence.

Was this a personal affectation of his, or a common accent that has since died out?

[Mr. Moto]

What you're hearing is mostly speech impediments - Churchill had both a stammer and a lisp.

How he became known for oratory despite this is testament to his strong will and his lifelong love of the English language and world history.

[Giles]

While Churchill's mother may have been an influence, most of the other family members around him would have spoken with upper-class/public-school accents. He would probably also have been surrounded by servants speaking more working-class accents -- but the grandson of a duke would have learned early not to emulate the servants' accents.